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Fallen Angels (Duo luo tian shi) (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 18:09:36 -0400

Now Chungking Express doesn't have to be alone on your Blu-ray shelf.

Originally envisioned as the third part of director Wong Kar-Wais Chungking Expressa film that tells two parallel stories of urban ennui and heartbreakFallen Angels is a companion piece and pseudo-sequel that builds upon the themes of its predecessor, giving us an intoxicating view of pre-millennial, pre-British handover Hong Kong, as seen through the eyes of four disparate souls, ...

Video

Highly stylized and shot with compulsive spontaneity at nightrelying heavily on natural or single-source lightingFallen Angels expands on many of the visual ideas that Wong Kar- Wai and cinematographer Chris Doyle experimented with in Chungking Express. The stutter and blur of dropped frames once again makes an appearance, slow-motion foregrounds are contrasted against the prodigious buzz of background activity, and strong chiaroscuro shadows drape Hong Kongs seediest r...

Audio

Fallen Angels impressionistic audio experience is nearly as stylized as its visuals, and with that taken into account, this discs Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is a blissful head-trip, floating on lush trip-hop-ish music with deep throbs of bass and an almost metallic sounding snare drum. As in Chungking Express, Wong Kar-Wais use of music in Fallen Angels is the glue that holds the films thematic resonance together, and this track handles it ...

Supplements

Featurettes
The disc includes a trio of mostly substance-less featurettes. There's not much here to satiate hardcore Wong Kar-Wai followers, but the 15-or-so minutes of extra content is not without its charms. In Only You (1080i, 7:47), director Wong Kar-Wai briefly discusses the relationship between Chungking Express and Fallen Angels, followed by a montage of deleted scenes. Whom You Miss (1080i, 3:54) is a profile of Chan Man-Lei, the real-lif...

Final Words

Though not as narratively concise or emotionally affecting as Chungking Express, Fallen Angels is an engrossing follow-up that explores similar ideas and is filmed with Wong Kar-Wais characteristically breakneck brilliance. You really cant have one without the other, and thankfully, both films have received excellent high definition home video treatments, with Criterion releasing Chungki......

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Katyn (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:49:54 -0400

Poland's Official Submission to the Best Foreign Language Film Category of the 80th Annual Academy Awards, Andrzej Wajda's "Katyn" (2007) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Artificial Eye. The supplemental features on the disc include an interview with director Andrzej Wajda, making of, and trailers. With optional English subtitles. Region-Free. ...

Video
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Andrzej Waida's Katyn arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Artificial Eye.

Artificial Eye released Katyn on SDVD approximately six months ago, but the image was cropped to 1.78:1. For the Blu-ray release, the distributors have secured a 2.35:1 transfer that looks absolutely fabulous. Fine object detail is striking, clarity pleasing and contrast levels consistent ...

Audio
There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: Polish/Russian DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Polis/Russian Dolby Digital 5.1. For the record, Artificial Eyr have provided optional English subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they split the image frame and the black bar below it.

The Polish/Russian DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is very strong. The surround channels are not overly active, but when they are, they are very effective; the bass is strong; the high frequencies are...

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 - a long and very informative interview with director Wajda in which he talks about his desire to shoot Katyn in Poland, not abroad; what the Katyn massac...

Final Words
Katyn is a powerful, exceptionally moving and terrifically acted film directed by legendary Polish director Andrzej Wajda. The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of British distributors Artificial Eye, looks and sounds great. It also contains a long and very informative interview with the Polish director. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. ......

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Education (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 13:30:51 -0400
An education in storytelling and filmmaking done right.

Do you still feel like a schoolgirl?

An Education is a throwback movie that emphasizes -- and embraces -- substance over style, the picture never visually flashy but instead exceptionally constructed so as to build a story with characters that audiences will become lost in, concerned for, and empathetic towards. Indeed, An Education -- one of 2009's critical darlings and nominated for three Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Actress for young ...

Video
Sony Pictures Classics' latest Blu-ray release, An Education, features a good-but-not- great 1080p, 2.35:1-framed transfer that delivers a quality film-like appearance but is nevertheless not quite as stunning as the best Blu-ray releases. Amidst what is sometimes incredibly strong detailing, An Education features some excessively soft shots with faces in particular occasionally appearing undefined and pasty. Generally, An Education delivers something of a cold...

Audio
An Education boasts a reserved but nevertheless good-in-context DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. This is a fairly front-heavy presentation with only limited background ambience. Listeners won't often feel immersed into the various environments seen throughout the film, save for when there's sufficient sonic information to do so. A driving rainstorm early in the film delivers a quality presence across the front with a hint of back-channel support, but several booms of thunder ...

Supplements
An Education enrolls on Blu-ray and earns but a fledgeling grade for its small collection of supplements. First up is an audio commentary track with Director Lone Scherfig and Actors Carey Mulligan and Peter Sarsgaard. This is something of an affable track that focuses more on anecdotes and haphazard conversation than it does any sort of hardcore technical discussions. While there's still some brief discussions about thematic elements in the film, shooting techniques, filming...

Final Words
An Education is at once both a feel-good romance while building towards something of a more deep and relevant emotional undertone that comes to the surface in the final act and lends weight to a movie that's of several unique twists and traits but never plays as anything but coherent, entertaining, and most importantly, thematically satisfying. An aptly-titled picture if there ever was one, An Education examines a young girl's whirlwind romance and what it teaches her ab......

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Living Landscapes: Rocky Mountains (Blu-ray Review)

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:57:26 -0400
Another strong, if somewhat repetitive, entry in the Living Landscapes series features the glories of the Rockies.

The Living Landscapes series has provided a wealth of beautifully scenic Blu-rays which have helped elevate the ambient television niche market to something that can actually be more than just digital wallpaper. For those of you who live in, around, or even on mountains, you may think that you get enough of the high altitude scenery in your real life, but you might still want to explore the wonder of Rocky Mountains, which includes some lovely shots of two of my favorite places on Ear...

Video
This is one of the older Living Landscapes releases and utilizes an MPEG-2 codec. That said, for the most part this 1080i 1.78:1 image is quite beautiful, with nicely saturated color and an appealingly diverse palette. This piece is strongest in some of the detail it provides in the water or watery scenes. The segment noted above with the waterfall spew is really breathtaking, and each individual droplet of water can be made out as it attempts to escape the realm of the waterfall itself. Som...

Audio
Unfortunately for you audiophiles, Living Landscapes releases have not stepped up to the lossless audio plate yet, and so you are given the choice of two quite good, and often very immersive, standard Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks, one with just the ambient nature sounds, and the other with music blended with the ambient track. I tend to prefer the musical tracks, but I spot checked both of these throughout the hour's length of the video. These both offer sterling fidelity, if never quite the robus...

Supplements
As with all the other budget priced Living Landscapes titles I've reviewed, there are no extras on this release....

Final Words
I've really become a fan of these Living Landscapes releases, and my own love for mountains has made this one of the more enjoyable offerings in the series for me personally. Graced with some very lovely imagery and a better than average selection of music, Rocky Mountains is the next best thing to actually being there.......

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The Blind Side (Blu-ray Review)

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:42:46 -0400
Been there, done that, cried that river before...

Never mind whether Sandra Bullock deserved to take home a Best Actress statue at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards, somehow besting Carey Mulligan's spectacular turn in An Education and newcomer Gabourey Sidibe's raw, gut-punch performance in Precious. Her memorable portrayal of tough-as-nails Memphis belle Leigh Anne Tuohy, NFL lineman Michael ...

Video
Twice-baked in the heat of a sweltering Tennessee summer, The Blind Side's 1080p/VC-1 transfer is an able-bodied beaut, even if Alar Kivilo's matter-of-fact cinematography is burdened with oversaturated skintones and overcooked contrast. Bold primaries demand attention, striking greens breathe life into the Briarcrest grounds, and exceedingly rich black levels grant the picture punch. Whether Bullock is staring down a weary offensive line during a tough practice or visiting the impoveri...

Audio
While Warner's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track isn't going to win any awards either, it's still a technically proficient mix that handles the film's overeager sound design and Carter Burwell's heartstring score with ease. Be it a quiet exchange or an impassioned debate, dialogue is warm and intelligible (albeit a tad bright at times), and prioritization is measured and precise. Likewise, LFE output lends welcome oomph to every tackle, weight to every first-down tussle, and presen...

Supplements
The Blu-ray edition of The Blind Side arrives with an hour of special features, the majority of which do little more than skim the surface of Oher's life and Hancock's adaptation. Don't get me wrong, the material on hand is certainly appreciated, but I was hoping for a more candid and extensive supplemental package.

The Real Michael Oher (HD, 10 minutes): This all-too-short interview grants Oher the opportunity to reflect on h...

Final Words
Even though The Blind Side drew a few tears, I had a hard time investing in its one-dimensional portrayal of the Tuohys and their Briarcrest boyscouts, connecting with Aaron's gentle giant, and allowing Hancock to have a ham-fisted go at my heartstrings. A high-dollar Hallmark film through and through, I remain decidedly unimpressed. The Blu-ray edition is a bit better -- it offers an excellent video transfer and an upright DTS-HD Master Audio track -- but its succinct, hour-long supple......

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Grumpy Old Men / Grumpier Old Men (Blu-ray Review)

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:19:43 -0400
Oh, Country For Old Men

The saggier the flesh, the droopier the box office returns is presumably the excuse for why Hollywood hasnt been known to produce very many rom-coms for the over-sixty set, so the fact that Grumpy Old Men and its sequel, Grumpier Old Men, raked in a combined $140 million in ticket salesa smack in the face of conventional wisdomjust goes to prove that a.) funny is funny no matter the age, b.) older people want and deserve films that reflect their experience, and c.) eve...

Video
The standalone release of Grumpy Old Men shipped on a 25GB Blu-ray discsee our review here for PQ detailsand for this two-for-one set, Warner Bros. simply placed both films on a 50GB platter. Grumpier Old Men, with its 1080p/VC-1 encoded transfer, looks slightly betterand more consistentthan its predecessor, which labors under oppressive black levels and a dirty, wobbly, blurry opening...

Audio
For this release, Grumpy Old Men sports the same DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo track as it did as on its standalone disconce again, see our review here for detailswhile Grumpier Old Men gets a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix thats appreciably fuller, even if it only makes minimal use of the extra channels. Every little bit counts though, and the rear speakers occasionally swell with tweeting b...

Supplements
This Blu-ray twofer arrives with the barest of bones. There are no supplementary materials at all included on this disc, not even a pair of trailers. ...

Final Words
Matthau and Lemmon both sadly passed away before they could give us the superlative Grumpiest Old Men, but their Grumpy and Grumpier efforts, for all their narrative shortcomings, are fun comedies that appeal to a generation that doesnt get many movies made specifically for them. These films arent just for fuddy duddies, though. The stories might be over-60-centric, but much of the humor is universal. I mean, were all heading over the hill eventually, and the co......

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Mozart: Don Giovanni (Live at the Teatro Real Madrid) (Blu-ray Review)

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 18:36:52 -0400
This third Blu-ray release of Mozart's masterpiece offers a relatively modern setting, but offers a muddled political context, especially in the finale.

The Blu-ray era is mature enough now that were starting to get manifold releases of some titles, finally offering the consumer a real choice when they get ready to fork over their hard earned dollars. While Ive been perhaps a bit curmudgeonly (what else is new?) in my complaints about some less than A-list titles being repeatedly released, theres certainly no such qualm about the three Blu-ray versions of Mozart and Da Pontes masterpiece Don Giovanni that are thus far available. Th...

Video
Opus Arte presents this Don Giovanni on Blu-ray with a generally quite excellent AVC encoded 1080i image that captures the live performance feel that so many who relish these operatic Blu's love. The 1.78:1 image is frequently bathed in blue, as you will see from these screen captures, but the carnival sequences especially are alive with some gloriously saturated colors. Detail is exceptional in these segments, as the multicolored greens, reds, blues, purples and yellows all twinkle wit...

Audio
For all the sometimes off-putting "historical accuracy" the Rene Jacobs Harmonia Mundi Don Giovanni offered, we at least had that conductor's fiery and emotional, but also classically balanced and intellectually profound, approach to the score. This Don has a somewhat less robust approach under the baton of Victor Pablo Pérez. There's nothing egregiously wrong here, and in fact Pérez coaxes some exuberant playing out of the Madrid Symphony at times, but often the opera plods alon...

Supplements
Per the usual Opus Arte approach, we're given a nice illustrated synopsis and cast gallery on the disc. There are also 27 minutes of interviews with Pasqual, Álvarez and Pérez. A good essay in the insert booklet attempts to put the "real" Don Juan's history into a context of the many dramatic adaptations, including Mozart and Da Ponte's....

Final Words
This is an interesting, if not altogether compelling, Don Giovanni. The (relatively) modern dress and setting work quite well, but Pasqual perhaps tries to hard to lacquer on a political sheen which isn't really needed. There's enough nuance in Da Ponte's libretto that we don't need any tangential analogies to make it all seem "current."......

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Shinjuku Incident (San suk si gin) (Blu-ray Review)

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:28:38 -0400

Yee Tung-Shing's "Shinjuku Incident" (2009) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Showbox Media. The supplemental features on the disc include a making of featurette; interviews with Jackie Chan, Daniel Wu, Xu Jinglei, Masaya Kato, Naoto Takenata, Chin Kar Lok, and Peter Kam; eight behind the scenes featurettes; trailers; and TV spots. With optional English subtitles. Region-Free....

Video
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Yee Tung-Shing's Shinjuku Incident arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Showbox Media.

This high-definition transfer looks slightly better than the one Joy Sales Films and Video Distribution used for the Honk Kong release of Shinjuku Incident. What I immediately noticed noticed while viewing the film is that a lot of the darker scenes look tighter and less noisy....

Audio
There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Additionally, Showbox Media have provided optional English subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they split the image frame and the black bar below it.

The Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is solid. The bass is potent, the high-frequencies not overdone, and the rear channels intelligently used. As I noted in my review of the HK release of Shinjuk...

Supplements
Note: The majority 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.

Making of - a standard featurette in which cast and crew members share their thoughts about the film. Raw footage from the film's shooting is included. (17 min, PA...

Final Words
I am impressed with Showbox Media's Blu-ray release of Yee Tung-Shing's Shinjuku Incident. Their high-definition transfer is marginally better than the one found on the Hong Kong Blu-ray release courtesy of Joy Sales Films and Video Distribution. Furthermore, Showbox Media have also added up some very strong exclusive supplemental features. With other words, if you do not yet have this film in your library but would like to, go for the Showbox Media Blu-ray release - at the moment, it is ......

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Presumed Innocent / Frantic (Blu-ray Review)

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 07:45:04 -0400
Warner serves up a pair of thrillers from Pakula and Polanski...

Whether bellowing "get off my plane," quipping "it's not the years, honey, it's the mileage," or answering a declaration of love with the words "I know," Harrison Ford has built an impressive career on the backs of believable, matter-of-fact heroes; an unforgettable parade of stalwart presidents, CIA family men, bull-whipping adventurers, determined investigators, intergalactic smugglers, and wrongly accused everymen who, regardless of their circumstances, continue to strike audiences as genuine...

Video
Warner's first Thriller Double Feature release tells a tale of two transfers. Presumed Innocent's 1080p/VC-1 encode is an unexpectedly impressive one; strong enough, in fact, that it could have easily anchored a standalone release. Gordon Willis' unassuming palette has been perfectly preserved, warm courtroom mahoganies, lifelike skintones, inky blacks and all. Detail is crisp and revealing throughout -- a remarkable development considering the age and lower-tier nature of the film -- ...

Audio
Both Presumed Innocent and Frantic have been granted a capable DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo track and, once again, the age of the films -- not the studio's technical efforts -- are responsible for any sonic shortcomings. I'm sure some will be upset that Warner didn't provide snazzy 5.1 remixes, but I couldn't be happier. I'd much rather listen to a faithful two-channel reproduction like the two presented here than wallow in the murky waters of an artificial soundfield. Both fi...

Supplements
Like their barebones standard DVD counterparts, neither Presumed Innocent nor Frantic include any significant special features. ...

Final Words
Warner's latest Double Feature is also its most satisfying. Presumed Innocent and Frantic may be lesser Harrison Ford thrillers, but they're presented with faithful video transfers (one of which is arresting enough to have warranted its own release) and solid DTS-HD Master Audio stereo tracks. Alas, like the majority of the studio's other Double Features, the pair doesn't include any supplemental content. That being said, it's less of a disappointment since neither film has ever......

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Twister (Blu-ray Review)

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:14:23 -0400

Written by Michael Crichton and Anne-Marie Martin, Jan de Bont's "Twister" (1996) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Universal-UK. The supplemental features on the disc include an audio commentary with director Jan de Bont and visual effects supervisor Stefen Fangmeier; "The Making of Twister"; "Anatomy of a Twister" - on-site footage from the shooting of the film; "Nature Tech: Tornadoes" - a History Channel episode about the progress scientists have made in predicting dangerous storms; Van Hale...

Video
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.41:1, encoded with VC-1 and granted a 1080p transfer, Jan de Bont's Twister arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Universal-UK.

I have two complaints about this high-definition transfer. The first one has to do with the use of noise reduction, which is quite distracting at times. There are key scene throughout the film where fine object detail and clarity are obviously affected by it. I think that the larger your screen is, the easier it would be for...

Audio
This Blu-ray disc contains the following audio tracks: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, French DTS 5.1, German DTS 5.1, Italian DTS 5.1, Spanish DTS 5.1, and Japanese DTS 5.1. For the record, Universal have provided optional English SDH, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Chinese (Traditional), Japanese, and Korean subtitles for the main feature.

The English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (24-bit) sounds good. The low frequencies...

Supplements
Note: All of the supplemental features on this Blu-ray disc are perfectly playable on North American PS3s and SAs.

The Making of Twister - the standard featurette recaptures the production history of the film. Cast and crew members also discuss their roles and work on the film. In English, with optional Japanese, English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, Greek, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese and Swedish. (480/60i, 14 min).

<...

Final Words
If you are a fan of Jan de Bont's Twister and have not yet purchased it on Blu-ray, I would suggest that you opt for the UK release herein reviewed. In my opinion, it offers some marginal improvements over the U.S. release. The disc is Region-Free, and all of the supplemental features on it are perfectly playable on Region-A PS3s and SAs. Recommended. ......

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Sorority Row (Blu-ray Review)

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:39:47 -0400
Theta Pi! Theta Pi! Die! Die! Die!

The slasher is perhaps horrors most codified sub-genre. Yes, zombies and werewolves and vampires all have their mythologies and cinematic rules, but the slasher film is a different beast altogether. Theyre usually simple morality tales about reckless youth on the cusp of adulthood, an age rife with sex and drugs and rebellion. Often, theyre staged around holidays or special events. The masked killer, armed with some kind of iconic weapon, whittles down a group of attractive, unsupervi...

Video
Sorority Row comes to Blu-ray with a 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer thats strong but inconsistent, sometimes as stunning as Jamie Chung in a towel, and other times looking like a pledge with a post-hazing hangover. Clarity varies between tack-sharp close-upssee the beads of water on Claires face as she gets out of the shower, and notice the fine details of her skin texture to sequences that look somewhat soft and indistinct, like the scene with Cassidy and her boyfriend lying in ...

Audio
When things go bump in the night at a sorority house, its usually because one of the girls has snuck her boyfriend in, but in Sorority Rows DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, youre more likely to hear a killers blade whistling through the air than a headboard smacking rhythmically against the wall. Audio is an essential part of most horror films, and though Sorority Row doesnt use sound as intricately as other genre entries, this is still a solid track, with bo...

Supplements
PIP Feature Commentary with Director and Cast
Director Stewart Hendler and four of his sorority beautiesBriana Evigan, Leah Pipes, Rumer Willis, and Margo Harshmangive a video commentary that's extremely, perhaps overly chatty, which is unsurprising considering the number of participants. The picture-in-picture window is kind of small, though, so unless you have a 100" screen, you'll have to be sitting pretty close to really see the actors' expressions.

Sorori...

Final Words
Less discerning genre fans might take to Sorority Row, the latest paint-by-the-numbers slasher to bloody up Blu-ray, but more demanding horrorphiles will find it endlessly derivative and lacking in both intensity and innovation. Not every horror film has to raise the bar or change the rules, but Sorority Row sticks so staunchly to convention that it all but disappears into the plots, kills, and characters of its predecessors. If you're planning on pledging to this Soro......

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Delibes: Sylvia (Blu-ray Review)

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:27:44 -0400
Leo Delibes offers some of the most sumptuous ballet music ever written with his 'Sylvia.' If only the story supported it.

There are at least three salient quotes to keep in mind when you first come to Sylvia, one of the iconic pieces of 19th century ballet (even if, in fact, it didnt make much of an impact back then, having to wait until Frederick Ashtons early 1950s mounting to really find its en pointe legs). Two are from none other than Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Tchaikovsky, who like Sylvias own composer Leo Delibes, could not escape the sometimes oppressive influence of Richard Wagner...

Video
Perhaps because so much of Sylvia plays out in mist-laden or darkened stage areas, this Blu-ray's AVC encoded 1080i image (in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio) seems decidedly softer than a lot of other Opus Arte titles I've reviewed. While detail pops nicely and is at least acceptably sharp in medium to close-up shots, as you will see from several of the screen captures included in this review, anything further away than a medium shot has an unappealing murkiness at times. Contrast is decent, b...

Audio
Luckily, Delibes' music is brilliantly performed and lovingly recorded on the exceptionally clear LPCM 5.1 mix included on this Blu-ray. As noted above, none other than Tchaikovsky stated that the ballet itself is nothing, it's the music that matters, and so the image quality of this Blu-ray can perhaps be forgiven given the wonderful soundtrack presented here. Delibes is a master of unusual instrument groupings, and everything from the alto sax to flutes to the oboe is clear as a bell and ext...

Supplements
Darcey Bussell provides a brief, though interesting, introduction to each act on the Blu-ray disc (available as either a "play all" option from the Extras menu or as pop-ups before each act individually). The disc also features the usual illustrated synopsis and cast gallery. The insert booklet has a nicely informative essay by David Nice, who does an exceptional job tracing Delibes' influence on everyone from Tchaikovsky to Elgar....

Final Words
Sylvia offers some of the most gloriously sumptuous ballet music of the 19th century, a score which very subtly points the way toward the more modern French era of Debussy and Ravel. If the ballet itself is frankly something of a snooze-fest, this Royal Ballet production is a classic production of a piece that perfectly highlights Frederick Ashton's melding of historical and modern idioms. ......

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IMAX: Under the Sea (Blu-ray Review)

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 08:25:20 -0400
A formulaic IMAX documentary earns a rousing AV presentation...

As gorgeous as they often are, as readily as they sweep audiences away to distant lands and undersea kingdoms, IMAX documentaries aren't very filling. Blame it on their limited runtimes or the all-ages nature of their productions, but it's rare that one offers much more than a snapshot of its subject matter. Under the Sea is no different. Arriving with all the usual underwater suspects in tow -- squid, mollusks, and jellyfish, oh my -- it sometimes amounts to a glorified screen saver; ...

Video
Video reviews of IMAX titles tend to boil down to "beautiful photography, haphazard encode." However, the Blu-ray edition of Under the Sea is an entirely different beast. Bubbling to the surface with a magnificent 1080p/VC-1 transfer, Hall's forty-minute film is blessed with a stunning source and a proficient presentation. The brilliant blues of the sea, the dark shadows of the ocean floor, and the blazing hues of the tangled coral beds are a sight to behold. Contrast is strong...

Audio
But wait, there's more! Under the Sea boasts an immersive DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track; one that does justice to Hall's lively soundscape, New Guinea and Indonesia's enveloping waves, and Micky Erbe and Maribeth Solomon's diverse music. As expected, Jim Carrey's crystal clear, perfectly prioritized narration pulls the soundfield forward, sometimes bringing the sonic proceedings to a two-dimensional halt. But every time he finishes a sentence, the waters of the Indo-Pacific rus...

Supplements
The back cover of IMAX: Under the Sea touts a laundry list of special features, but the content itself is quite underwhelming. "Filming IMAX: Under the Sea" (HD, 7 minutes) is an extended preview at best, a gushing EPK at worst, and the disc's five "Expeditions" (HD, 12 minutes) are actually short webisodes that do little more than introduce the various locales where Howard Hall and his crew shot the documentary.

Please note: while Warner's press release, online cove...

Final Words
Under the Sea doesn't bring anything new to the IMAX fold, but its Blu-ray release certainly does. While similar documentaries have been crippled by mediocre AV presentations, Warner has granted Hall's fourth underwater adventure a stunning video transfer and a satisfying DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. I'm sure documentary fans would have appreciated some more substantial special features, but anyone who picks up Under the Sea will be too entranced by their screen and sp......

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Mozart: Piano Concerto No.25 / Piano Sonatas (Acoustic Reality Experience) (Blu-ray Review)

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 01:11:52 -0400
Though I'm loathe to admit it, I'm not a huge Mozart lover. But even I enjoyed this lovely performance by Alfred Brendel and Sir Charles Mackerras leading the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

Is there something in your professional life that makes you wince slightly with embarrassment? No, Im not talking about actual tasks you need to accomplish in your workaday world, but some perhaps tangential information about your likes and dislikes that makes workplace conversation a tad strained at times. Maybe you have an odd bias against Number 2 pencils, for example, even as you toil away at a pencil factory. Or your work at a crayon emporium is hobbled by your abhorrence of periwinkle ...

Video
...

Audio
As with most of Alexander Jero's Surround Records product, we're offered a re-purposed DTS HD-MA 7.1 mix that recreates hall ambience very well, while sacrificing little if any focus from the instruments themselves. The front three channels are used very well for the piano and orchestra, with the sides and surrounds utilized for ambient spill over and acoustic hall effects. This is a very pleasing recording. Because Jero tends not to supply a lot of supporting information in his insert book...

Supplements
...

Final Words
I guess I could paraphrase an old ad campaign and say you don't have to be a Mozart lover to love this particular recording. Brendel's playing is precise and nuanced, and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra under the very capable baton of Sir Charles Mackerras sounds elegantly lustrous. The surround sound repurposing of this recording sounds very good indeed, immersing the listener as if he's in a private listening room with these magnificent artists.......

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HD Moods Blu Ocean (Blu-ray Review)

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 21:51:13 -0400
This engaging "ambient documentary" has some great footage, but at only 29 minutes seems too little of a good thing.

The ocean is the blue heart of our planet and must be protected.Dr. Sylvia Earle

Dr. Earles words are certainly wise, but the more jaded among you (and you know who you are) may want to know shes evidently part of a group called PlanSea.org, which is founded by Blu Oceans producer-cameraman-editor, Ray Hollowell. Shameless self-promotion is almost as old as the ocean itself, so I personally wont look for cross-promotional ties in this effort, out on niche label ...

Video
Despite both the slipcase and the keepcase cover touting Blu Ocean as being in "Ultra Sharp 1080p," the Blu-ray from Topics is actually a perfectly fine, and in some cases exceptional, 1080i offering with a VC-1 encode in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. Colors here are very vivid, with brilliantly saturated blues, and a really nice gradation of hues in some of the underwater footage. Detail is also quite nice a lot of the time, so that the multicolored specks in a giant sea turtle's shell can be...

Audio
Both a lossless LPCM 2.0 track and a standard Dolby Digital stereo track are included here, both offering the music of Alec Briguglio. I opted for the LPCM track, which sports a decidedly more robust low end than the DD 2.0 offering. The music here is pleasant, if never very challenging. The sax seems awfully brittle at times, especially when placed in the context of these soothing images. But fidelity here is exceptional, with no dropouts or distortions. There really aren't very many ambie...

Supplements
I guess it all boils down to what you consider an extra. As with most HD Moods titles, there aren't any Top Menu options, and the Pop-up Menu is extremely limited. The Ocean Surge "supplement" branches right off the main Blu Ocean feature. If you go to the Video submenu, you'll see a Crew option, which offers 5:33 of crew interviews. It's all pretty standard fare. This piece could have used a full length documentary, perhaps showing the underwater filming techniques in ...

Final Words
Blu Ocean is fine, as far as it goes. The problem is, it doesn't go nearly far enough. This would make an OK rental for a pleasant enough half hour of viewing, but I can't imaging too many people will want to purchase this particular HD Moods offering.......

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Wagner: Götterdämmerung (Staged by La Fura Dels Baus) (Blu-ray Review)

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 20:30:35 -0400
This amazing new Ring cycle goes out with a fiery flourish in La Fura dels Baus' astounding Götterdämmerung.

Depending on how intent any particular conductor might be to get home to, say, Dancing with the Stars and/or a nice sized vodka gimlet, getting through the entirety of Richard Wagners Ring cycle can easily take close to twenty hours. With that overwhelming length to sit through, it may seem odd to lament coming to the end of the ordeal, but that is in fact the very feeling Im experiencing as I reach the finale of this astounding new production staged by the Catalan acrobatic tro...

Video
Götterdämmerung arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of C Major and Unitel Classics with a brillinatly sharp 1080i AVC encoded transfer in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. This final evening of the Ring provides us close to five hours of visual amazement, a lot of it bathed in gorgeously saturated tones of deep blues and greys. Detail is abundant throughout this production, from the fanciful face makeup painted on Gunther and Hagen, to the shiny metallic masks and helmuts that several characters w...

Audio
Zubin Mehta steps up to the front ranks of Wagner interpreters with this production, and his leadership of a less than internationally famous group of musicians is to be admired and applauded. Luckily, the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana does very, very well indeed throughout the four evenings of this Ring, and that effort continues unabated with this Götterdämmerung. The DTS HD-MA 7.1 soundtrack supports Wagner's glorious music with ease, delivering a sonic experience that ...

Supplements
As with the other offerings in the series, Götterdämmerung gives us a 27 minute or so featurette on the making of this particular production. This is actually one of the better featurettes in this Ring, with some very insightful commentary from both on stage and behind the scenes personnel....

Final Words
Well, it may have taken me close to twenty hours to make it to the end of this complex journey, but the amazing thing about this Ring cycle is, I'm ready to start it all over again! Götterdämmerung continues the exceptional achievements of the first three installments, with simply jaw dropping stagecraft supporting a brilliantly achieved evening of music theater. Don't let the modernizing scare you off--this is Wagner, pure and simple (or not so simple, as the case may be), as th......

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Wonderful World (Blu-ray Review)

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 14:07:44 -0400
Read on to find out what is and isnt so wonderful about it.

The Man is a ball buster and a back breaker. From the balcony of his penthouse suite in a steel and glass tower, he throws bricks of misfortune down at schmucks like us, cackling all the while like an overweight oil baron and smoking a cigar made of $100 bills. Were the replaceable cogs in his corporate machine, the serfs in his feudal consumerist kingdom. His grip on us is like a Chinese finger trapthe more we struggle, the tighter it gets. Hes a white-collar pickpocket, a black-suit...

Video
Wonderful World looks true to its low-budget origins on Blu-ray, though the films 1080p/AVC-encoded image does appear somewhat older than youd expect from a 2009 production. Not quite sharp, but not totally soft, the print has a lived in look thats a bit messy at times, with small black specks of debris coming and going throughout the film. There are a few moments of expressive claritysee the threading of Ibous sweater, for instancebut even in the tightest close- ups, truly...

Audio
As expected from a low-key indie drama/romance/comedy (dram-rom-com?), Wonderful Worlds DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is laid-back and unpresumptuous. The mix is decidedly front-heavy. While for long stretches of the film my surround speakers were as mute as the ancient statues on Easter Island, some quiet but appreciable ambience does leak out from time to time, like the chatter in the comedy club or the thunder and rain at the end of the film. The music also bleeds i...

Supplements
As Soon as Fish Fall Out of the Sky: Character and Story of Wonderful World (SD, 4:32)
In this brief segment, Matthew Broderick, Michael Kenneth Williams, Phillip Baker Hall, and Sanaa Lathan discuss their characters and the general arc of the plot.

Behind the Scenes: Working with Writer/Director Josh Goldin and Actor Matthew Broderick (SD, 1:30)
The other actors dole out a few pleasantries about working with Goldin and Broderick.

Beh...

Final Words
Wonderful World means well, and that definitely counts for something, but the films execution never quite matches its ambitions. It may be worth a purchase for Matthew Brodericks most ardent followers, but for everyone else Id suggest a rental at most.......

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

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 06:05:06 -0400

Winner of the Best Director Award at the Cannes Film Festival, Wim Wenders' "Der Himmel über Berlin" a.k.a "Wings of Desire" (1987) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Axiom Films. The supplemental features on the disc include an audio commentary with director Wim Wenders and actor Peter Falk; "Conversations on Wings of Desire"; outtakes and deleted scenes with commentary by director Wim Wenders; and trailer. Axiom Films have also provided a 24-page illustrated booklet contain...

Video
Presented in its original 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 British distributors Axiom Films.

This is a very strong high-definition transfer, likely sourced from the same element Criterion used for their North American Blu-ray release of Wim Wenders' award-winning film. There are, however, some minor differences between the two releases, which I would like to quickly address...

Audio
There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and LPCM 2.0. For the record, Axiom have provided optional English subtitles for the main feature.

There are no serious technical flaws with the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. The dialog is clean and easy to follow and the lovely soundtrack very effective. I also did not detect any disturbing pops, cracks, or hissings. Additionally, the Criterion Blu-ray release of Wings of Desire did not include a second...

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.

Commentary - the Criterion Blu-ray release of Wings of Desire contains an audio commentary edited in 2009 by independent DVD producer Mark Rance from over six hours ...

Final Words
Next to Criterion's Blu-ray release of Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire Axiom's Blu-ray release may look slightly less impressive, but it is still very easy to recommend. If you cannot play Region-A "locked" Blu-ray discs, there is absolutely no reason why you should not think about ordering a copy of this Region-Free Blu-ray disc as soon as possible. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. ......

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Emmanuelle (Blu-ray Review)

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 21:22:26 -0500

Gallic director Just Jaeckin's classic erotic film "Emmanuelle" (1974) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Optimum Home Entertainment. 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 on North American PS3s and SAs. All of the supplemental features are also perfectly playable on North American PS3s and SAs. A...

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 British distributors Optimum Home Entertainment.

I really can't see much of a difference between this release of Emmanuelle and the one Studio Canal introduced in France. In fact, this UK release very much seems like an exact replica of the French one; even the menus are identical. Obviously, this is very good ne...

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.

Again, the French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track sounds lovely. The dialog is clean and easy to follow, and Pierre Bachelet's beautiful score sounds better than i...

Supplements
Note: All of the supplemental features on this Blu-ray disc are encoded in 480/60i. Therefore, they are perfectly playable on North American PS3s and SAs.

An erotic success - a terrific documentary on the history of director Just Jaeckin's Emmanuelle. Producer Yves Rousset-Rouard, director Just Jaeckin, and critics talk about the many technical difficulties the film had to overcome, it history with the censors, the films that Emmanuelle inspired, its...

Final Words
Optimum Home Entertainment's Blu-ray release of Just Jaeckin's Emmanuelle appears to be an exact replica of Studio Canal's French Blu-ray release. Even the supplemental features included on the disc, all of which are perfectly playable on North American PS3s and SAs, are exactly the same. The price tag on the British release, however, is different - and much better. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. ......

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Miss Congeniality / Miss Congeniality 2: Armed & Fabulous (Blu-ray Review)

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 18:51:23 -0500
A fan-favorite comedy and its not-so-fabulous sequel, all in one convenient package...

Still celebrating Sandra Bullock's win at the Academy Awards? Waiting with baited breath for the highly anticipated Blu-ray release of The Blind Side? Furious that shortsighted Razzie voters didn't see what you saw in All About Steve? Still smirking at Bullock's clever, self-effacing acceptance speeches at both awards ceremonies? Then Warner's second Comedy Double Feature is for you. Me? Director D...

Video
Warner's Bullock-helmed Comedy Double Feature fares a bit better than the studio's concurrently released Analyze This/That twofer, but only by a slim margin. Once again, both films suffer from several lingering issues, and once again, the original flick doesn't look as good as its sequel.

Miss Congeniality, now ten-years old, features a decent 1080p/VC-1 transfer that limps rather noticeably before hitting any kind of stride. Laszlo Kovacs' petunia-pelted palette disp...

Audio
Warner's Miss Congeniality Double Feature boasts a pair of competent and capable DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround tracks, both of which are hindered only by some rather pedestrian sound design. As is the case with most dialogue-heavy comedies, both films' soundscapes are anchored to the screen, while the rear speakers are merely given secondary tasks that often fail to immerse the listener in Hart's world as readily as they could. Don't misunderstand, each film's soundtrack effectively ...

Supplements
The 2009 Deluxe Edition DVD release of Miss Congeniality and Miss Congeniality 2, itself a Double Feature release, offered a generous supplemental package that included two commentaries, a pair of documentaries, and a number of additional features. But for whatever reason, the Blu-ray Double Feature doesn't have anything, not even a theatrical trailer. Don't blame it on Warner's BD-50 disc though. With a 25GB layer devoted to each film, there should have been more than enough ro...

Final Words
I love the idea of a reasonably priced Double Feature release but, so far, Warner has failed to execute the concept properly. Never mind the quality of the Miss Congeniality films -- love em or hate em, you already know whether or not they're your kind of comedies -- the Double Feature disc just isn't up to snuff. Its video transfers offer second generation Blu-ray presentations at best, its DTS-HD Master Audio tracks are solid but forgettable, and the commentaries and supplement......

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Magic of Flight (IMAX) (Blu-ray Review)

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 09:54:54 -0500
Up and away into the wild Blu-ray yonder

As a kid, I memorized the silhouettes of WWII aircraft so I could pretend I was on lookout for incoming Japanese fighters. I built balsa wood models of Fokkers and Sopwith Camelsthe biplanes that ruled the skies during The Great Warand wrote stories for my sixth grade language arts class about a squadron of scrappy British pilots stationed at a muddy airfield outside of Versailles. I considered myself a self-studied engineer of paper airplanes, having graduated from the simple design...

Video
The Magic of Flight takes off on Blu-ray with a 1080p/VC-1 encoded transfer that generally keeps pace with the documentarys lofty visuals. Shot in 1996, the film doesnt look as clean or crisp as more modern large-format productions, but have you ever seen an IMAX film that looks outright bad on Blu-ray? I know I havent. The biggest thing holding back the presentation here is that the print is occasionally dotted with white specks, black flecks, and other bits of debris. ...

Audio
Theres plenty to be impressed by here, as The Magic of Flights DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track both rumbles with the expected thunder of jet engines and gives off a surprising amount of detail in less powerful sounds, like a flock of birds taking off from a marsh, filling the soundfield with their squawks and flapping wings. The surround speakers are activated frequently, with lots of fluid cross-channel movements, and the country/rock/inspirational score swelling from ...

Supplements
Making Of (SD, 42:54)
Yes, the making of documentary is actually longer than the actual film, and in a way, it's also more interesting, as we get a more in-depth look at each segment, from shooting on the deck of an aircraft carrier, to the challengesmostly incredible patienceof filming birds in the wild. As an aviation nerd and a camera geek, I also loved learning about how the producers, with the help of McDonnell Douglas, spent nearly a year and close to $1 million custo...

Final Words
Armchair-flyers, IMAX enthusiasts, and once and future pilots should all find something to like in The Magic of Flight, but whether or not the 40-minute feature is worth a purchase depends on your personal tastes. Id advise either tracking down the trailer online or renting first.......

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Armored (Blu-ray Review)

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 01:51:01 -0500
The epitome of the "remarkably unremarkable" movie watching experience.

Not everybody's a hero.

Three cheers for Armored, a movie that's bound to make audiences stand up and take notice -- for just how exceptionally good it is at being extraordinarily mundane. Nary an original bone in its body, Armored is as standard a flick as they come; sure, it's well-made, fairly-acted, and not all that much of a chore to watch, but it's that last little spark -- that feeling that something special is going on -- that really keeps view...

Video
Armored secures a fantastic 1080p, 2.40:1-framed transfer for its Blu-ray debut. This lean-and-mean transfer has all the visual bases covered, exhibiting an image that's a hair on the dark side but seemingly intentionally so. It follows, then, that blacks are of paramount importance to the transfer, and while a few shots seem to be devoured in overwhelming darkness, they are generally spot-on and pure throughout. Fine detail is immaculately rendered across the board; viewers ...

Audio
Armored rolls onto Blu-ray with a high-octane DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack that's sure to keep viewers awake even when the film's lackluster content can't. Armored is a music-heavy film, and the DTS track cranks out every beat with pinpoint precision and also pounds out every last ounce of low-end goodness with a booming authority that puts plenty of other soundtracks to shame. Bass also plays a crucial factor in creating the atmosphere of the armored truck; the po...

Supplements
Armored delivers a few bonus materials for this Blu-ray release. First up is an audio commentary track with Producer Dan Farah and Actors Skeet Ulrich and Milo Ventimiglia. Discussions include the real-life profession of armored car duty, various anecdotes surrounding the making of the film, changes in the script through the filmmaking process, technical lingo used during the film, and more. The track is rather dry and of limited technical relevance, focusing instead on more ...

Final Words
Armored is sort of like those phony tanks and airplanes and artillery batteries that the allies crafted out of plywood and other flimsy materials to fool the Nazis into believing that an invasion was to commence somewhere other than Normandy before D-day. This movie is convincing enough to pass a cursory inspection from a distance, but look any closer, and there's absolutely nothing of substance to be concerned with. Armored isn't a bad movie. It's not a good movie......

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Oldboy (Blu-ray Review)

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:59:22 -0500

Nominated for Palme d'Or and winner of the Grand Prize of the Jury at the Cannes Film Festival, Korean director Park Chan-wook's "Oldboy" (2003) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Palisades Tartan. The supplemental features on the disc include three audio commentaries - one by director Park Chan-wook; one by director Park Chan-wook and cinematographer Chung Ching-hoon; and one by director Park Chan-wook and actors Gang Hye-jung, Yu Ji-tae, and Choi Min-sik - a gallery of dele...

Video
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.30:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Park Chan-wook's Oldboy arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Palisades Tartan.

My major complaint with this high-definition transfer is the fact that it is fairly inconsistent. Portions of it look good, with pleasing clarity and fine object detail. Despite the unique use of light, many of the indoor scenes during the first half of the film also look good. Contrast level...

Audio
There are five audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: Korean DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, Korean Dolby Digital 5.1 EX, Korean Dolby Digital Stereo, English Dolby Digital 5.1 and English Dolby Digital Stereo. For the record, Palisades Tartan have provided optional English subtitles for the main feature and extras. When turned on, they split the image frame and the black bar below it (see captures).

The Korean DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track is solid. I particularly enjoyed how it treated Shim H...

Supplements
Trailer - the original UK theatrical trailer for the film. (2 min, 1080p).

Deleted Scenes - ten deleted scenes (Oh Dae-su; Day One; Restaurant; Confronting the Guards; Kiss; The Lovers 1; The Lovers 2; Woo-jin's Preparation; Remaining Plot; Tube Station - Reflection), with optional commentary by director Park Chan-wook. In Korean, with optional English subtitles. (11 min, 1080p).

Commentary - an audio commentary with director Park...

Final Words
Oldboy is a strong film with unique qualities. It is beautifully lensed and complimented by a truly wonderful music score - which makes all the graphic violence in it that much more surprising. Everything, however, is put together very convincingly, with a special touch of class. Palisades Tartan's (the successor of Tartan Films) disc was one of their very first high-definition releases, and it clearly shows. Depending on the price, I'd say it is worth adding it to your library. RECOMMEND......

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Wagner: Siegfried (Staged by La Fura Dels Baus) (Blu-ray Review)

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:54:34 -0500
Is Siegfried raging against or for "the machine" in this astounding new production of Wagner's masterpiece?

If youve ever experienced a Ring Cycle live, you probably know that its usually toward the second hour or so of Siegfried that you either begin to question your sanity in ever getting yourself into this quagmire, or you simply resign yourself to your fate and realize that in a mere six or seven more hours (including of course Siegfrieds follow-up, Götterdämmerung), youll have wended your way through one of the most complex works of operatic art ever written. Comm...

Video
This is yet another top notch effort from C Major and Unitel Classics on Blu-ray, with a superb 1080i AVC encoded transfer in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1. This is in some ways the darkest of the three Ring episodes thus far reviewed, but the Blu-ray offers well delineated contrast and exceptional black levels. Colors are amazing in this outing, especially in the manifold projections, which offer an almost hallucinogenic array of visions, often with unbelievably beautifully saturated color...

Audio
As with the two precursors to Siegfried, this DTS HD-MA 7.1 recording offers glories in abundance, highlighted by Mehta's very assured conducting of the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana. While the orchestra is probably never going to compete with, say, the Berlin Philharmonic or the Bayreuth Festival, there is a beautifully golden quality to this recording, especially in the brass, which plays such an important part in this score especially. Mehta coaxes an amazing amount of nuance ...

Supplements
As with the other two installments, we get a Making of featurette which runs about 27 minutes. It offers Mehta and other backstage personnel talking about the production, as well as some very interesting footage of the rehearsal process....

Final Words
Siegfried continues the amazing journey this new Ring production has offered to viewers over the last couple of months. Those of you who regularly read my opera reviews know I do not suffer artistic license taken to extremes very gladly. Luckily, this production proves a vaunted work of art can be given a completely radical makeover while never sacrificing the elements which made it great to begin with. This is one Siegfried where, despite its four hour-plus running time,......

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UFC: Best of 2009 (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:50:02 -0500
The tale of the tape says that this two-disc set is a must-own for UFC fans.

Once you finally step into the octagon, that's when the real work begins.

2009 was a banner year for the Ultimate Fighting Championships. Not only has the sport grown immensely in popularity since the first UFC in November of 1993 in Denver, Colorado, but it has attracted some of the best fighters from around the world and about the world of professional sports. Former wrestlers, boxers, and football players; masters of various fighting styles; all-out brawlers; and ...

Video
UFC: Best of 2009 suits up on Blu-ray with a 1080i, 1.78:1-framed transfer that's similar to a high quality high definition broadcast, reflective of the various events' original airing parameters. Like the previous UFC Blu-ray releases consisting of newly-minted footage, Best of 2009 features a stable, pleasant image that's not going to rival new releases of filmed blockbusters but it does offer sharp, crisp, and nicely detailed imagery throughout. Fine detailing is nic...

Audio
UFC: Best of 2009 pounds its way onto Blu-ray with a Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack. This is a case where source material is what it is, and while listeners aren't going to feel immersed in the the fights via a full and seamless 360-degree sound field or experience every blow through prodigious bass, this sonic presentation reproduces the original broadcast elements to a satisfactory level. Though centered about the hard-hitting world of mixed martial arts, UFC: Best of 2009<...

Supplements
UFC: Best of 2009 includes several "bonus fights" that aren't included as part of the primary body of the feature. The fights are available individually both under the "special features" tab of the menu or during the program by selecting a pop-up icon that appears when the option is turned on inside the "special features" tab. The following bonus fights are included:

Disc One
St-Pierre vs. Penn (UFC 94)
Swick vs. Hardy (UFC 105)
Akiyama ...

Final Words
UFC: Best of 2009 hits hard and doesn't relent from beginning to end. A veritable gold mine for UFC fans and, other than the pricy but well-worth-it four-disc collection of the best 100 fights of all time as voted on by UFC's most knowledgeable and ardent fans, there's not a better way than this release to dive into the world of UFC for the first time on Blu-ray disc. This set offers a fine cross-section of figh......

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Bigger Than Life (Criterion Collection) (Blu-ray Review)

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:01:41 -0500

Nominated for Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, Nicholas Ray's "Bigger Than Life" (1956) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include an exclusive audio commentary with film critic Geoff Andrew; video featurette with award-winning novelist Jonathan Lethem; video interview with Susan Ray, Nicholas Ray's widow, and the editor of "I Was Interrupted: Nicholas Ray on Making Movies"; "Profile of Nicholas Ray" - a half-hour 1977 TV interview with Nic...

Video
Presented in its ori9ginal aspect ratio of 2.55:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Nicholas Ray's Bigger Than Life arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The following text appears in the booklet provided with the Blu-ray disc:

"For this new high-definition digital transfer, the original 35mm camera negative was scanned at 4K resolution on an Oxberry 6400 Liquid Gate scanner and color graded and restored at 2K resolution. Thousands of insta...

Audio
There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: English LPCM 1.0. For the record, Criterion have provided optional English subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

I don't have any major reservations with the English LPCM 1.0 track. The dialog is clear, clean and easy to follow. I did not detect any balance issues with David Raksin's music score either. I did notice, however, a number of improvements in terms of stability when I compared...

Supplements
Profile of Nicholas Ray - a half-hour 1977 TV interview with Nicholas Ray, hosted by critic Cliff Jahr, provides a revealing look at the director's thematic interests, his love of actors, and his unique perspective on cinema. I strongly encourage you to find the time to see the interview as there are some fascinating comments by Ray addressing his work with James Dean on Rebel Without a Cause, as well as some surprising revelations about his relationship with Warner Brothers...

Final Words
Arguably director Nicholas Ray's best film, Bigger Than Life arrives on Blu-ray with a striking transfer that should meet the quality expectations of even the most demanding amongst film aficionados. The supplemental features included on the disc are also very strong. I particularly enjoyed Cliff Jahr's conversation with director Ray and Jonathan Lethem's intelligent analysis. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. ......

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A Concert by the Lake (Blu-ray Review)

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:53:53 -0500
Perhaps the poshest charity gig ever.

If youre the sort that pays attention to the music scene in your city, youve likely noticed that members of one band will often turn up in recordings for another, and that groups will frequently dissolve and reform from a shuffling cast of familiar names and faces and playing styles. Every so often, if the musicians are renowned enough for their respective projects, they coalesce into a so- called supergroup. Obviously, this is no new phenomenon, but the idea of the supergroup really to...

Video
Shot on high-definition video and given a 1080i/AVC encode, A Concert By The Lake is as clear as unmuddied waters on Blu-ray. Ive reviewed a number of similar concert discs recently, and this one has been the best of the bunch in terms of picture quality. For these kinds of releases, its not unusual to see errant aliasing, weak contrast, and angry swarms of video noise, but this is one is largely free of any compression-related problems, has inky and consistent black level...

Audio
For some reason, the disc defaults to a Linear PCM 2.0 stereo mixwhich is strongbut the meatiest offering here is its DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. This soundboard mix is tight, clean, and undeniably live, with an open, airy quality that captures the concerts outdoors ambience. Thats not to say it isnt grounded, as the various instruments all have heft and presence, from Eric Claptons sweetly overdriven solos to the rock solid bass, which is deep and defined. The horn...

Supplements
Interviews (SD, 9:50)
The only bonus feature included on the disc is this short featurette, which includes interviews with nearly all of the musicians involved with the concert, as well as footage of the Band du Lac practicing in what looks to be an elementary school auditorium. ...

Final Words
A Concert By The Lake is a solid night of cover songs by an all-star house band of middle- aged British rockers. Obviously, this isnt for everyone, but if you like concerts on Blu-ray and youre a fan of Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, or Gary Brooker, you might want to give this one a rental at least. A portion of the sales of this release goes to HASTE, so if heart health is a cause thats near and dear to youas it likely is for these aging rock starsyou may want to consider a purc......

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Possession (Blu-ray Review)

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:28:24 -0500
No need to have this predictable thriller in your possession.

Behold this years early leading contender for most deceptive cover art! See the white, half-rotted face, with those sunken black pits for eyescould this be the ubiquitous longhaired and vengeful female ghost that pops up in every one of these movies to wreak her revenge on the living? Ponder the Fear Never Dies taglineits scary and morbidand notice that Possession is brought to you by The Executive Producers of The Ring and The Grudge. All the eleme...

Video
Originally slated to head straight-to-video in May 2009, the film ended up getting limited theatrical releases in Portugal and Israelof all placesand has now been quietly put to pasture on Blu-ray by 20th Century Fox. For what its worth, the films 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer isnt half bad. Since Possession is a horror movie, the image is somewhat drab, with dark, detail-obscuring blacks and an intentionally dreary color palette, but clarity is surprisingly strong throughout...

Audio
Similarly, Possessions DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track isnt going to tax your speakers and rattle your walls, but it does show that more thought went into the sound design for the film than for its flimsy plot. The fact that its raining quite often in the story gives the rear speakers a reason to pump out outdoorsy ambience, and youll sometimes hear a non-obtrusive cross-channel effect, like a car passing from the left to right. The big accident on the bridge is an un...

Supplements
Featurette (SD, 3:34)
"The one thing about this movie," says Sarah Michele Geller, "is that it's exactly what you don't expect." Oh, really? Plus, you know a featurette is short and substance-free when it's simply titled "Featurette."

Deleted and Alternate Scenes (SD, 32:58)
Includes four extremely short deleted scenes plus a 30-minute alternate ending that's even less climactic and surprising than the one they went with.

Theatrical Traile...

Final Words
I repeat: The cover art for Possession is nothing more than a not-so-clever marketing misdirect. There are no creepy faces here, no herky-jerky ghosts, and only the vague possibility of supernatural influence. What we get, instead, is a bland-as-unsweetened-oatmeal thriller with no real scares and a surfeit of soppy melodrama. The scariest thing about Possession is that someone coughed up the money to produce it.......

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Verdi: Un Ballo in Maschera (Live at the Teatro Real Madrid) (Blu-ray Review)

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:28:22 -0500
One of Verdi's lesser known operas receives a sumptuous performance, but it never really amounts to much.

Quick: name a Verdi opera which takes place in America. You might be hard pressed to come up with a fast answer, unless youre a true Verdi aficionado and know the history behind one of his lesser known and less regularly performed works, Un ballo in maschera. At least ostensibly based on the real life assassination of Swedens King Gustav III, Un ballo ran into such stiff censorial opposition that Verdi actually ended up suing the original theater for whom the piece was being w...

Video
Un ballo in maschera arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Opus Arte, with a nicely sharp and beautifully saturated AVC encoded 1080i image in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1. As you can see from many of the screen captures included with this review, this is a production bathed in glorious hues of deep blue, and the Blu-ray offers the many shades of blue in gorgeous array. Detail is very sharp throughout the opera, with good contrast and black levels. A lot of the opera plays out on darkened or nea...

Audio
This is one of Verdi's more peculiar scores, and one which the LPCM 5.1 mix here augments masterfully. The opera starts with quiet pizzicati in the strings which almost immediately erupts into tutti blasts that seem to jolt the listener into paying attention. This sort of almost manic-depressive element recurs again and again throughout Un ballo, and the LPCM track here supports this really huge dynamic range incredibly well. I did have some occasional issues with the balance between t...

Supplements
The typical illustrated synopsis and cast gallery augment the Blu-ray, while the insert booklet hsa the expected essay, which perhaps tries to defend Un ballo's "fusion" of tragedy and opera comique a bit too stridently....

Final Words
If you've never seen Un ballo before, I doubt you could ask for a more sumptuous, well sung performance than this one. But if you have seen Un ballo before, chances are you're not going to put this at the top of your "must see" list. That's no fault of this particular production, just the result of Verdi not at the very top of his game.......

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Living Landscapes: Pacific Coast (Blu-ray Review)

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:40:02 -0500
One of the more peaceful and tranquil entries in the Living Landscapes series offers beautiful scenes of the Pacific blended with one of the better soundtracks in the series.

United States highways are numbered more or less sequentially, as you trivia hounds may be aware. The roads running north-south start at the west coast and proceed eastward, while those running east-west, start at the south and jump by numerical degrees as they traverse more northerly latitudes. My wife, sons and I decided to start at the beginning, as it were, a couple of years ago, and take a leisurely trip southward from Portland, our home, to Los Angeles, courtesy of the largely interchang...

Video
Most of Digital Environment's releases have been at the least above average, and several have been rather excellent. I'm please to report that Pacific Coast falls in that latter category, with a sharp and good looking 1080i AVC encoded transfer delivered with a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. What might occasionally disappoint some viewers is the rather pallid palette of a lot of these beach vistas, but as someone who lives close to the Pacific coast, I can attest that this is indeed the color spe...

Audio
No, there's no lossless track on this offering, as is the case with all of the Digital Environments releases I've reviewed thus far. That said, both of the Dolby Digital 5.1 mixes are quite good for what they are. There is one track that provides only ambient nature sounds, and another which blends those sounds with the excellent music score by Raphael. Personally, I recommend the music score only because it's so beautiful in and of itself and is also well blended with the ambient noises. As...

Supplements
As with all of these budget priced Digital Environments releases, no extras are offered....

Final Words
Soothing, relaxing and more than a bit hypnotic, Pacific Coast is one of the better Digital Environments releases, aided by a really nice music score by Raphael. And the best part is, you won't need any Dramamine to get to the ocean to enjoy it--just your local or online Blu-ray shop.......

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Ninja Assassin (Blu-ray Review)

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:32:47 -0500
Guilty pleasure? Perhaps. I'm just surprised I enjoyed this one as much as I did...

Operating Surgeon. Salty Seadog. Investigating Detective. Dishonest Politician. Wordy Writer. Ladies and gentlemen, may I present, without further ado, Ninja Assassin: a brazen, bloody ode to all things ninja from producers Andy and Larry Wachowski, screenwriters Matthew Sand and J. Michael Straczynski, and upstart director James McTeigue (V for Vendetta). It isn't a film that will appeal to everyone. It...

Video
Ninja Assassin storms Blu-ray with a strong (albeit imperfect) 1080p/VC-1 transfer that allows McTeigue's furious action scenes to spill into your home theater. Karl Walter Lindenlaub's searing reds, earthy hues, beautiful skintones, and inky blacks are absolutely gorgeous in high definition. Whether lit by raging firelight or bathed in shadow, his photography is one of the film's greatest assets, making Warner's presentation a striking one regardless of how stark or somber his palette ...

Audio
Warner's head-snapping DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is even better, celebrating every errant shuriken that hurtles across the battlefield, every chained blade that encircles a doomed ninja, and every blood geyser that erupts from a fallen foe. Where to begin? Rear speaker activity is both nimble and unrelenting, effortlessly distributing sound effects across the film's eerily immersive soundfield and lending their full support to the on-screen action. Likewise, LFE output is brisk a...

Supplements
What is it about the Wachowskis and their anointed disciples that make them run for the hills whenever a behind-the-scenes crew attempts to document one of their film's productions? Ah well, while the Blu-ray edition of Ninja Assassin doesn't include an audio commentary or a meaty documentary featuring the filmmakers, it still gives its star, action coordinators, and second-tier team members a chance to shine. It's just too bad the entire package can be exhausted in less than an hour....

Final Words
From its rather redundant title to its fire-born action sequences, Ninja Assassin makes its blood-soaked intentions known from the outset. However, I wasn't prepared to actually sink into its story. I know I'm in the minority, but McTeigue's commanding presence behind the camera, Straczynski's sharp genre script, and Rain's unexpectedly potent performance gave me plenty of reasons to enjoy most everything the film had to offer (pesky Europol agents notwithstanding). Warner's Blu-ray re......

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Analyze This / Analyze That (Blu-ray Review)

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:02:06 -0500
A Ramis twofer is hindered by a mediocre Blu-ray release...

It's an age-old question: which came first, David Chase's acclaimed HBO series, The Sopranos, or director Harold Ramis' casting-coup comedy, Analyze This? Sure, one debuted in January of 1999 and the other arrived in theaters in March of the same year, but neither one was made overnight. They share strikingly similar stories and characters -- a rough-n-tumble mob boss begins suff...

Video
Even though a full 25GB layer of a BD-50 disc has been devoted to each film, Warner's first Blu-ray Double Feature is undermined by two average 1080p/VC-1 transfers, both of which suffer from a variety of issues. Analyze This certainly offers the warmer image, basking in Stuart Dryburgh's sunlit-Miami hues, inviting interiors, and overwhelming shadows at every turn. Unfortunately, skintones are often oversaturated, delineation is quite poor at times, and detail is all over the place. F...

Audio
Warner's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround tracks are an improvement, even if they're limited by their corresponding films somewhat limited sound design. Analyze This kicks things off properly: with the best wiseguy narration Robert De Niro can muster, a diatribe the lossless mix presents with authority. Barring a few swampy lines that drown beneath some of the film's slapstick action sequences, dialogue is clear and nicely prioritized, and effects pack a decent punch. The LFE channel d...

Supplements
Sadly, neither Analyze This nor Analyze That include any supplemental content, despite the fact that their 1999, 2003, and 2007 standard DVD counterparts offer a selection of commentaries and other features. And I have to say, Warner's decision is a strange one. Considering a 25GB layer of a BD-50 disc has been afforded to each film -- leaving more than enough room to squeeze in the aforementioned features -- their absence is frustrating. I certainly appreciate the low price, bu...

Final Words
I remain unimpressed by Warner's Double Feature releases. The concept is sound -- two flicks for the price of one -- but the execution is lacking. Analyze This and Analyze That haven't been given the ground-up overhaul they deserve, and it shows. Their video transfers are hobbled by persistent technical issues and their DVDs' supplemental packages have been left on the cutting room floor. The Double Feature's lone saving grace is a pair of commendable DTS-HD Master Audio tracks......

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Cavalli: Ercole Amante (Blu-ray Review)

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:07:32 -0500
When was the last time you actually had fun at the opera? Well, prepare yourself for the carnival ride that is 'Ercole Amante'.

You think your family is dysfunctional? Take Hercules crewplease. The half-god, half-mortal strongman has problems galore, woes which tended not to make it into any of those Steve Reeves Italian opuses from half a century ago. You have to go several centuries further back, in fact, to get to Francesco Cavallis little known and very rarely performed Ercole Amante, a wonderfully silly (at least in this production by the Nederlandse Opera) piece which takes nothing seriously as ...

Video
I get occasional complaints from some readers who want these usually live-for-television HD tapings to look more like feature films. They decry the typical 1080i resolution as if it were a throwback to VHS days. All I can tell them is I find a lot of Opus Arte's AVC encoded 1080i 1.78:1 images absolutely spectacular, if at just a hair less than full 1080p splendor. Ercole Amante is one of the best opera releases we've been treated to from an image standpoint, with absolutely jaw-droppi...

Audio
Likewise, the DTS-HD MA 5.1 recording is, to put it simply, practically perfect in every way. Cavalli's music is frankly lesser known than the major composers who more frequently dot Opus Arte's releases, but this performance, helmed by conductor Ivor Bolton leading the marvelous Concerto Köln, is a model of Baroque floridity grounded by a more classically restrained balance, especially in the gorgeous choral singing of the Nederlandse's chorus. This is a warm and inviting soundtrack with exc...

Supplements
Several excellent supplements are on disc 1 of this two-BD set. Along with the expected illustrated synopsis (which due to Ercole's rather labyrinthine plot runs well over 10 minutes) and cast gallery, there are 10 minutes each devoted to costars Pisaroni and Johannette Zomer. A 29:27 Making of featurette rounds out the extras....

Final Words
We reviewers tend to be an awfully jaded lot at times. But every so often a wonderful little surprise comes down the pike to reawaken our love and enthusiasm. Ercole Amante is a near perfect soufflé, wonderfully melding Cavalli's gorgeous music with an outlandishly expressive physical production. Thank Heaven (literally in this case)--it's time to have fun at the opera again!......

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Import/Export (Blu-ray Review)

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:59:54 -0500

Nominated for Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, Austrian director Ulrich Seidl's "Import Export" (2007) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Trinity Home Entertainment. The only supplemental features on the disc are the film's original theatrical trailer and an excellent interview with Ulrich Seidl recorded for Film4 in 2008. With optional English subtitles. Region-Free. Please be advised that the film contains disturbing footage that is not appropriate for minors! ...

Video
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Ulrich Seidl's Import Export arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Trinity Home Entertainment.

Before I address the quality of the transfer, I would like to quickly point out that Import Export was shot on Super 16 (16 mm - Kodak Vision II) and therefore there are a number of natural limitations with the image. Import Export has a cold yet soft look, wit...

Audio
The back cover of this Blu-ray disc insists that Import Export arrives with two audio tracks, a German/Russian DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and German/Russian/Ukrainian Stereo 2.0, but my disc contains only one audio track - German/Russian DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. For the record, Trinity Home Entertainment have provided optional English subtitles for the main feature.

Import Export is a dialog-driven feature with strong organic qualities. The dialog is clean and mostly easy...

Supplements
Note: The supplemental features listed below are encoded in 720p. Therefore, they are perfectly playable on all Region-A PS3s and SAs.

Interview - an interview with director Ulrich Seidl, recoded in London on September 25, 2008 for Film4. Here the director answers a series of questions about the history of his film, its message, the social political status quo in West and East Europe after the fall of the Iron Curtain, the thoughts and feelings he aims to expre...

Final Words
Bold and uncompromising, Ulrich Seidl's Import Export offers a bleak and genuinely disturbing look at borderless Europe. I would also like to specifically point out that there isn't even a hint of political correctness in this film - so be prepared when you sit down to watch it. The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of British distributors Trinity Home Entertainment, is competent. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. ......

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Rick Wakeman: The Six Wives of Henry VIII (Live at Hampton Court Palace) (Blu-ray Review)

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:23:02 -0500
Prog rock goes Tudor

If you think prog rock is shorthand for the music scene in the Czech Republic, you might not be familiar with Rick Wakeman, legendary keyboardist for Yes, one of the genres pioneer bands. Characterized by unusual time signatures, extremely technical arrangements, long-winded virtuoso solos, and a near complete obliteration of the typical verse-chorus-verse song structure, prog is the bastard child of psychedelic rock and classical opulence, birthed out of an attempt to somehow elevate...

Video
Shot with a number of hand-held, crane-mounted, and otherwise mobile high definition video cameras, The Six Wives of Henry VIII is covered from all angles and looks Tudoriffic on Blu-rayso so sorry for that onesporting a 1080i/AVC encode thats colorful, clean, and relatively crisp. Some of the longer, full-stage shots have a tendency to look a little soft, but when the camera operators get right up in Wakemans British badger-like face, or show his fingers darting like minnow...

Audio
The disc includes three audio options, one of which is excellent. The other two? Not so much. The default Linear PCM 2.0 mix is strong dynamically, but at times it seems to creep out of sync with the video, which is endlessly irritating if youre paying attention. Also skip the lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 mix, simply because a better option exists. And that would be the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, which has all the grandeur befitting of a prog-rock magnum opus. Keyboards, as yo...

Supplements
Behind-the-Scenes with Rick (1080i, 16:56)
Here, Wakemen leads us through his band's practice space, introduces us to all of the players, and explains how this Hampton Court concert has afforded him the chance to add even more keyboard solos to the songs.

Booklet
The disc includes a full color, 25-page booklet that features an essay by Wakeman, profiles of Brian Blessed, The English Chamber Choir, Orchestra Europa, conductor Guy Protheroe, and The ...

Final Words
Prog-o-philiacs and Rick Wakeman fans will want to snap this release upits a lifelong dream concert for some, Im sure, and it looks and sounds excellent on Blu-raybut I dont see this release winning any new converts to the faith. If you pine for the days of Yes, Genesis, and King Crimson, this is totally for you, but if youre the sort who scoffs at a grown man wearing a cape on stageactually, Wakeman changes capes at least three times during the setyoull most likely wan......

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Days of Heaven (Criterion Collection) (Blu-ray Review)

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 19:59:43 -0500

Winner of the Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival and Oscar for Best Cinematography, Terrence Malick's "Days of Heaven" (1978) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include an audio commentary with art director Jack Fisk and editor Billy Weber, who have worked with Terrence Malick on all of his films, as well as costume designer Patricia Norris and casting director Dianne Crittenden; an exclusive interview with Richard Gere and second inte...

Video
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Terrence Malik's Days of Heaven arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The following text appears in the booklet provided with the Blu-ray disc:

"Days of Heaven is presented in the filmmakers' preferred aspect ratio of 1.78:1. On standard 4:3 televisions, the image will appear letterboxed. On widescreen televisions, the image should fit the screen. Created from a ...

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

The audio treatment is as impressive as the video treatment. While the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track would not test the muscles of your audio system, I think that many of you would be genuinely impressed with its nuanced audio effects -- the wind blowing, birds chirping, horses galloping, etc. As expected...

Supplements
Interviews - an audio interview with Richard Gere recorded exclusively for the Criterion Collection in 2007; and an interview with Sam Shepherd conducted in 2002 for Citrullo International. Both interviews are very strong, offering an abundance of informative comments from the two actors. The interview with Gere, in particular, is on par with the audio commentary offered on this disc. Without optional English subtitles. (13 min, 1080i).

John Bailey/Haskel Wexler...

Final Words
Terrence Malick's Days of Heaven is a film about feelings and emotions that cannot be described with simple words. It is also a visual spectacle, one that many, this reviewer included, believe ranks amongst the very best ever made. Criterion's treatment of the film is simply superb. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. ......

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Dumbo (70 Aniversario) (Blu-ray Review)

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 23:19:42 -0500
Eager importers may want to source this one from south of the border.

Ask a sample of people old enough to have an opinion about which Disney animated classic is most impressive on a technical level, and youll hear a variety of responsesSnow White for its innovation, Pinocchio for its moody lighting, Fantasia for stretching the boundaries of what the medium could and couldnt do, Bambi for its fluid and realistic animation, or Sleeping Beauty for the detail and complexity of its artwork. Ask which film provokes the gr...

Video
Disney animation really hasnt had a miss yet on Blu-ray. Though the studios characteristically slow release schedule may try the patience of fans eager to fill their shelves with animated classics in 1080p, if theres one thing Disney doesnt do, its rush jobs. Like Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White, Dumbo is a revelatory experience in high definition, especially if you grew up watching it, like I did, on a worn out VHS tape. The film has been gr...

Audio
Disney has given an English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track to each animated classic the studio has released so far, and that trend continues with Dumbo. Purists may raise their eyebrows over the fact that the films original mono track isnt included herenot even in lossy formbut few others will have any complaints. Considering the dated source materials, the film sounds as good as could be expected, possibly better depending on your expectations. If you see 7.1 and ...

Supplements
Taking Flight: The Making of Dumbo (1080p, 28:08)
Disney was in financial hot water after Fantasia underperformed at the box office, and this excellent making-of documentary chronicles how Dumbo's streamlined approach to animation and narrative in essence saved the company. Features interviews with Disney historian Didier Ghez, Disney Supervising Animation Editor Eric Goldberg, Jim Capobianco of Pixar, and many others.

Cine-Explore
...

Final Words
A U.S. release date for Dumbo has yet to be announced, so more impatient stateside Disney fans may want to shell out the extra few bucks for the instant gratification of having this classic before everyone else. If you dont mind having the Spanish language packaging, its not a bad option, as I cant imagine Disney changing anything for the U.S. version. Plus, this disc is completely import-friendly for those in Region A territories. Once you select English on the discs init......

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Evening with il Divo: Live in Barcelona (Blu-ray Review)

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 13:17:43 -0500
Pop operatic sensations Il Divo delight a mostly female audience in Barcelona with this high tech combination of stagecraft and florid vocalizing.

My favorite credit in quite some time rolled by at the end of An Evening with Il Divo Live in Barcelona: Groomer. For if theres one thing Il Divo definitely is, its groomed. For those of you who may have been living under a rock for the past few years, you may not be acquainted with this multinational quartet, handpicked by none other than American Idols Simon Cowell, who knows (or at least thinks he knows) something about pop music success. Interestingly, Cowell pack...

Video
Il Divo's really nicely textured AVC encoded image is one of the better looking concert videos in recent memory. Filled with inky jet blacks and a gorgeous array of various stage lighting effects, this presentation pops and bristles with detail. Even medium to far shots reveal a wealth of information, and when the camera cuts to close-ups of the various soloists, my hunch is female hearts will be a-flutter at being able to count every hair on their favorite's head. The best part of thi...

Audio
Likewise, the DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix is superb, offering a warm and inviting sound, and really smartly using discrete channel effects for the various singers. As the quartet splits up and moves around the circular thrust, you'll be able to clearly hear their voices move from channel to channel, letting the viewer become immersed in the soundscape as if they're right in the pricey "up close and personal" seats. Fidelity is superb throughout this offering, catching all of the powerful vocal effects t...

Supplements
A 10:32 SD featurette shows the quartet backstage and rehearsing for the show. It's pretty standard EPK fare....

Final Words
You have to hand it to Simon Cowell for so perfectly taking the Andrea Bocelli rage and upping the ante fourfold. Just as surprisingly, Il Divo manages to actually deliver musically, though my hunch is operatic purists will be rolling their eyes at the pop sensibilties on display here. However, Il Divo's legion of mostly female fans are sure to be delighted with this concert, which is given a spectacular Blu-ray release. ......

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The Fourth Kind (Blu-ray Review)

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 12:13:23 -0500
A hit-or-miss abduction thriller spawns a solid Blu-ray release...

There's something to be said for perpetuated myths in modern culture. Debates rage, arguments turn sour, and accusations are hurled with abandon, but the fun, dear readers, lies in the mystery of it all. For every brash skeptic, there's an inexplicable oddity; a bit of convincing amateur video, a strange audio recording, an event that doesn't adhere to the laws of logic. For every wide-eyed true believer, there's a damning piece of evidence; a simple explanation, an emerging scientific study,...

Video
The Fourth Kind arrives on Blu-ray with a strong, presumably faithful 1080p/VC-1 transfer; one that separates the actors' melodramatization even farther apart from the "real" footage the filmmakers procured of Nome's otherworldly encounters. When Jovovich and her castmates take center stage, the image proves itself to be quite striking. Rich colors, hearty blacks, and wonderfully rendered fine details rule the day, as do exceedingly crisp closeup textures, lifelike skintones, and brazen...

Audio
Universal's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is just as jarring, but even more mesmerizing. Osunsanmi draws his viewers forward with Jovovich's subdued therapy sessions and Patton's measured interrogations, only to send them hurtling back with a chaotic cacophony of unsettling noise; an explosion of dissonant strings, guttural screams, and high-pitched cries crafted and honed to assault the senses and unnerve anyone in earshot. LFE output is powerful to say the least -- an increasingly h...

Supplements
The Blu-ray edition of The Fourth Kind only includes one special feature, a 23-minute collection of deleted, extended, and alternate scenes (presented in standard definition), the majority of which retread ground that was covered far more convincingly in the final cut of the film....

Final Words
Had Osunsanmi made a few relatively minor changes, The Fourth Kind could have possibly stood side by side with Paranormal Activity. Instead, it's merely a well-conceived thriller that tries a bit too hard. It certainly doesn't deserve the critical drubbing that met its theatrical release, but dig too deeply and the entire experience will begin to unravel. Thankfully, the only disappointment I encountered while perusing Universal's Blu-ray release was yet another unreasonably sma......

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South Park: The Complete Thirteenth Season (Blu-ray Review)

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:30:27 -0500
Hi, Billy Mays here for "South Park" Season 13!

You have to learn how to lie correctly someday; it might as well be today.

Has it really been thirteen years already? It seems not all that long ago that "South Park" was the cool and potty-mouthed new kid on the block. With its edgy dialogue, infectious humor, memorable lines, and the draw of seeing how series creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone would kill off Kenny every week, it's no wonder that the show grew in popularity and, only a a few short years after its de...

Video
Paramount's Blu-ray release of "South Park: The Complete Thirteenth Season" is a sparkling success that's every bit as bright and colorful as fans would expect -- and demand -- of a high definition 1080p release of one of television's great animated series. Indeed, though "South Park" might be made up of basic shapes that form a crude but oddly appealing look, the show's hallmark visual attribute is no doubt its abundantly colorful palette that's evident in most every episode not only...

Audio
"South Park: The Complete Thirteenth Season" arrives on Blu-ray with a quality but sonically routine Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The track is consistently stable and handles a myriad of different sonic signatures with ease, and the mix even throws in some surround sound and low end information for good measure. "The Ring" proves one of the better listens of the lot. The Jonas Brothers' pop-influenced music offers a delightful and crisp presentation across the front with a ...

Supplements
Unfortunately, "South Park: The Complete Thirteenth Season" isn't as jam-packed with extras as fans might have hoped. Each episode does feature Matt Stone and Trey Parker's patented "mini commentaries;" this feature may be toggled on or off underneath the "setup" menu tab. Each runs only several minutes in length but the duo manages to cover all the pertinent information fans want to know without dragging things out ad infinitum. Disc one of this set contains two additional special ...

Final Words
Season thirteen is quintessential "South Park." The show remains virtually the same, with its foursome core of characters and expanded supporting cast all continuing to sport the same thought processes, actions, reactions, and even clothes. Nothing much has changed in "South Park," except for the real world in which the show exists. Creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker have managed to keep their show fairly identical in theme and context over the course of thirteen exceptionally funn......

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Sanjuro (Tsubaki Sanjûrô) (Criterion Collection) (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 23:52:09 -0500

Akira Kurosawa's "Sanjuro" (1962) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include an exclusive audio commentary with film historian Stephen Price; a thirty-five-minute documentary about the making of "Sanjuro"; theatrical trailer; and more. The Blu-ray disc also arrives with a 20-page illustrated booklet, containing a statement by Akira Kurosawa that appeared in the 1999 book The Films of Akira Kurosawa, by Donald Richie; Michael Sragow's essay "...

Video
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Akira Kurosawa's Sanjuro arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

Even though the transition to 1080p here is not as striking as it is with Yojimbo, the final result is still pleasing. Again, fine object detail is a lot more convincing, clarity improved and contrast levels much more appealing. Film grain is present, but there are certain areas of Sanjuro where...

Audio
There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 3.0 and Japanese LPCM 1.0. For the record, Criterion have provided optional English subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

The following text appears in the booklet provided with this Blu-ray disc: "The monaural soundtrack was remastered at 24-bit from the 35mm optical soundtrack. The restored Perspecta Stereophonic Sound was decoded through Perspecta decoder and...

Supplements
Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create - this thirty-five-minute documentary about the making of Sanjuro, part of the Toho Masterworks series Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create, features director Akira Kurosawa, actor Tatsuya Nakadai, production designer Yoshiro Muraki, and cinematographer Takao Saito, among others. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (35 min, 1080i).

Theatrical trailer - In Japanese, with optional ...

Final Words
Having seen now what Criterion have done with Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo and Sanjuro, I can hardly contain my excitement for the big one - Seven Samurai. I am very confident that it would look and sound spectacular on Blu-ray. We just need to be patient, as it is more than obvious that the right people will be releasing it. In the meantime, enjoy Yojimbo and Sanjuro; they both look great. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. ......

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Schumann: Symphony No. 4 - Piano Concerto (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:18:57 -0500
A nice variety of Schumann pieces is presented in this 2006 concert conducted by Ricardo Chailly and featuring the elegant piano of Martha Argerich.

Is it a sort of morbid curiosity that makes us wonder if we can perceive the effects of mental illness in certain artists outputs? The strange, otherworldly landscapes of Vincent van Gogh are certainly redolent of madness, as is the way he almost slathers paint on the canvas at times, as if he were attempting to create his own alternate, three dimensional, reality. Decades ago, I first got recognition in international film critic circles for my research and debunking of several false allegati...

Video
This Schumann program arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of EuroArts, with a really good 1080i AVC encoded transfer, with a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. Unlike a lot of these interlaced concert Blu-rays, there's nary a hint of artifacting here, with good, solid detail and excellent color throughout. Black levels and contrast are especially impressive, with Argerich's black dress clearly defined against the inkiness of the grand. The orchestral players never dissolve into the background and even quick...

Audio
Two uncompressed sound mixes are offered, LPCM offerings in either 5.1 or 2.0. I spot checked the 2.0, which sounded fine, if rather narrow, but spent the bulk of my listening with the 5.1, which reveals all of Schumann's music in its finery with impeccable fidelity and clarity. Surround channels are utilized mostly to achieve a nice hall ambience, but separation of the orchestral sections is quite clear and nuanced. Schumann loves bombastic brass announcements, often followed by more lyrical...

Supplements
Aside from the insert booklet essay, no supplements are offered on this Blu-ray....

Final Words
Nicely varied between Schumann warhorses and some unusual, lesser known works, this is a fine and confident performance by Chailly, the Gewandhaus Orchestra and Martha Argerich. Some people who have grown up listening to other performances of the Schumann Piano Concerto may find some of Argerich's phrasing a bit disconcerting (no pun intended), but this is a wonderfully articulate performance by all the players and classical musical lovers should enjoy it immensely.......

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Gentlemen Broncos (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:01:11 -0500
This one got bucked straight out of the saddle.

I credit Napoleon Dynamite with giving us the whole current, indie shabby geek chic, 1980s-meets-the-00s aesthetic thats been co-opted and diluted by Juno, Little Miss Sunshine, and other quirky, cutesy low-budget comedies of late. At the time, it was something completely unique, all tater tots and unicorn drawings, He-Man figurines and Trapper Keeper notebooks. For us children of the 80s, it was instant nostalgia of the hey, do you remember__________ (fill in...

Video
While not quite out-of-this-world on Blu-ray, Gentlemen Broncos 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer is solid and seems to accurately represent the films surfeit of visual novelties and oddities. The real contrast here is between the bleak world of rural Utah and the more fantastical landscapes of Yeast Lords. The real life portions of the story have a slightly flat quality, with realistic colorseven if they are wacko pastelsand tamed contrast. When the story moves into sci-fi ...

Audio
I wasnt expecting aural fireworks or anything, but I was seriously underwhelmed by Gentlemen Broncos DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, which offers very few sci-fi sonic thrills and almost no immersion. I will say this: the track is clean and bright and detailed, with a well-balanced mix and perfect dialogue prioritization, but the sound designif you can call it thatjust isnt interesting at all. The rear speakers remain quiet or silent for almost the entire film, only t...

Supplements
Commentary by Director and Co-writer Jared Hess, Co-writer Jerusha Hess, and DP Munn Powell
Hess, his co-writer wife, and the film's cinematographer deliver an oddly dull and almost hushed track that doesn't really sustain interest. I wish we would've been given a wacko three-way track with Sam Rockwell, Jemaine Clement, and Edgar Oliver instead.

Deleted Scenes (SD, 5:53)
Includes five deleted scenes that are just about unbearable.

Outtakes ...

Final Words
Gentlemen Broncos is one of those comedies that works much better as a trailerand if you saw the totally rad trailer for this one, youll know what I mean. The films laughs come in short spurts, separated by long stretches where youll be perhaps interested enough to keep watching, but too bored to care. Lifelong Napoleon Dynamite fans may want to give Broncos the old blind buy, but for everyone else, this is cautious rental material.......

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Princess and the Frog: Three-disc Edition (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 01:48:24 -0500
A classic fairy tale gets a jazzy N'Orleans makeover...

December 21, 1937. After enduring years of skepticism and overcoming countless obstacles, both creative and financial, a brave young visionary by the name of Walter Elias Disney gave the world its first animated feature film. Perhaps you've heard of it: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It swept audiences away to a Technicolor dreamscape; an absorbing fairy tale wonderland unlike anything anyo...

Video
Disney's beautiful hand-drawn homecoming arrives on Blu-ray with a rich, absolutely stunning 1080p/AVC-encoded marvel that perfectly captures every nuance of the animation team's spirited lineart, every splash of wondrous color that erupts on screen, and every errant brush stroke that lends the film's painterly backdrops such heart and soul. Earthy greens and browns, savory blues and golds, and bottomless blacks are just the beginning; The Princess and the Frog's sweltering bayou ...

Audio
The Princess and the Frog makes a grand Mardis Gras-inspired entrance with a rousing DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. The songs may not be as memorable as Disney's finest, but they certainly grab hold of your ear, reveling in the tom-tom-tom of leathery bass beats, the riz-dat-dat of rustling snare drums, and the crooning cries of an army of trumpets. Randy Newman's music comes alive time and time again, arriving from every direction and elevating the film well beyo...

Supplements
The Blu-ray edition of The Princess and the Frog continues to impress with a notable supplemental package; one that includes a Picture-in-Picture experience, a captivating commentary, and a solid collection of featurettes. As an added bonus, the 3-disc set comes with both a standard DVD and Digital Copy of the film. High definition junkies may shake their heads, but most families, especially those with DVD players in their cars and children's playrooms, will enjoy the flexibility this m...

Final Words
The Princess and the Frog may not be the insta-classic its most ardent fans and many critics have declared it to be, but it does represent a triumphant return to form for a studio built on the magic and artistry of hand drawn animation. Thankfully, Disney's Blu-ray release is a magnificent one. Its dazzling video transfer is as perfect as they come, its powerful DTS-HD Master Audio track is a sonic miracle in its own right, and its extensive supplemental package adds substantial value t......

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Yojimbo (Criterion Collection) (Blu-ray Review)

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 14:56:02 -0500

Winner of the Best Actor award at the Venice Film Festival, Akira Kurosawa's "Yojimbo" (1961) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include an exclusive audio commentary with film historian Stephen Price; forty-five-minute documentary about the making of "Yojimbo"; theatrical trailer; and more. The Blu-ray disc also arrives with a 22-page illustrated booklet, containing a statement from Akira Kurosawa that appeared in the 1999 book The Films of Akira ...

Video
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

This is a striking high-definition transfer! Frankly, aside from some very mild flickering that I noticed during a couple of scenes, everything else looks superb. Detail is fantastic, clarity outstanding, and contrast levels excellent. What impressed me the most, however, is how Yojimbo looks blown thr...

Audio
There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 3.0 and Japanese LPCM 1.0. For the record, Criterion have provided optional English subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

The following text appears in the booklet provided with this Blu-ray disc: "The monaural soundtrack was remastered at 24-bit from the 35mm optical soundtrack. The restored Perspecta Stereophonic Sound was decoded through Perspecta decoder ...

Supplements
Commentary: an audio commentary with film historian Stephen Price, author of The Warrior's Camera: The Cinema of Akira Kurosawa, recorded exclusively for the Criterion Collection in 2006.

Akira Kurosawa: It is Wonderful to Create - this forty-five-minute documentary about the making of Yojimbo, part of the Toho Masterworks series Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful Create, features director Akira Kurosawa, actor Tatsuya Nakadai, pro...

Final Words
I have a feeling that a lot of people would be genuinely surprised when they get their hands on Criterion's Blu-ray release of Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo. This isn't a marginal upgrade of their SDVD release. It is one of the most dramatic upgrades to emerge from them since they began releasing on Blu-ray. Bravo! VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. ......

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Evangelion 1.11: You Are [Not] Alone (Evangerion shin gekijôban: Jo) (Blu-ray Review)

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 14:23:48 -0500
One of the most highly regarded animes of all time gets yet another makeover with Evangelion 1.11 You are (Not) Alone.

Before we take off into the body of this review, lets pause for a moment to look over our anime checklist:

Dystopian future society? Check.
Post-apocalyptic (or at least post-something cataclysmic) setting? Check.
Mysterious alien robot attackers? Check.
Gigantic mechas piloted by savior-children? Check.
For those of you who, like I do, share some Jewish ancestry, you know in a few weeks well be celebrating Pa...

Video
Evangelion 1.11 You are (Not) Alone arrives on Blu-ray with a sparkling AVC encoded 1080p 1.78:1 transfer. This is a brilliant combination of both tradition cel animation and CGI, and the Blu-ray shows off both techniques wonderfully. Colors are incredibly robust and gorgeously saturated. Fine line detail on the handdrawn elements is superb, with excellent delineation between characters and backgrounds. Some of the CGI is a lot of fun as well. While some of it is used for computer re...

Audio
Funimation finally steps up to the high-def plate, aurally speaking, with two lossless tracks, both Dolby True HD, one a remixed English language track, and the other the original Japanese. Because I didn't want to distract myself from the image reading subtitles the first time through, I opted for the English track. (I typically go back to the original Japanese for subsequent viewings, usually without subtitles, once I have a handle on what the film is about). This is just a downright fun...

Supplements
When you first access the Extras menu, you might be lulled into the false belief you have a wealth of supplements before you to explore. Unfortunately, that's not the case. What you really have is a 15:47 feature called Rebuild of Evangelion, a series of animatics and test footage showing additions to this version. It is available with two different soundtracks, one by Shiro Shajisu and the other, somewhat funnily, featuring Ravel's "Bolero." Aside from this extra, there's a 2:20 ...

Final Words
Your ultimate personal enjoyment of this latest iteration of Evangelion is probably largely dependent on your knowledge of the source material. If you're a longtime Neon Genesis Evangelion fan, you'll love the subtle changes here, even as you may have to overlook some of the glossing over this "Reader's Digest" version contains, by dint of its very (abbreviated) nature. If you're coming in as a neophyte to this franchise, you'll be able to get the gist of what's going on, but you......

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Breaking Bad: The Complete First Season (Blu-ray Review)

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 03:02:56 -0500
Eat your heart out Jenji Kohan.

This ain't chemistry...this is art.

"Breaking Bad" is the mature older brother of the far more rowdy, potty-mouthed, and thematically insignificant "Weeds." Where Jenji Kohan's hit show stumbles -- in its efforts to be more than a novelty series based on a good premise and stretched out seemingly ad infinitum after five watchable but ultimately grueling seasons -- "Breaking Bad" excels. Creator Vince Gill...

Video
"Breaking Bad: The Complete First Season" arrives on Blu-ray with a dim and uneven 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer. Each episode is dominated by a dark look -- sometimes excessively so; only the brightest outdoors scenes seem immune, but there's no doubt from the first episode onward that "Breaking Bad" isn't the sort of transfer that's going to wow all that many viewers. Colors are even and stable but have no life to them. In support of the show's dark look, blacks often overpower th...

Audio
"Breaking Bad: The Complete First Season" cooks up a marvelous DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Heavy, exhilarating, and powerful best describe the show's wild opening segment as an RV lumbers across the New Mexico landscape in the middle of nowhere and crashes off to the side of the road. It's delivered with a thunderous volume, pinpoint sound effects, and plenty of tight bass, but most importantly, it remains a distinct and wholly clear and precise sonic experience from beg...

Supplements
"Breaking Bad: The Complete First Season" features extra materials spread across the two Blu-ray disc set, with special features to be found both under a unique tab on the menu screen on disc two and also in sub-menus under each episode heading on both discs. Please note that while disc one contains a "special features" tab that lists all included extras, users will be prompted to insert disc two to actually view any of them. As for the individual episode supplements found on d...

Final Words
"Breaking Bad" is a complete show that's centered around the most challenging of human dramas but intermixes comedy, action, and suspense into the core of the story. "Breaking Bad" demonstrates more direction and focus and sports superior character development and thematic relevance in seven episodes than does "Weeds" in five seasons, and the result, no surprise, is a show with a premise that isn't quite as novel as it was in "Weeds" but instead showcases a collection of characters an......

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Breaking Bad: The Complete Second Season (Blu-ray Review)

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 03:02:47 -0500
Break good and add this -- and season one's -- release to your Blu-ray collection.

My dad is my hero.

Now with almost twice as much goodness as the seven-episode season one, the 13-episode strong second season of "Breaking Bad" proves just as infectious, fun, dramatic, exciting, suspenseful, and relevant as its predecessor, all with a more rounded presentation with room to spread its legs and grow into the future. Following the story of terminal lung cancer patient-turned methampheta...

Video
"Breaking Bad: The Complete Second Season" yields a 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer that's much improved over the middling image that accompanies season one. While this season retains the darker-than-average visual scheme, fine detail is greatly improved though not completely intricate and convincing. Faces are far more textured and "lived in" rather than pasty and devoid of more lifelike texturing. Likewise, finer details on clothing, dirt roads, sandy terrains, and everyday obje...

Audio
"Breaking Bad: The Complete Second Season" delivers yet another high quality DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. As was the case with season one's DTS mix, season two yields yet another hard-hitting and fully-realized sonic experience that's the envy of plenty of other television show home video releases, a praiseworthy feat considering that "Breaking Bad" is at its core more of a dialogue-driven Drama than it is a straight Action series where one might expect a more robust sonic prese...

Supplements
"Breaking Bad: The Complete Second Season" contains a wealth of bonus materials spread across three Blu-ray discs. Like season one's release, season two features all extras listed in each disc's menu screen, but users will have to swap discs to see some of them. As for episode-specific features on disc one, episode one, "Seven Thirty-Seven" contains an audio commentary track with Creator Vince Gilligan; Actor/Director Bryan Cranston; and actors Aaron Paul, RJ Mitte, Anna Gunn, and Be...

Final Words
"Breaking Bad" doesn't suffer from the dreaded sophomore slump; though it's a bit slow out of the gate, the final ten or so episodes return to the brilliant form of season one with plenty of heart-stopping suspense, heartfelt drama, heartwarming comedy, and heartbreaking developments. Indeed, "Breaking Bad" is a show with plenty of heart but, more importantly, a soul that speaks to its audience like few shows before it and on a myriad of timely and pertinent issues, from the s......

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Yanni Live! The Concert Event (Blu-ray Review)

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 02:15:24 -0500
Live at the A-crap-olis? Yawn-i? Sorry, that's the best I can come up with.

John Tesh used to make frequentand frequently self-deprecatingappearances on Late Night with Conan OBrien, and I remember one evening he told Conan about how he and Yanni like to play beach volleyball together. Now theres an image: two keyboard-toting, new age impresariossorry, contemporary instrumentalistsbumping, setting, and spiking on a tropical shoreline somewhere, laughing and playing, wearing naught but banana-sling thongs, their impressive coats of sweaty ch...

Video
Shot with 16 high definition video cameras, Yanni Live! astral projects onto Blu-ray with a 1080i/AVC-encoded transfer thats tight, bright, and true-to-source. If youve been patiently waiting to see what Yannis Tom Selleck+NASCAR driver mustache looks like in high-def, well, its as glorious and full and perfectly groomed as youve likely imagined. The image is generally sharp, nicely rendering the fine detail in Yannis short-sleeved, chain mail-look-a-like sweater and the ...

Audio
Whatever you think of Yannis musicpersonally, I try not to think of it at allits impossible to deny that this concert sounds pretty damn good, objectively speaking. Captured live with 125 channels of digital audio and mixed into a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, Yanni Live! will seduce the ears of the presumably narrow crossover population in the Venn diagram of Yanni-lovers and hardcore audiophiles. Like the compositions themselves, the mix here does sound a little ...

Supplements
Yanni Live! Backstage Pass (1080i, 27:26)
When I saw Backstage Pass on the back of the Blu-ray case, I hoped and prayed wed get footage of Yannis personal stylist perfuming and oiling those luscious, chin-length locks, but alas, the maestros time in the make-up chair is withheld from us. Rather, this is standard, prepping for the tour, practicing with the band type stuff, mixed with some insights into Yannis music-making philosophy. "I want to effect people i...

Final Words
Yanni. Tesh. Oiled chest hair. Thongs. See? Youd nearly forgotten, and I simply couldnt let you forget. Not that that has anything to do with Yanni Live!, which is free of partial Grecian nudity and filled instead with fourteen inspirational, heartrending tunes by everyones favorite/least favorite contemporary instrumentalist. This is a love it or hate it release, and you probably dont need me to tell you which side you favor. Hence, the split down the middle 5/10 rating. The ......

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Old Dogs (Three-disc Edition) (Blu-ray Review)

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 23:40:54 -0500
I believe it was the great philosopher Chop Top who once said, "Dog will hunt."

I don't profess to be a young man. Young at heart, maybe, but the gray snaking its way across my thirty-one-year old scalp and the grooves forming along my world-weathered brow suggest otherwise. Still, I'd like to think my taste in film is continually evolving; that, unlike my parents (who recently began draping bedsheets on their furniture), I'll never find pleasure in the inane antics and desperate humor of a comedy like Old Dogs, a clumsy alpha male in a new breed of "family film" t...

Video
Overzealous contrast leveling and bronzed skintones notwithstanding, Old Dogs bumbles onto Blu-ray with a fit and faithful 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer. Jeffrey Kimball's spray-on-tan palette, while far from beautiful, is accurately preserved with vibrant colors, flashy primaries, and deep, well-resolved blacks. His searing skies come dangerously close to assaulting the proceedings, but it all works well within the exaggerated confines of Becker's chummy comedy. More importantly, detail ...

Audio
The same applies to Old Dogs' bombastic DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. While the film's lumbering, blunt-force-trauma sound design didn't do much to win me over, Disney's lossless outing is commendable, powerful even, and continually gets the job done. Dialogue is crisp, intelligible, and nicely prioritized; LFE output lends weight and heft to every pratfall, jetpack, and exploding clay pigeon; and aggressive rear speaker support effectively spreads lunging penguins and noisy c...

Supplements
Whether you enjoyed the film or shook your head through every minute, Old Dogs' supplemental package isn't going to make Disney's chunky 3-disc release any more appealing. A filmmakers' commentary shows promise, but tanks in the first three minutes, and little else improves matters. Ah well, all of the special features are presented in high definition, so I suppose that's a plus.

Audio Commentary: Director Walt Becker, produc...

Final Words
It's fitting that Seth Green, trembling in the brawny embrace of an overly affectionate gorilla, has become the poster boy for the film's marketing campaign. I too felt trapped in the cumbersome grip of a rampaging animal; in my case the unwieldy, contrived, tasteless comedy that is Old Dogs. Oh well, at least Disney's AV presentation is on point. The Blu-ray edition boasts a snazzy video transfer and an able-bodied DTS-HD Master Audio track. If the studio's 3-disc release had a decen......

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Birtwistle: The Minotaur (Live at Roh Covent Garden) (Blu-ray Review)

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 12:23:00 -0500
Unusually graphic and violent, Harrison Birtwistle's 'The Minotaur' captures the flavor and feeling of ancient Greek myth with an extremely compelling production.

And now. . .the rest of the story.

You radio fans probably recognize Paul Harveys signature phrase, wherein after a brief tease usually built around fairly well recognized facts, he would delve into the background of things as varied as a celebritys childhood to the development of a famous product. I thought of Harvey as I watched this fascinating production of English composer Harrison Birtwistles The Minotaur, as it gives an unusual perspective on a myth that is ...

Video
Aside from the relatively rare interpolations of the sea projections, other backdrops and some of the masks the gallery wears, The Minotaur's AVC encoded 1.78:1 1080i image plays out in tones of whites, grays, blacks and browns, a palette that aptly mirrors its three main characters. Detail here is quite exceptional, made more impressive when one takes into account the minimal amount of scenery and the spare costuming. Fleshtones are all accurate, and the Minotaur's fanciful costume is ...

Audio
This is one of the more robust DTS HD-MA offerings that Opus Arte has given us in their almost always excellent catalogue of Blu-ray releases. With an unusually expressive low end, which makes the most of the subwoofer in some of the percussive moments, this is a score that shakes, rattles and rolls, and the DTS soundtrack comes through with an almost startling clarity and visceral punch. Birtwistle's declamatory winds and strings leap to and fro in this score, and they are reproduced here wit...

Supplements
A 32:30 featurette enttitled Myth is Universal offers some really excellent background information on not just the production but the Minotaur story itself. The disc also features the usual illustrated synopsis and cast gallery. Again, per the norm, the insert booklet features an essay....

Final Words
One of the more unusual and visceral offerings to come down the operatic pike in quite some time, Harrison Birtwistle's The Minotaur evokes the ethos of classical Greek theater while mining a compositional world that is completely modern and remarkably forceful. This may not be easy to sit through, and is in fact quite graphically violent at times, but it's an important work and one of the best new operas of the past several decades.......

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Red Road (Blu-ray Review)

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 02:23:37 -0500

Winner of the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and winner of BAFTA's Carl Foreman Award for Most Promising Newcomer, Andrea Arnold's "Red Road" (2006) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Verve Pictures. The supplemental features on the disc include interviews with Andrea Arnold and cast members; behind the scenes featurette; and trailers. Not subtitled in English. Region-B "locked". ...

Video
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 and granted a 1080i50 transfer, Andrea Arnold's Red Road arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Verve Pictures.

Considering the fact that Red Road was shot on digital video, it is rather difficult to critique the high-definition transfer provided by Verve Pictures. Still, I think that the basic elements here are very much intact, and more importantly, there aren't any purely technical fla...

Audio
There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English LPCM 2.0. For the record, Verve Pictures have not provided optional English subtitles for the main feature.

Red Road is primarily a dialog-driven feature, lacking a strong music score. Unsurprisingly, the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track does offer any notable surround effects. On the other hand, the dialog is crisp and clean. I did, however, find the Scottish accents to be quite ...

Supplements
Theatrical trailer - the original theatrical trailer for the film. Not subtitled. (2 min).

Interviews - a collage of interviews with director Andrea Arnold and cast members where they discuss the the complex nature of the film, the controversial script, the main characters, etc. Not subtitled. (13 min).

Behind the scenes - raw footage from the shooting of the film. Not subtitled. (2 min).

Fish Tank trailer...

Final Words
Raw, remarkably bold and explicit, British director Andrea Arnold's debut feature film, Red Road, is not to be missed. The film is the first installment in a trilogy inspired by Lars Von Trier's "Advance Party" concept. The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of British distributors Verve Pictures, looks and sounds very good. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. ......

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Alice (Blu-ray Review)

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 23:29:45 -0500
SyFy goes back to its 'Tin Man' well but fails to find much enduring wonder in Wonderland.

The names Robert Halmi, Sr. and Robert Halmi, Jr. may not ring a bell with many of you, but if youve watched any event television over the past couple of decades, chances are youve seen their handiwork. Halmi père and fils occasionally tackle original material, or at least new adaptations of never before filmed material (as with the spectacularly successful Lonesome Dove), but their real niche is redoing classics of yore with relatively big budgets, at least in televisi...

Video
This is one of the most maddeningly uneven Blu-ray transfers I've experienced in a long, long time. Alice's AVC encoded 1080p (despite its television heritage) 1.78:1 image is at times breathtakingly sharp and detailed. Elements of CGI bristle with nuance and precision. And yet large swaths of this piece are virtually devoid of color, leaving fleshtones anemic at best and all colors seemingly largely desaturated. Wait a few moments, and then suddenly we're greeted by robust blues and ...

Audio
Luckily the DTS HD-MA 5.1 soundtrack is a good deal more consistent and robust. While this mix is a little light (unexpectedly so, I might add) in surround effects, what is here is a lot of fun. The best segments are the wilder fantasy moments, as when the Jabberwock chases Alice through a forest. Thundering LFE mixes with some great surround activity to completely immerse the listener. Even in less showy moments, this is a solid piece of sound mixing, with good, directional dialogue and wel...

Supplements
Don't go looking for any supplements in this Wonderland. There's a chatty if not overly informative commentary by Willing and Scorsone (listed under the audio options). Otherwise, you get Bookmarks. Yes, bookmarks....

Final Words
There's no denying that Alice provides some fun moments as its approaches Lewis Carroll's classic Alice stories from a completely different perspective. This is often a lot of fun to watch, but it's just as often bloated, pretentious and lacking in the charm and whimsy that so define the original source material. You could do worse as a rental, but the flaws of this Blu-ray probably outweigh the pluses for you library collectors.......

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Clash of the Titans (Harryhausen) (Blu-ray Review)

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:12:14 -0500
Release the Kraken! Or not... it doesn't make much difference.

I had the opportunity to tackle two fantasy favorites this week, both of which spent countless hours in my parents' rickety VCR when I was boy. The first, filmmaker Wolfgang Peterson's dark children's classic, The NeverEnding Story, has withstood the test of time, enduring the decades with gripping performances, a sharp screenplay, and a haunting coming-of-age adventure draped in shadow. Sadly, the second, d...

Video
Let me be very, very clear from the outset: Clash of the Titans has never been an attractive film, nor will it ever be. Grain attacks and retreats ad nauseum, poorly lit scenes abound at every turn, and Harryhausen's stop-motion sequences are often mired by murky blacks and blurry live-action footage. As such, Warner's 1080p/VC-1 transfer will strike many casual viewers -- those finicky masses who despise grain, embrace noise reduction, and can't stand a filmic presentation -- as an abs...

Audio
As faithful reproductions go, Warner's DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo mix adds quite a bit of value to the Blu-ray edition of Clash of the Titans. Though chained to the inherent limitations of an aging source and two-dimensional soundscape, the track's technical quality is nevertheless apparent. Dialogue is clean and intelligible in all but a few scenes (mainly those involving Perseus' moonlit fight with Calibos, and his battle with the scorpions); reliable prioritization prevents the v...

Supplements
Aside from a quick sneak peek at Louis Leterrier's upcoming remake of the film, the Blu-ray edition of Clash of the Titans includes just two features: a decent but all-too-short "Conversation with Ray Harryhausen (SD, 12 minutes), and a brief seven-part special effects overview (SD, 10 minutes) in which Harryhausen discusses the creation of the Kraken, Medusa, Calibos, Pegasus, Bubo, Dioskilos, and the Scorpions. ...

Final Words
If it weren't for Ray Harryhausen's astonishing stop-motion monsters, Clash of the Titans would have probably been lost in the sands of cinematic time. Medusa and her villainous cohorts may fall by Perseus' sword, but each one handily bests Hamlin and his glass-eyed castmates. That being said, Warner's Blu-ray release revives the aging film, granting it a solid technical transfer and an above average DTS-HD Master Audio stereo mix. A deeper collection of special features would have cer......

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Warren Miller: Children of Winter (Blu-ray Review)

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 13:03:09 -0500
Powder to the People

I havent had the greatest luck on the slopes. The last time I went skiing, I hit a snow-covered log thinking it was a moguland cartoonishly flew right out of my bindings, soaring some fifteen feet through the air, and landing face first, giving myself the icy equivalent of road rash. The time before thatIll spare you the long, long storya woman on a lift chucked a ski pole at me as I was clumsily slaloming beneath her, missing me by inches. And I wont even get into the solit...

Video
From the looks of it, Children of Winter was shot partially on both film and high definition video, and the documentarys 1080i/AVC-encoded transfer handles both sources with bunny- slope ease. There are a few soft shots scattered throughout, but the image is generally tight and crisp. Crystals of snow sparkle in the sun, wind-chapped faces show appropriately weathered skin texture, and the wide mountain vistas are true windows into a winter wonderland. While vast expanses of sno...

Audio
On the audio end, Children of Winter sports a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround track that doesnt really offer any downhill sonic thrills, but proves to be quite adept when it comes to blasting the films rock-heavy soundtrack. The music is the highlight here, from the scuffed-up, overdriven rumble of Radioheads Bodysnatchers, to the epic avalanche of Icelandic band Sigur Ros signature cello bow-on-guitar strings sound. All of it is dynamic and buoyant, with well-rounded bass, a soli...

Supplements
The disc includes naught but a theatrical trailer for Children of Winter (1080i, 4:16), plus seventeen minutes of standard definition trailers for previous Warren Miller films....

Final Words
Now that the Winter Olympics are over and spring is quickly approaching, snow-starved skiers and snowboarders will have to find another way to slake their thirst for downhill adventure during the long summer months. Enter Children of Winter, a well-edited and wonderfully scored documentary that really does capture the elation of plowing through 20 powder with the wind against your face. This one will have you pining for the slopes. Recommended.......

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Precious (Based on the novel "Push" by Sapphire) (Blu-ray Review)

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 22:49:41 -0500
Featuring knockout performances by newcomer Gabourey Sidibe and especially by Mo'Nique in her first dramatic role, 'Precious' is troubling and difficult to endure. Is it ultimately worth it?

Is Precious this years Slumdog Millionaire? After all, it has the same hardscrabble indy cred that last years Best Picture Oscar winner did, a sort of grass roots, up from the people success story that defies the big studio system and ultimately garners both critical acclaim and box office receipts galore. Like Slumdog, Precious at least putatively features a sobering story of downtrodden souls who supposedly reach some sort of redemption after scores of trials. ...

Video
Precious sports a naturally lit verite look which may rub some videophiles the wrong way. Its AVC encoded 1080p 1.85:1 image can be crisp and sharp in brightly lit scenes, as in several outdoor moments, or the fluorescent office environment of Ms. Weiss. However, in the drab and dingy confines of Precious' apartment or her high school, darkness is hampered by low contrast to the point where, as politically incorrect as it may be to say this, the dark tones of Sidibe's face simply melt i...

Audio
Aside from the fun fantasy sequences, when some great soul music fills the surround channels like the dreams of a better life which fill Precious' mind, there's not a lot of utilization of channel effects to really exploit a DTS HD-MA 5.1 environment. We do get some ambient city noises in the outdoor scenes, and dialogue is always well positioned directionally in the soundfield, but this is for the most part a small, dialogue driven film without a lot of aural hoopla or bombast. Fidelity is ex...

Supplements
A number of really excellent HD supplements augment the main feature:

Commentary with Director Lee Davies features the articulate, insightful and sometimes quite funny director talking about the adaptation process as well as the filming.
From Push to Precious (15:22) provides some excellent information on how the novel Push came to be the film Precious. One caveat: a brief text prelude giving some background on author Sapphire is incredibl...

Final Words
It's easy to see why incest survivors like Oprah are so passionate about Precious. Rarely has this subject matter been treated with such visceral intensity, something that may in fact turn off as many viewers as it entices. This is a film built around some truly remarkable performances. Sidibe is a marvel as Precious (and you begin to realize what a magnificent performance it is as you see her more natural, incredibly articulate and almost "Valley Girl" persona in some of the extras), ......

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Bodyguards and Assassins (Shi yue wei cheng) (Blu-ray Review)

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 22:28:03 -0500

Winner of the Best Actor award (Wang Xueqi) granted by the Hong Kong Film Critics Society, Teddy Chan's "Shi yue wei cheng" a.k.a "Bodyguards and Assassins" (2009) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Hong Kong-based distributors MegaStar. The only supplemental features on this disc are theatrical trailers, TV spots and Making of featurette. With optional English, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese subtitles. Region-A "locked". ...

Video
Presented in anl aspect ratio of 2.34:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Teddy Chan's Bodyguards and Assassins arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Hong Kong-based distributors MegaStar.

MegaStar continue to impress. The high-definition transfer they have prepared for Bodyguards and Assassins looks fantastic. Fine object detail is terrific, clarity pleasing and contrast levels consistent. Many of the outdoor scenes from the old City of Victoria, in parti...

Audio
There are four audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, Cantonese Dolby TrueHD 7.1, Cantonese Dolby Digital 5.1 and Mandarin Dolby Digital 5.1. For the record, MegaStar have provided optional English, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

The audio treatment is every bit as impressive as the video treatment. The Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track is loud and tru...

Supplements
Trailers - three theatrical trailers for the the film. Only the third one is with optional English, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese subtitles. (1080p).

TV spots - three TV Spots. In Mandarin, not subtitled in English. (1080i).

Making of - a standard featurette broken into four parts - Characters; Set & Makeup; Design; and Action. In Mandarin (and portions of Cantonese), with optional English, Traditional Chinese and Si...

Final Words
There is nothing in Teddy Chan's Bodyguards and Assassins that you have not already seen elsewhere done better. With other words, I would recommend that you rent this film, if you can, to see whether or not it is something that would like to have in your collections. This said, the Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of Hong Kong-based distributors MegaStar, looks and sounds excellent. RENT IT. ......

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NeverEnding Story (Die unendliche Geschichte) (Blu-ray Review)

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 02:16:34 -0500
"In the beginning, it is always dark..."

Grim and unsettling, intense and unnerving, Wolfgang Petersen's The NeverEnding Story isn't the lighthearted fantasy or spirited adventure its whimsical coverart might suggest. Just ask any former '80s tot to rattle off the most disturbing movie scenes they remember from their childhood. Chances are, The NeverEnding Story will come up more than once. A young warrior's faithful steed drowns in a murky swamp mere minutes after he begins his quest; a pair of towering statues kill a...

Video
The NeverEnding Story features a competent, at-times striking 1080p/VC-1 transfer; one that obliterates the standard DVD's dated, ungainly picture and, despite some lingering setbacks and inconsistencies, looks much better than the Blu-ray edition released in the Netherlands in 2007. Cinematographer Jost Vacano's haunting palette -- which descends further and further into darkness the closer Atreyu comes to the end of his journey -- is brimming with earthy browns, rich amber hues, wintry...

Audio
Presented for the first time on home video with a 5.1 surround track (at least domestically), The NeverEnding Story boasts a solid DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix that, while not the immersive sonic spectacle I was hoping for, still manages to impress. Dialogue is clean, crisp, and well-prioritized, regardless of whether it's shouted in the boggy mists of the Swamps of Sadness, whispered in the chilly air of the gnomes' Southern Oracle overlook, or barked in the dust-swept confines of a cave...

Supplements
The Blu-ray edition of The NeverEnding Story doesn't include any special features, not even a theatrical trailer....

Final Words
The NeverEnding Story still has a powerful hold on me; no small feat considering how readily I've cast off other childhood favorites that have failed to stand the test of time. Its effects may be dated, but its story and characters have endured the decades, drawing me in as easily as they did when I was a young boy. Thankfully, Warner's Blu-ray release is worth owning. I do wish the studio had finally taken the opportunity to give The NeverEnding Story the generous supplemental ......

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Heroic Age: The Complete Series (Blu-ray Review)

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 02:13:04 -0500
The perfect marriage of Battlestar Galactica and anime.

Heroic Age is a 26-episode anime series produced in 2007 by an up-and-coming studio called Xebec. Directed by Toshimasa Suzuki, the show borrows heavily from Greek mythology, but transplants the storylines into a futuristic setting. Full of dense storytelling and epic action sequences, Heroic Age is a production that hasnt necessarily taken off on western shores (despite a prior DVD run), but should gain deserving strides with this Blu-ray release. From a personal standpoint, I...

Video
Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 20Mbps), Heroic Age is a slight step up from other recent Funimation series, but not the jaw-dropping change most of us were hoping for. Given the overall appearance of the image, Im going to assume this is an upscale of the original source material, leaving room for only moderate improvement over the prior DVD release. The improvements are still clearly distinguished in this newly minted transfer, but we shouldnt ex...

Audio
In keeping with the customary practice on most of their television series, Funimations offering of Heroic Age contains the original Japanese language track in Dolby Digital 2.0, while offering a new lossless upgrade for the 5.1 English dubbed track. In a perfect world, I'd hope for a lossless surround option in the native language of the series, but considering the limitations of the original recording, my only disappointment with this effort lies in the decision to stick with a lossy 2....

Supplements
The only supplements included on the three-disc set are textless opening and closing songs, as well as a collection of trailers for other releases from Funimation....

Final Words
Heroic Age is an epic science fiction production that deserves a spot in the collection of any anime fan. Combining dense storytelling, monumental battles, vivid animation, and memorable characters, the overall experience is sure to entertain through multiple viewings and ranks near the top of my anime recommendations list. Consider this a must-own title.......

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Freeway Killer (Blu-ray Review)

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 17:13:16 -0500
Leave this one by the side of the road.

Before David Finchers Zodiac, before Red Dragon, Hannibal, and The Silence of the Lambs, there was director John McNaughtons Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, a gruesome and realistic headtrip through one week in the life of a murder-addicted psychopath. Loosely based on the killing spree of Henry Lee Lucas and his accomplice, Ottis Toole, Henry was unique for its time in the way that it tried to parse the mind of an unrepentant predator, p...

Video
The Freeway Killer was shot onI dunno, SD video? Really bad high definition cameras? Poorly transferred 16mm? Honestly, the 1080p/AVC-encoded image is so blurry and indistinct that its hard to tell. Since I cant dig up any technical specs online, Ill hazard a guess and say this was shot on some sort of video. In the commentary track, director John Murlowski talks about serving as his own DP, but judging from the outcome, maybe it wasnt such a good idea. The picture is consi...

Audio
The films DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is at least a step up from the video quality, and while you wont confuse this with, say, Transformers 2, the mix is more than adequate for an ultra-low budget serial killer flick. The surround channels arent incredibly active, but you will hear some neighborhood ambience and a few oh, look, they tried panning effects, like Bonins van moving from left to right through the rear speakers. The score is forgettable, and at t...

Supplements
Commentary by Director John Murlowski and Writer David Birke
Murlowski and Birke discuss the real William Bonin, the research that went into the project, and the limitations of trying to film a 1970s period piece on a low budgetamong the usual behind-the- scenes anecdotes and technical detailsbut this isnt a particularly gripping track.

Freeway Killer: Captured (SD, 11:28)
Your average low-budget behind-the-scenes featurette, including interviews...

Final Words
I have nothing good to say about The Freeway Killer, a film that cant even be recommended on the basis of shock value. True crime fans may briefly get a sick thrill from all the vicarious murdering, but most viewers will cringe and reach for the remote. This film also boasts the worst picture quality Ive personally seen so far this year. Be wise and refuse to enter The Freeway Killers creepy van.......

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Capitalism: A Love Story (Blu-ray Review)

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 11:44:07 -0500
Will buyers fall in love with this latest Blu-ray offering from Starz/Anchor Bay?

I wonder how future civilizations will view our society?

Documentary Filmmaker Michael Moore once again tackles the tough issues in his latest effort, Capitalism: A Love Story, a picture that examines -- oftentimes harshly, sometimes humorously -- the backbone of the current American financial system. One of Hollywood's most controversial figures, the Flint, Michigan native -- known for his casual dress, trademark baseball cap, and unflinching and audience-split...

Video
Capitalism: A Love Story arrives on Blu-ray with a stable and accurate-to-the-source 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer. Michael Moore's film intercuts newly-caprtured HD material with plenty of stock footage of varying qualities; as such, various scenes exhibit a myriad of technical problems -- artifacts galore, dirt and debris, poor colorization, and shoddy detail -- that are inherent to the material and do not factor into the overall score presented to the transfer. However, the...

Audio
Capitalism: A Love Story arrives on Blu-ray with a whopper of a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack; documentaries rarely sound as good as this one does. The film enjoys an often loud and aggressive musical presentation that floods the soundstage with sonic goodness; pinpoint clarity and a healthy dosage of bass and surround support give the track a hefty, dominant feel even from the get-go as the picture opens and, indeed, throughout the entire two-hour production. Many atmo...

Supplements
Unfortunately, this Blu-ray release of Capitalism: A Love Story comes up a bit short in the extras department. The bulk of the special features amount to what seem to be little more than deleted scenes from the film but are not explicitly billed as such. The included "bonus segments," all presented in 1080p high definition, include Harvard Professor Elizabeth Warren on How Wall Street Got Away With Murder (8:20), Sorry, House-Flippers and Banks -- You're Toast in Fli...

Final Words
Like most of his other films, Capitalism: A Love Story is bound to divide viewers, and mostly along party lines. That's not to say that this -- or any -- of Moore's film's aren't worth watching. The filmmaker boldly crafts a film that dares to take on America's economic institution by focusing on either end of the spectrum -- the wealthy elite and the down-on-their-luck citizens -- without much in the way of even a glimpse into the middle. Moore's conclusion isn't surprising,......

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Zidane - A 21st Century Portrait (Zidane, un portrait du 21e siècle) (Blu-ray Review)

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 05:07:12 -0500

Screened at the Cannes Film Festival a few years ago, Douglas Gordon and Philippe Parrenos "Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait" (2006) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Artificial Eye. Amongst the supplemental features on the disc include an interview with Zizou, a second interview with Douglas Gordon and Philippe Parreno, a making of, trailers, biographies and more. With optional English subtitles. Region-Free. ...

Video
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Douglas Gordon and Philippe Parreno's Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Artificial Eye.

This is a very strong high-definition transfer that I think a lot of people would be impressed with. Many of the panoramic shots from Santiago Bernabeu stadium, for example, look absolutely stunning. Of course, there is footage in the film that reta...

Audio
There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and LPCM 2.0. For the record, Artificial Eye have provided optional English subtitles for the main, but I don't think that they are actually needed.

While abroad, I saw Douglas Gordon and Philippe Parreno's Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait theatrically and thought that its soundtrack, courtesy of Scottish ambient rockers Mogwai, was as impressive as the actual film. Having just watched the film again, I mu...

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 - in this rather short interview, Zizou talks about the film, why he agreed to do it, what it means to him, his love for the beautiful game, etc. In French, with ...

Final Words
Douglas Gordon and Philippe Parrenos Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait is mesmerizingly beautiful, breathtakingly sensual film with a soundtrack to die for. The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of British distributors Artificial Eye, looks and sounds great. It is also Region-Free. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. ......

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City Girl (Masters of Cinema) (Blu-ray Review)

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 01:42:27 -0500
F.W. Murnaus often-overlooked pastoral gets a Blu-ray-only release.

Among the German directors who emigrated toor were poached byHollywood in the 1920s and 30s, F.W. Murnau is a tragic figure. Not only did he have a falling out with the studio system that Fritz Lang and Ernst Lubitsch eventually embraced and worked prolifically within, his genius was also abruptly extinguished when he died in an automobile accident shortly before the premiere of his final film, Tabu, in 1931. Best known for proto-horror nightmares like 1922s Nosferatu ...

Video
Heres what the included booklet says about the transfer:

For this 2010 Masters of Cinema Series Blu-ray edition we encoded the HD master in 1080p AVC format on a BD25. Heartened by Foxs U.S. release of this master without any heavy-handed digital restoration, we decided against HD-DVNR, MTI, other forms of digital restoration, or grain removal, after tests revealed noticeable disruption of the tonal quality belonging to the film image in many scenes. We used the same hands-...

Audio
Unlike Sunrise, which survives with its original Movietone score intact, City Girls orchestration has been lost to time. In 2008, composer Christopher Caliendo was commissioned to write and record a new score, which is presented here via a warm and detailed DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. To be completely honestand Im sure many of you will feel differently Im not the biggest fan of Caliendos score. Its certainly well-timed, accentuating each of the plots dr...

Supplements
Audio Commentary by Film Historian David Kalat
Some commentaries are off-the-cuff and others meticulously prepared, and this one definitely falls into the latter category. David Kalat often sounds like hes reading from one of his essaysthe way he speaks would work a lot better on the pagebut he makes up for his heavily scripted tone with a wealth of information, most of it concerned with Murnaus increasingly troubled relationship with Fox. Theres a lot to be learne...

Final Words
If this Masters of Cinema release of City Girl is any indication, I have a feeling 2010 is going to be a banner year for silent film cineastes. As weve seen with MOCs release of Sunrise and Kino Internationals release of Buster Keatons The General, silent films have the potential to look phenomenal on Blu-ray, and this year holds promises of several Chaplin films, Metropolis, and The Battleship Potemkin, among others. If youre a fan of early cine......

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Over Ireland (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 18:06:40 -0500
There's no more beautiful place on earth than Eire, as 'Over Ireland' makes abundantly clear.

Theres probably not a more preternaturally beautiful land on the planet than Ireland. Even more interestingly, perhaps, is Irelands cultural sway on Western art, music and literature, an impact surely inversely proportional to the island countrys relatively minute size. Both of those elements come into play in the excellent aerial travelogue Over Ireland, another in the long series of Over titles which air regularly on PBS stations (especially during pledge drives), and which ...

Video
As with most of the Over series on Blu-ray, Over Ireland receives a decent to excellent transfer in 1080i via a VC-1 encode. This piece is strongest in terms of color and general overall detail. Long shots resolve very well most of the time, showing a depth of field that can be awesome, with such items as far off birds seemingly miles away readily visible. Colors are strong and lifelike, with very well saturated blues and greens throughout the piece. There is some annoying arti...

Audio
The Over series really hasn't moved into the high definition era aurally speaking, typically offering a standard Dolby Digital 2.0 track, something Over Ireland also offers. There's not a whale of a lot of ambient sound mixed into the omnipresent music. In fact, ambient noises were rare enough that I actually noticed them, in scenes like a soccer match where the players calls were heard, or a flyover of a boat when the engine's roar was faintly noticeable. Mostly this is just Mu...

Supplements
As is usual with these budget priced Topics offerings, no supplements are included....

Final Words
Over Ireland is one of the better Over episodes I've seen, due to both the inherent beauty of the land and the poetic narration of Munn and enjoyable score of Rojo. It might have been nice to have had a narration-free audio option, so that "return visits" could have just been with the music, but other than that and the occasional artifacting noted above, this is a solid effort in this series, and armchair travelers should be delighted by it.......

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Ponyo (Gake no ue no Ponyo) (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 11:38:30 -0500
A Miyazaki film finally earns a Blu-ray release. And what a release it is...

When is a cartoon no longer a cartoon? When does an animated film transcend its whimsical creatures and magical, primary-hued dreamscapes to become profound cinema? When it's helmed by master craftsmen like Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli, the Japanese visionaries responsible for sweeping sagas like Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and Castle in the Sky, lighthearted tales like My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service, and resonant fables like Howl's Mov...

Video
What Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli have accomplished through magnificent artistry and beautiful hand-drawn animation, Disney accomplishes through technical perfection, a flawless presentation, and a masterfully encoded 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 transfer. Vibrant primaries erupt from Miyazaki's painterly palette as aggressively as the ocean surges round Sosuke's home. Lush greens and yellows, soft blues, piercing reds, icy whites, and inky blacks ripple through Ponyo's world, transforming every fram...

Audio
Disney's audio package would stand side-by-side with its video transfer if it weren't for one small problem: while Ponyo's excellent English dub leaves a lasting impression via a top tier DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, its original Japanese mix is presented with a standard Dolby Digital 5.1 track. Normally I'd be a bit more upset than I am -- I'm generally a purist when it comes to audio on foreign films -- but I've always enjoyed the voice casts the studio has assembled for Miy...

Supplements
The Blu-ray edition of Ponyo doesn't boast an overbearing assortment of snazzy special features, but rather a concise and modest supplemental package (presented entirely in high definition) that effectively captures the spirit and wonder of Miyazaki's production.

Meet Ponyo (HD, 3 minutes): Executive producers Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy provide a quick introduction to Ponyo and all its wonders.
...

Final Words
I don't know how Miyazaki does it, how he consistently creates such memorable and moving animated features, but he's done it once again. Diving into the whimsical world of Ponyo is an absolute joy; giving in to its sweet story and endearing characters is unavoidable; soaking up its hand-drawn wonders is a thrilling experience rivaled only by the filmmaker's own canon. Simply put, Miyazaki weaves his magic and delivers yet another fantastic film, one Disney embraces at every turn. While......

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Tazza: The High Rollers (Tajja) (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 03:38:33 -0500

Winner of the Best Director award at the Newport Beach Film Festival, Choi Dong-hun's "Tajja" a.k.a "Tazza: The High Rollers" (2006) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of South Korean distributors CJ Entertainment. The disc contains a number of supplemental features, but unfortunately they are not subtitled in English. The main feature is. Region-Free....

Video
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Choi Dong-hun's Tazza: The High Rollers arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of South Korean distributors CJ Entertainment.

This is a beautiful high-definition transfer. Fine object detail is very impressive, clarity fantastic and contrast levels consistent throughout the entire film. The color-scheme is rather unique, with yellow and light green being the two preferred by director Choi Dong-h...

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

The Korean DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is solid. The surround channels are not overly active, but there are many excellent ambient effects that add a nice flavor to the film. The bass is potent, but, again, do not expect it to test the mus...

Supplements
Note: I would like to apologize to our readers for not being able to comment on the supplemental features included on this Blu-ray disc. Unfortunately, they are all listed in Korean and not subtitled in English. Even the names of the participants in the second audio commentary are listed in Korean only).

Rules of Gambling - all ten rules/chapters are accessible through this features.

Audio commentary - an audio commentary with the directo...

Final Words
What a pleasant surprise! Choi Dong-hun's Tazza: The High Rollers could very well turn out to be the best Korean film to reach my desk since Kim Ki-duk's 3-Iron. I am yet to see Bong Joon-ho's Mother though, so I reserve the right to change my mind. The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of CJ Entertainment, looks and sounds fantastic. The packaging is also very elegant. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. ......

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Broken Embraces (Los abrazos rotos) (Blu-ray Review)

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 23:26:08 -0500
Another fine film from Sony Pictures Classics.

Films have to be finished, even if you do it blindly.

Broken Embraces (or Los Abrazos Rotos in its native Spanish tongue), the latest picture from the team of Director Pedro Almodóvar and Actress Penélope Cruz -- who worked together on Live Flesh, All About My Mother, and Volver -- may be the tandem's finest achievement to date, the picture a heartbreaking, erotic, and mys...

Video
Sony delivers Broken Embraces to Blu-ray with a competent 1080p, 2.35:1-framed transfer. The image often looks flat and with minimal visual pizzazz, though it does deliver fair detailing and strong color reproduction. One of the transfer's most notable aspects are the often soft backgrounds with edges around the frame that sometimes appear downright blurred, though this seems more in-line with the director's intended vision for the film rather than any misstep along the wa...

Audio
A Spanish-language DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack accompanies the Blu-ray release of Broken Embraces; no dubbed English language track is available, though this disc does default to English subtitles. This track is direct and contemplative, with little in the way of powerful beats or massive surround activity. The film's musical score is delivered smoothly and competently; it's clean and precise with admirable clarity across the front and a subtle support structure in the r...

Supplements
Broken Embraces arrives on Blu-ray with a small collection of bonus materials. The Cannibalistic Councillor (480p, 7:34) is an original short film, directed by Pedro Almodóvar, and featuring a character from Broken Embraces as the central focus. Pedro Directs Penélope (480p, 5:52) offers a peak into the directorial process as Almodóvar works with Cruz during the filming of a scene from Broken Embraces. Next up is On the Red Carpet: The New York ...

Final Words
Broken Embraces shows Pedro Almodóvar as a master cinematic craftsman of the more deeply intricate, purposeful, and indeed even personal kind whose films might take patience and the audience's utmost attention both during and long after to truly appreciate, but the rewards are many as this picture stays with the viewer long after its completion and its many intricacies slowly build and form for each viewer a personal but no less purposeful moviegoing experience. Much like the......

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Where the Wild Things Are (Blu-ray Review)

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 23:40:26 -0500
"The night Max wore his wolf suit and made mischief of one kind and another..."

Remember when children's films tackled lofty issues, delved into dark waters, and didn't shy away from death, loneliness, heartache, and other challenging subject matter? Filmmaker Spike Jonze certainly does. Adapted from author Maurice Sendak's short-and-simple 1963 classic of the same name, Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are is a haunting, poignant depiction of childhood anxiety; a touching reminder that kids aren't the oblivious creatures of habit so many adults seem to think they are...

Video
Faithful and filmic, the Blu-ray edition of Where the Wild Things Are boasts a striking 1080p/VC-1 transfer that complements the tone and tenor of Jonze's disquieting vision. Mired in rough-hewn browns, winter-cast yellows, and languishing oranges, cinematographer Lance Acord's bleak palette isn't brimming with the lush greens and glowing primaries filmfans might expect. But it is beautiful -- breathtaking even -- in its own right. Trapped beneath searing white skies and imprisoned in ...

Audio
Wild rumpus, indeed. Where the Wild Things Are bounds onto Blu-ray with a commanding DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track; one that revels in every romp, roll, and roar Max and his monsters have to offer. From crashing waves to toppling trees, from forest races to ravine wars, the LFE channel is resonant and earthy, granting explosions and scattering debris convincing weight and presence. Rear speaker activity is just as impressive, readily enveloping the listener in Max's world thro...

Supplements
Normally my score for such a modest selection of special features wouldn't drift this high, but the Where the Wild Things Are supplemental package manages to do more in 75-minutes than most do in four or five hours. Rather than delve into the technical minutia of the shoot, the featurettes evoke the feelings of those on the set, reveal the familial nature of the production, and capture the very real emotions than clearly found their way onto the screen. Of course, it helps that everyone...

Final Words
Where the Wild Things Are will strike countless people in countless ways. Simplicity and complexity abound in every scene, making Jonze's dark children's film accessible to all ages, providing you have the stomach and the heart to endure its more challenging themes. Thankfully, Warner's Blu-ray edition effectively embraces the film's artistry and resonance. It features a faithful video transfer, a strong DTS-HD Master Audio track, and an unexpectedly engrossing selection of unassuming ......

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Confession of Pain (Seung sing) (Blu-ray Review)

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 03:45:35 -0500

Winner of the Best Cinematography award at the Hong Kong Film Awards as well as the Film of Merit award granted by the Hong Kong Film Critics Society, Alan Mak and Lau Wai-keung's "Seung sing" a.k.a "Confession of Pain" (2006) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Hong Kong-based distributors MegaStar. The only supplemental features on the disc are a making of featurette and three theatrical trailers. With optional English, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese subtitles. Region-Free. ...

Video
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Alan Mak and Lau Wai-keung's Confession of Pain arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Hong Kong-based distributors MegaStar.

I liked the high-definition transfer a lot. It is not without a few minor flaws, but overall it looks quite good. Fine object detail is pleasing, clarity very good contrast levels consistent throughout the entire films. A few of the nighttime scenes reveal some mild di...

Audio
There are three audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: Cantonese Dolby TrueHD 7.1, Cantonese Dolby Digital 5.1 and Mandarin Dolby Digital 5.1. For the record, Mega Star have provided optional English, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

The Cantonese Dolby TrueHD 7.1 is convincing. The surround channels are used intelligently, the bass is strong and the high-frequencies not overdone. Chan Kwong Win...

Supplements
Making of - a standard featurette with raw footage from the shooting of the film and interviews with the cast and crew. Unfortunately, English subtitles are not provided for it. (15 min, 480/60i).

Trailers - three different trailers for the film. In Cantonese, with optional Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese and English subtitles (only for the third trailer). (1080p). ...

Final Words
I enjoyed Alan Mak and Lau Wai-keung's Confession of Pain. It is not a particularly original film, but the acting is very strong and the cinematography excellent. The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of Hong Kong-based distributors MegaStar, looks and sounds good. RECOMMENDED. ......

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Up in the Air (Blu-ray Review)

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 23:46:58 -0500
Be sure that this disc lands in your Blu-ray collection.

To know me is to fly me.

Officially announced mere days ago and already arriving on reviewers' doorsteps with less than two weeks before Hollywood's biggest night, the Oscar-nominated Up in the Air lands on Blu-ray as quickly as it won over both fans and critics alike, the picture a lively and oftentimes touching glimpse into the life -- or depending on one's perspective, lack thereof -- of a ha...

Video
Up in the Air soars onto Blu-ray with an immaculate 1080p, 1.85:1-framed transfer. As expected of a new release title from Paramount, this is a sharp, crisp, clear, highly detailed, and natural film-like transfer. Though the color palette -- and the image on the whole -- appears just the slightest bit dimmed, it nevertheless sparkles with a naturalistic flair, every color blending into the movie for a pristine and lifelike appearance. In addition to a strong sense of depth, t...

Audio
Up in the Air touches down on Blu-ray with a minimalist but accurate-to-the-source DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. This dialogue-heavy Comedy/Drama delivers little beyond cursory effects and music, though it does so with class and precision, the track never really inviting listeners into Ryan's world but nevertheless handling everything that's asked of it with honesty and ease. The film's score -- particularly the sounds that accompany the opening title sequence -- feat...

Supplements
Up in the Air checks into Blu-ray with a fair assortment of extra materials. First is a feature-length audio commentary track with Writer/Director Jason Reitman, Director of Photography Eric Steelberg, and First Assistant Director Jason Blumenfeld. Recorded while the film was still in limited release in all of 15 theaters, the participants, in a lively and engaging manner, discuss the picture's opening title sequence, the changes in the script from its origins in a time of eco...

Final Words
Up in the Air is a remarkable little film, the sort that's dwarfed by the summer blockbusters in both general audience recognition and box office returns but nevertheless the vastly superior film to many that enjoy broader appeal and take in more money. Still, Up in the Air itself proves an audience-friendly experience, not only because of the presence of a superstar leading man but because of its uncanny ability at meshing pure entertainment with thought-provoking ......

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Maid in Manhattan (Blu-ray Review)

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 23:46:51 -0500
This 'Maid' is made for Blu.

Today's a new day; anything's possible.

Once upon a time, an actress named Jennifer Lopez was all the rage and starring in a string of diverse films, from the pseudo-Horror picture Anaconda to the nuptial Comedy The Wedding Planner, from the art house Chiller The Cell to the epically-decried Gigli. A sensation on both stage and screen and enjoying exceptional success across t...

Video
Maid in Manhattan serves up a clean and sharp 1080p, 2.40:1-framed transfer. Not the most pristine image available on Blu-ray though technically proficient in every area, Maid in Manhattan looks rather good throughout, particularly in the transfer's ability to deliver a healthy film-like image. Fine detail appears as above-average throughout the film, whether lines and textures in Marisa's brown and homely woven sweater; the nicely-appointed furnishings in the hotel pro...

Audio
Maid in Manhattan delivers a neat and tidy Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Much like the video presentation, this mix plays out as far better and richer than one might expect of it. Music enjoys strong clarity throughout the entire range and delivers a good sense of space; of note is a particularly punchy low end that accompanies one of the musical montages later in the film, the subwoofer chiming in frequently during the piece of music and churning out a healthy dosage ...

Supplements
This Blu-ray release of Maid in Manhattan contains only a blooper reel (480p, 7:18); BD-Live connectivity; and 1080p trailers for Made of Honor and This Christmas....

Final Words
Sufficiently funny, delightfully irresistible, surprisingly moving, and made for the hopeless romantic inside every viewer, Maid in Manhattan isn't a shining beacon of hope for the future of the Romantic Comedy, but it's a fine example of what the genre is all about, the picture innocent, easy, predictable, and mot importantly, fun. Competently made and nicely acted, there's nothing terribly wrong with the movie even if it is barely distinguishable from any number of other Cind......

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Bonnie and Clyde (Blu-ray Review)

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 23:22:16 -0500
Digibook-haters can finally own this classic in a standard Blu-ray keepcase.

Think of Sam Peckinpahs The Getaway, Terrance Malicks Badlands, Oliver Stones Natural Born Killers, and even David Lynchs Wild at Hearteach has a common antecedent in Bonnie and Clyde, the controversial 1967 crime caper that officially ushered in the era of New Hollywood with its unflinching violence and nonchalant frankness about sexuality. And as the archetypal two lovers on the lam story, it has a little bit of everything. Its a game- changi...

Video
This is the same disc that Warner Bros released back in March of 2008, with the same 1080p/VC- 1 encode, but since the studio did such an excellent job the first time around, no remastering is required. Bonnie and Clyde has been lovingly restored with minimal tweaking and filtering, and brought to Blu-ray with excellent-for-its-age clarity. Sure, when compared to more modern productions, the image is softer and less resolute, but this high-definition transfer presents a tremendou...

Audio
While the films transfer is solid, I do wish that Warner had re-pressed this disc with a lossless audio track. Just because the film was originally mixed in mono doesnt mean it wouldnt benefit from high definition audio. I am glad, however, that the studio didnt feel obliged to somehow separate the monaural audio elements into a forced 5.1 mix. So, Im definitely somewhat ambivalent about the films Dolby Digital 1.0 track. On one hand, it sounds true to sourcedialogue is crisp and ...

Supplements
Love and Death: The Story of Bonnie and Clyde (SD, 43:15)
This History Channel documentary has nothing to do with the film and focuses exclusively on the real-life tale of Bonnie and Clyde, complete with vintage newsreel footage, period accounts, and interviews with a variety of historians, authors, and even Clydes sister. The production values are definitely datedthis looks like it was made in perhaps the early 1990sbut the information is solid. Well worth watching.
...

Final Words
I really dont understand all the virulent hate for Warners digibook releases, but if youve been holding out for the studio to release Bonnie and Clyde in the standard Blu-ray keep-case, your wait is over. No changes have been made to the actual discthough I wouldve liked to have seen the addition of a lossless audio trackso if youve yet to purchase this influential film, the choice is yours as to whether you want the classy digibook or the run-of-the-mill, fits-on-the-shelf......

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GoodFellas: 20th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray Review)

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 21:55:18 -0500
Second verse, same as the first...

Is it possible to be declared one of the greatest films of all time, and manage to drop the F-bomb three-hundred times? Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Goodfellas: a coarse, vulgar, visceral, gut-wrenching gangland tragedy from Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese that's earned a coveted spot among some truly unforgettable genre classics and groundbreaking masterpieces, and yes, is widely considered to be one of the greatest films of all time. From its startling, unflinching performa...

Video
Don't bother comparing Warner's new 20th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray release of Goodfellas to its early-2007 high definition cousin: the two are identical. Baffling as it is, the studio has simply repackaged the same dated, problematic 1080p/VC-1 transfer that left videophiles shrugging their shoulders some three years ago. That's not to say the presentation is completely without merit -- it handily bests each of its previously released DVD counterparts -- but it also lacks the polish a...

Audio
Alas, Warner's new 20th Anniversary Edition of Goodfellas doesn't even feature lossless audio. The disc's video transfer is the same, its technical issues are the same, its 640kbps Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track is the same, its limitations are the same... is that a collective sigh I hear? The mix is competent enough I suppose -- dialogue is clean and well-prioritized (albeit a tad muddy on occasion), the LFE channel offers some nice kick (blunt and soupy as it may be when the wiseguy...

Supplements
Once again, it's best to ignore the "20th Anniversary Edition" moniker slapped on the new Blu-ray release of Goodfellas. Aside from a feature-length documentary about the golden age of gangster cinema (relegated to a second disc), a small batch of period shorts, and Digibook packaging, its supplemental package is unchanged. However, for the first time, that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Blessed with a pair of exceptional audio commentaries -- one with the cast and crew, one with the r...

Final Words
Not to repeat myself ad nauseum, but be sure to approach the 20th Anniversary Edition of Goodfellas with caution. If you already own the 2007 Blu-ray release, this version offers nothing more than an additional feature-length documentary (about gangster cinema in general, not Goodfellas specifically), a handful of classic animated shorts, and Digibook packaging. Both editions feature the same problematic video transfer, the same standard Dolby Digital audio track, and the same ce......

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Botany of Desire (Blu-ray Review)

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 14:31:42 -0500
We dont give nearly enough credit to plants. Theyve been working on us.

What professor and noteworthy non-fiction author Michael Pollan means by the above quote is that plants have been using us for their own purposes. Thats the central thesis of The Botany of Desire, Pollans 2001 book about the evolution of domesticated plants, which has been turned into a fantastic 2-hour PBS documentary that explores how flora metaphorically manipulates our desiresfor sweetness, beauty, intoxication, and controlto propagate, diversify, and spread. Pollan fo...

Video
PBS brings The Botany of Desire to Blu-ray with a 1080i/AVC encode thats a strong representation of the programs high-definition video source material. For this kind of show, you really cant ask for much betterthe image is crisp, ultra-colorful, and relatively noise-free. In the interview segments with author Michael Pollan, youll notice the weft of his suit jacket and the fine wrinkles on his brow; in macro close-ups youll see the texture of a dirt-covered potato, the sheen...

Audio
Theres really not much to say about The Botany of Desires Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo track besides, yes, some folks will wish it was losslessin a perfect world all audio would beand yes, the track is more than adequate considering the nature of the narration-heavy program. Really, all of the sounds you hear during the showlight music and ambient noisesare secondary to the interviews and explanatory voiceovers, which are clean, unmuffled, and easy to follow. Is there room for...

Supplements
More of Michael Pollan's Interview (1080i, 26:57)
In these ten segments, Pollan gives even more of his insight about apples, tulips, marijuana, and potatoes. Great for watching immediately after the main feature.

Perspectives from the Arts, Humanities, and Sciences (1080i, 18:56)
During this panel at UC Berkely, English, Theater, Ecosystem, and Environmental Science professors along with author Michael Pollandiscuss The Botany of Desire as it rela...

Final Words
I love these kinds of programseducational, insightful, and filled with just enough controversy to leave you thinking for a few days. If you enjoyed Food, Inc., or if youre a fan of Michael Pollans books, The Botany of Desire will be food for thought and an enjoyable piece of edutainment. Recommended.......

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Beaufort (Blu-ray Review)

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 03:37:25 -0500

Based on Ron Leshem's novel "Im Yesh Gan Eden" and winner of the prestigious Silver Berlin Bear award at the Berlin International Film Festival, Joseph Cedar's "Beaufort" (2007) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Trinity Home Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include a making of, trailers, and deleted scenes. With optional English subtitles. Region-Free. ...

Video
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Joseph Cedar's Beaufort arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Trinity Home Entertainment.

This is a pretty wild high-definition transfer. First of all, Beaufort is not presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1 but in 1.85:1. Interestingly enough, this does not appear to be a straightforward PAN/SCAN job. Rather, there is more information on the top and bott...

Audio
There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: Hebrew DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Hebrew DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. For the record, Trinity Home Entertainment have provided optional English subtitles for the main feature.

The Hebrew DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 isn't overly convincing. I expected a rich and dynamically potent audio track that adds a great deal of depth to Yishai Adar's incredibly strong ambient music score. Unfortunately, the Hebrew DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 only occasional...

Supplements
Note: All of the supplemental features are in 720p. Therefore, they are perfectly playable on North American Blu-ray players and TV sets.

Trailers - a long (3 min) and short (2 min) theatrical trailers. In Hebrew, with imposed English subtitles. (720p).

Deleted Scenes - a gallery of deleted scenes. In Hebrew, with imposed English subtitles. (17 min).

Making of Documentary - a standard featurette offering an abund...

Final Words
I liked Joseph Cedar's Beaufort a lot. I think that it is as good as Amos Gitai's Kippur. Trinity's presentation of the film, however, is questionable, and I cannot urge you to consider an upgrade. Now, if you don't yet have the film in your library, then it is a lot easier for me to recommend this Blu-ray disc to you. In any event, see Beaufort if you can. It is a terrific film!......

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XIII: The Conspiracy (Blu-ray Review)

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 03:00:55 -0500
Imagine The Bourne Identity without all of the cool stuff.

XIII: The Conspiracy is an unapologetic knock-off of the Bourne film series, which seems fitting when you consider its history. Originally conceived as a European comic strip dating back to 1984, XIII borrowed heavily from the themes laid out in Robert Ludlums 1980 spy-thriller The Bourne Identity. For any of you video game fans out there, the comic series was also adapted into a stylistic first-person shooter for the Playstation 2 and Xbox, allowing players to step into the...

Video
Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 15Mbps), XIII: The Conspiracy offers a presentation that remains entirely average. The unremarkable level of fine object detail is the main culprit behind my lack of enthusiasm, displaying varying degrees of clarity from shot to shot. Part of the problem could be related to the low-budget production values (allowing out of focus shots to make the final cut), but given the wild swings in the bitrate meter, Im willing t...

Audio
Despite including a lossy 5.1 mix, the audio presentation rarely incorporates a shred of surround use. XIII: The Conspiracy isnt an action heavy film, so the main elements in the mix are restricted to dialog and the musical score. Beginning with the dialog, every spoken line is appropriately clear and distinct, with volume levels that never drop below ideal levels. Even during moments when the actors whisper into cell phones or speak with extremely low vocal tones, the volume of the m...

Supplements
Interviews (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 32:55 min): Stephen Dorff and Val Kilmer are interviewed separately regarding such topics as their acting career, the experience of working on XIII: The Conspiracy, and themes from the film. Ive always been a fan of both actors, but the superficial questions rarely allow them adequate opportunity to speak candidly.

Behind-the-Scenes (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 34:16 min): Separated into three sections, this supplement begins with on-set footage ...

Final Words
XIII: The Conspiracy is a plodding retread down a well-worn path. Clocking in at almost three hours in length, Id hoped the series would offer enough twists and turns to hold my attention from start to finish. Sadly, the major revelations are all in place within the first hour of the story, and the overall nature of the conspiracy is as far-fetched as pigs flying. With the exception of a minor surprise at the end (setting up a sequel), the series offers little entertainment value, a......

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I Hate Valentine's Day (Blu-ray Review)

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 02:43:24 -0500
Easy to hate. The film, I mean, not Valentines Day.

If theres one thing thats worse than a bad romantic comedy, its a bad seasonal rom-com, the kind that gets trundled out perennially around Christmas and Valentines Day along with all the chocolates, greeting cards, and other mawkish accoutrements of supposed holiday cheer that get foisted upon us by industries exploiting our most tender feelings. No, Im not some stonyhearted, emotionally constipated cynic sneering at lovers passing by with their hands entwined; I just happe...

Video
When you think romantic comedy and cinematography, you probably imagine overly bright, slightly unnatural lightingthe better to see our stars faces withand a bold, bubbly color palette. Well, add your conception of low budget to that combo, and you have I Hate Valentines Days visual aesthetic, which tries to emulate the look of more expensive rom-coms, but has a distinctly made for TV appearance. That said, this 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer makes the most of the film...

Audio
I have no idea what kind of overlap exists between hardcore audiophiles and people who will like this filmI imagine its an ultra-small demographicbut Im sure that there are a handful of people out there who are severely disappointed that I Hate Valentines Day arrives on Blu-ray without a lossless audio track. To be fair, though, the films Dolby Digital 5.1 surround mix isnt bad, especially considering the fact that this is a low-budget romantic comedy, a genre that isnt ex...

Supplements
Commentary by Nia Vardalos and Producers Jason Shuman and William Sherak
Though I have a hard time recommending anyone watch the film again, Vardalos and her producers deliver a brisk, cheerful track thats actually fairly interesting when they discuss the practical ins and outs of obtaining funding for an independent rom-com. Its certainly not essential listening, but if you do enjoy the film, youll probably enjoy hearing Vardalos talk about it.

Trailer (10...

Final Words
Valentines Day has come and gone, and I Hate Valentines Day will likely find its way to the bargain bins and dusty back shelves of rental chains and retail stores nationwide. The only reason to rescue a copy from the films imminent obscurity is if youre a long-time Nia Vardalos fan who collects everything the Grecian comedienne puts out, whether its good or not. Otherwise, steer clear.......

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Motherhood (Blu-ray Review)

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 02:30:54 -0500
Someone should market this film as birth control.

Hollywoods depiction of family life rarely mirrors the real-world trappings of raising children. Mothers and fathers that populate the television world are often portrayed as happy individuals sitting around the breakfast table with obedient children nibbling on a bowl of cereal. After whisking the youngsters off to school, the parents proceed with their daily occupations that typically lack constant disturbances by their precious children. At the end of the day, dad pulls into the driveway,...

Video
Presented in 1080i utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 23Mbps), Motherhood offers an extremely soft visual presentation from start to finish. In fact, the dismal lack of fine object detail had me wondering if this was merely a repurposed standard definition transfer, passed off as a high-definition product. Paying close attention to facial textures, youll struggle to find a single crevice, blemish, or mark, as if every subtle miscue had been air-brushed into oblivion. Th...

Audio
Further diminishing the merits of the technical presentation on the disc, the primary lossless audio track is uninspired from right from the get-go. I never detected a single element hit the rear sound stage, leaving the front speakers burdened with the entire load. This isnt entirely problematic since the majority of the audio experience consists of dialog and music, but I found it strange that the track never kicked things up a notch. Two particular scenes make use of loud music (one with ...

Supplements
Interviews (1080i, Dolby Digital 2.0, 15:27 min): Consisting of interview clips with Uma Thurman, Minnie Driver, Anthony Edwards, and writer/director Katherine Dieckmann, this supplement focuses on the relationships between characters in the film, the flawed attributes of each role, and general life lessons. Out of the various discussions, I found Uma Thurmans take on real-life motherhood the most interesting.

Rounding out the extras, we have a high-definition trailer for Motherhood<...

Final Words
Motherhood is definitely not the title I would have picked for this film. Perhaps Mid-Life Crisis or Mental Breakdown would have been more appropriate, but any connection with the real-life trials and tribulations of a motherly role seem absent from this production. You cant fault Katherine Dieckmann for setting out to make a film with lasting appeal for the mothers in the audience, but somewhere in the creative process she lost track of her original focus. Taking into account the......

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Equator: Reef of Riches (Blu-ray Review)

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 23:59:06 -0500
The Equator series offers an unprecedented view of underwater life.

Reef of Riches is the fourth release from the "Equator" documentary series that originally aired on Animal Planet and Discovery HD. Each 52-minute episode focuses on a different region of the equatorial line, introducing viewers to various ecosystems that support an abundant variety of life....

Video
It should be noted that the outer case incorrectly labels this disc as 1080P FULL HD.

Presented in 1080i utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 22Mbps), Reef of Riches offers a decent visual presentation of colorful underwater life. Viewing the intricate polyps on the surface of various coral structures, you'll notice extremely fine textures that rarely fade out of focus. The trained eye of the underwater camera crew captures exquisite views of the ecosystem in and aro...

Audio
The two audio offerings on the disc are both presented in English, but one is a Dolby Digital 5.1 track and the other is a LPCM 2.0 track. If thered been a degree of surround use out of my rear speakers, Id have stuck with the 5.1 mix, but after several minutes of dismal surround activity, I reached the conclusion that the track is planted firmly in the front sound field (with the rare exception of several musical numbers). Once I switched to the LPCM track, I was much happier with the clarity...

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

Final Words
As stated earlier in the review, this entry in the Equator television series is my second favorite episode thus far. Combining beautiful photography, intriguing narration, and excellent variety, the show rarely skips a beat in delivering an educationally entertaining experience (the three Es). However, despite a positive assessment I still can't bring myself to recommend the purchase of a single, hour-long episode at a MSRP of $24.99. If Razor Digital eventually releases a boxed set with a ......

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Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant (Blu-ray Review)

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 19:33:31 -0500
Be careful. Blink during this flop and you'll miss forty-pages of exposition...

When the Harry Potter series is finally laid to rest, I'll be a happy, happy man. Don't get me wrong, my affection for the wily wizard and his crafty classmates continues to grow as the franchise matures, but each successive and successful Potter film has unwittingly wreaked cinematic havoc on the fantasy genre. ...

Video
The high point of Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant is most definitely Universal's unyielding 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer; a potent presentation that captures the tone of Shan's original novels more readily than Weitz's convoluted screenplay. J. Michael Muro's palette is exceedingly vibrant (sometimes brimming with cartoonish greens and purples), blacks are deep and moody (often to a fault), and skintones are relatively lifelike and well-saturated. Crush is apparent throughout and...

Audio
The Blu-ray edition of Cirque du Freak also boasts a lively DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. A twisted parade of carnivorous beasties, warring clan-creatures, speeding vampires, and jarring demonstrations of destructive power take full advantage of the LFE channel, lending the mix legitimacy and presence. Rear speaker activity is a tad manufactured -- effects sometimes roll in like a sudden storm -- but the soundfield itself is quite immersive, especially considering the sheer am...

Supplements
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant descends on Blu-ray with a solid supplemental package anchored to a decent Picture-in-Picture track. The disc's special features aren't going to win over anyone who didn't already enjoy the film itself, but I expected much less from a critically panned box office bomb.

U-Control Experience: Limited to thirteen of the film's twenty chapters, this fairly standard Picture-in-Picture track ...

Final Words
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant is yet another hopeful franchise turned box office bomb. With so much effort invested in paving the paths ahead, Weitz neglected to make his first entry capable of standing on its own. Ah well, Universal's Blu-ray release is at least a competent one. With a fit and faithful video transfer, a commanding DTS-HD Master Audio track, and a decent supplemental package, those who do enjoy the film itself will be happy to see it's been treated so well. ......

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Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead (Blu-ray Review)

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 05:17:54 -0500
Don't plan to eat for at least 24 hours after watching this film.

Considering Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead is the first Blu-ray release from Troma Entertainment, I thought Id begin this review with a brief history lesson on the eclectic studio. Originally founded by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz back in 1974, Troma set its sights on the independent art-house style of cinema, acquiring U.S. release rights to over 1,000 films and television productions over the past 36 years. During that period, they also produced a wide variety of low-budg...

Video
Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 13Mbps), Poutrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead sports a high-quality reproduction of original grindhouse-style material. Those looking for a pristine presentation may feel a little underwhelmed, but given the intentional visual style chosen by director Lloyd Kaufman and cinematographer Brendan Flynt, Im convinced this is the best the film could possibly look. Fine object detail remains consistently average from shot ...

Audio
Sadly, the audio presentation left plenty to be desired. Considering this is Tromas first Blu-ray offering, Im willing to forgive the lack of a lossless audio mix. However, despite cutting the studio some slack, it doesnt change the fact that the lossy 2.0 mix is underwhelming in almost every way. Given the outlandish nature of the subject matter, there are plenty of opportunities for the sound design to ratchet up the gore effects on display and provide viewers with an elevated sense of i...

Supplements
Poultry in Motion (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 1:21:58 min): If youre a fan of Troma, this is a must-see supplement, capturing the modern master of exploitation in his element (Lloyd Kaufman). Shot in the background during the filming of each scene, members of the cast and crew add their perceptions of how the shoot is going, and outline troubles they inevitably run into. The primary entertaining aspect of the feature is the ability to witness everyones reaction to the conflicts that arise, and...

Final Words
Just to be clear, Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead is not a film for everyone. In fact, it wont be an appealing production to approximately 99% of the population. However, for the one percent who find gory comedy-fests appealing, this is a must-own addition to your growing Blu-ray collection. From a technical standpoint, the only real weakness on the disc is a disappointing audio presentation, which I hope Troma remedies on their future titles. After wading through a tremendou......

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Women in Trouble (Blu-ray Review)

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 20:31:39 -0500
Boring, amateur, and cliched, Women in Trouble demonstrates how an interesting concept can quickly turn sour.

Combining a recognizable cast with a story that seemed rather intriguing, Women in Trouble had all the makings for breakthrough indie success. After all, given the increasing popularity of director Pedro Almodovars body of work (often centered on strong female characters), it seemed a natural progression to find new directors willing to carry on his legacy. Unfortunately, the one element of Women in Trouble that didnt strike me until it was too late was the realization that the...

Video
Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 23Mbps), Women in Trouble sports a fairly dismal visual presentation. Fine object detail ranks well below the level weve grown accustomed to on Blu-ray, with a large number of shots appearing only slightly better than the quality of an up-scaled DVD. Even in extreme facial close-ups, the texturing on the surface of skin is completely lacking, as if covered by a veil of haze. Colors dont fare much better, incorporati...

Audio
Despite the upgrade to lossless compression, Women in Trouble remains incapable of transcending its low budget roots. Dialogue is the driving force behind the mix, resulting in shallow use of the rear sound stage, and planting the majority of the audio spectrum within the confines of the front channels. Given the nature of the film this wouldnt be a major problem, but inconsistent volume levels coupled with muddled line delivery present further problems. Listening to the women deliver...

Supplements
Behind the Scenes with Holly Rocket and Elektra Luxx (1080p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 1:48 min): This brief comedy routine is intended as a promo for the film.

Pool Teaser Trailer (720p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 1:06 min): The main actresses from the film appear in a sexy promo wearing lingerie.

Pool Teaser Trailer (720p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 1:06 min): The main actresses from the film appear in a sexy promo wearing lingerie.

Deleted Scenes (1080i, Dolby Digital 2.0): One segment of the f...

Final Words
Women in Trouble is an exercise in patience that I find impossible to recommend. All of the pieces are in place for an enticing slice of female empowerment, but the sloppy script and amateur production values quickly suck the life out of the interesting setup. From what Ive heard, Gutierrez intends to make a second and third film in the series, but unless hes able to hit the notes that make Almodovar (Volver) such a talented director, Id suggest he go back to writing mindless scripts......

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The Founding of a Republic (Jian guo da ye) (Blu-ray Review)

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 16:31:46 -0500

Han Sanping and Huang Jianxin's "The Founding of a Republic" (2009) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Hong Kong-based distributor MegaStar. The film boasts an impressive cast, but the presence of Jet Li, Andy Lau, Tony Leung Ka Fai, Zhang Ziyi, Jackie Chan, Stephen Chow, Lai Leon and Li Bin in it is more symbolic than it is significant. With optional Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese and English subtitles. Region-Free. ...

Video
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.30:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Han Sanping and Huang Jianxin's The Founding of a Republic arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Hong Kong-based distributor MegaStar.

The high-definition transfer is very strong. Fine object detail is excellent, clarity pleasing and contrast levels consistent throughout the entire film. The color-scheme is also very convincing - reds, yellows, blues, greens, browns, blacks and whites look r...

Audio
There are four audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: Mandarin Dolby TrueHD 7.1, Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, Mandarin Dolby Digital 5.1 and Cantonese Dolby Digital 5.1. MegaStar has provided optional Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese and English subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

As expected, the audio treatment is as impressive as the video treatment. The Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track has a very strong dynamic amplitu...

Supplements
Blu-ray:

Trailer - the original theatrical trailer for the film. In Mandarin, not subtitled. (4 min, 1080p).

Behind the Scenes - a standard featurette offering an abundance of raw footage from the shooting of the film. In Mandarin, not subtitled in English. (36 min, 480/60i).

MV - a music video with footage from the film. Unfortunately, I am unable to provide the performer's name. (5 min, 1080p).

...

Final Words
Han Sanping and Huang Jianxin's The Founding of a Republic is a lavish piece of red propaganda that I had a difficult time enduring. While the intentions behind it might have been noble, I doubt the favorable depiction of Mao's actions throughout the film would resonate well with anyone outside of the People's Republic of China. On the other hand, the Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of Hong Kong-based MegaStar, looks and sounds terrific. The best I could do is cautiously recommend ......

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Rossini: Il Turco in Italia (Live from the Teatro Carlo Felice Di Genova) (Blu-ray Review)

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 13:54:56 -0500
One of Rossini's lesser known works gets a splendid Genovese production on this great new Blu-ray.

Gioachino Rossini would probably not make anyones list for most forward thinking composer. Despite having a rather impressive oeuvre covering a variety of genres, Rossini is still best remembered for The Barber of Seville and, especially for middle aged men who grew up in the era of televisions The Lone Ranger, William Tell, from whose Overture that long running series culled its famous opening theme. Even the liner notes for this new release of one of Rossinis ...

Video
As you will see from the screen captures included with this review, this production of Il Turco in Italia arrives with a scintillating AVC encoded 1080i 1.78:1 image. This is one of the more wonderfully colorful productions ArtHaus Musik has released in the Blu-ray era, and for the most part things resolve splendidly here. We're greeted by a lot of hues at the red and blue end of things, especially the Turk's gorgeous purple outfit. Long stretches of the opera play out against a wonder...

Audio
This may in fact not be Rossinis most memorable or innovative score, but it receives a splendid performance and recording on this Blu-ray, with an exemplary DTS HD-MA 7.1 track that is clear as a bell and offers really superb fidelity and dynamic range. This recording also makes the most of the frankly deliciously outré continuo which accompanies some of the recitatives. The harpsichordist in these moments is having a ball, going for broke with a lot of keyboard effects which are at once funn...

Supplements
The BD itself only contains trailers for other ArtHaus Musik releases. The insert booklet contains a couple of nice, linked essays providing historical context, as well as a synopsis....

Final Words
Rossini is often seen as a second tier composer, and I guess Il Turco in Italia won't change that perception, at least from a musical perspective. But there really is a lot going on here and this production is full of a certain joie de vivre that makes even the middling score seem more ebullient than it perhaps really is. If you haven't ever seen Il Turco, this is a delightful production, full of color and pageantry. If you have seen the opera previously, you're still sur......

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Dead Snow (Død snø) (Blu-ray Review)

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 13:22:40 -0500
Frozen ground, yes. New ground? No.

Whats with the spate of Nazi zombies all of the sudden? Recent videogame Call of Duty: World at War includes a multiplayer mode dedicated to mowing down waves of Third Reich revenants. In 2008, low-budget British chiller Outpost found a band of mercenaries infiltrating a bunker teeming with the SS undead. And now, we have Dead Snow, a Norwegian splatterfest about a battalion of resurrected, swastika-emblazoned soldiers terrorizing a group of vacationing med-school...

Video
Shot natively on high-definition video, Dead Snow makes the transition to this 1.85:1- framed, 1080p/AVC encode quite easily, with an image thats crisp and low on digital noise. At times the image is strikingly sharp, especially when it comes to rendering facial texturesee the rivulets of blood that fill pores and wrinklesand clothing detail, like the fine weft of a tightly woven ski cap. Color-wise, as youll notice from most of the screenshots, the film has a distinctly desatu...

Audio
Dead Snow drifts onto Blu-ray with a Norwegian-language DTS-HD Master Audio 5. 1 track that isnt the best sonic spookfest Ive heard in a horror film, but certainly doesnt disappoint. The surround channels are effectively used throughout for moaning zombies circling the cabin, the snowmobile tearing across the soundstage, and plenty of splatterific effects. Most impressively, though, is how the film captures that creepy ambient hush of a snowfall, a kind of padded silence, lik...

Supplements
Behind Dead Snow (SD, 18:39)
"Dead Snow is a feel good Nazi zombie horror thing," says director Tommy Wirkolawho looks a bit like a Norwegian Spike Jonzeat the start of this casual and entertaining behind-the- scenes documentary. Basically, what we have here is a ton of on-location footage of the cast and crew filming scenes and generally goofing off. There are quite a few funny moments, so the eighteen minutes fly by quickly. A nice inclusion.

Sp...

Final Words
So now that the Nazi zombie phenomenon hasfor the time beingrun its course, whats next? Maoist werewolves? Feudalist ghosts? Sexy Stalinist witches? Bring it on, indie horror filmmakers. I'm up for anything. Dead Snow may cash in every cliché imaginable, but its a lot of fun, especially if youre jonesing for a heaping serving of gore. Coolly recommended.......

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Cabin Fever (Blu-ray Review)

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 13:07:35 -0500
"Pancakes!"

Following the 2002 release of Cabin Fever I officially ended my practice of guzzling water from the makeshift taps installed within most campsites. In all my prior wilderness outings, I shrugged off the thought of disease or infestation in the water supply, and placed far too much faith in the filtering capabilities of government run facilities. Im not usually the paranoid type, but despite the sensational (fictitious) accounts in the film, I cant help but picture a dead body floating...

Video
Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 17Mbps), Cabin Fever sports an inconsistent transfer, but looks far better than I anticipated. Fine object detail never dips into sub-par territory during well-lit daytime scenes, but the second nightfall descends, were treated to a noticeable drop in clarity. A veil of film grain still saturates the image during the less detailed shots, leaving the impression the haziness is merely a product of the low-budget source ...

Audio
Continuing their trend of delivering a lossless 7.1 audio track on the majority of their catalog titles, Lionsgate delivers an upgrade that certainly isnt worth dying for, but serves up a heaping portion of gore-drenched fun. The proficiency of the audio track never rivals the robust design of an action-oriented production, but if you listen closely to the more subtle effects in the surround mix, youll develop a newfound appreciation for the films attention to detail. Examples include the s...

Supplements
Cabin Fever Family Version (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 1:13 min): introduced by director Eli Roth, this comedic inclusion pokes fun at what the film would be like if it were made accessible to all audiences.

Directors Shorts: Rotten Fruit (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 18:26): Created by Eli Roth and Noah Belson following the release of Cabin Fever, this collection of five crude episodes present fruit in a whole new light. Id hate to see what lengths Roth might turn to if he ever lost ...

Final Words
Cabin Fever is a polarizing film that takes great pleasure in making audiences squirm. My appreciation for the film has slightly diminished over the years, but if youre looking for a gore-drenched horror production that doesnt take itself too seriously, this disc is a worthy addition to your collection. From a technical standpoint, this Blu-ray release offers a reasonable upgrade in every category except the supplemental materials, and incorporates 4 minutes of edited footage to compl......

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Claymore: The Complete Series (Blu-ray Review)

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 23:59:37 -0500
The potential is undeniable, but the final payoff remains lacking.

Produced in 2007, Claymore is a 26-episode anime adaptation of the long-running manga series by Norihiro Yagi. Adapted for the screen by anime studio Madhouse, the series depicts the sequence of events that occur in the first eleven volumes of the manga, and eventually concludes with an element of creative license that strays from the original story. This Blu-ray release marks my initial exposure to the world of Claymore, but given the positive assessments Ive heard over the pas...

Video
Before I move into a discussion of the visual presentation on the disc, Id like bring your attention to the screenshots included with this review. One of the unfortunate side-effects of a 1080i (interlaced) image is a tendency for data lines to reveal themselves in screen captures that include any level of movement. I attempted to generate captures that offer a true representation of the image, but despite my best efforts I was still unable to erase the effect in every shot. If youre concer...

Audio
Mirroring Funimation's DVD release from the past year, The Blu-ray contains the original Japanese language track in Dolby Digital 2.0, while offering a new lossless upgrade for the 5.1 English dubbed track. In a perfect world, I'd hope for a lossless surround option in the native language of the series, but considering the limitations of the original recording, my only disappointment with this effort lies in the decision to stick with a lossy 2.0 track, rather than providing a lossless 2-channel...

Supplements
The three-disc set includes two cast commentary tracks on each disc (episodes 1, 8, 11, 16, 19, and 26), which feature different members of the English voice cast (two actors per episode). If youve heard a commentary track on other Funimation titles, you have a pretty good idea what to expect. For any newcomers, the discussions between each pair focus heavily on the sound design of the show, and the challenges they faced when bringing the characters to life.

Cast Auditions (1080p Dolby...

Final Words
Claymore is the type of series that should fit nicely within my preference for serious-themed anime, but ultimately failed at generating enough entertainment value to offer a recommendation. Given the initial set-up of the series, I expected the plot to take us on an extensive journey, and eventually end with the satisfaction of something profound. Instead, I felt as if Id gone on a stroll to the local butcher shop, asked for their finest steak, and returned home to find a pound of gro......

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Wagner: Die Walkure (Staged by La Fura Dels Baus) (Blu-ray Review)

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 19:52:13 -0500
Wow. That's about all you really need to know about this incredible new 'Ring' cycle.

Admit it: youve probably seen the Ring cycle at least once, possibly even several times. And youve been impressed, overwhelmed, even a little awestruck. But have you ever been really excited? Perhaps youve had that little quickening of your pulse as youve settled into your seat for Das Rheingold, but somewhere into the second or third (or fourth hour) of the first proper opera of the triptych itself, Die Walküre, whatever excitement you may have had, if y...

Video
This Walküre exploits visuals as no other Ring in recent memory, and I'm happy to report that this Unitel Classics C Major release, encoded via AVC with a 1080i 1.78:1 image, supports that visual acuity pretty much perfectly. There are so many incredible moments throughout the four hours of this opera that it seems unfair to single any out, but rest assured that this piece has a full and robust palette, at least in terms of the projections. These can range from a sort of fluoresc...

Audio
Zubin Mehta mentored this production starting several years ago, and as he confesses in the Making of documentary included with Das Rheingold, he's been preparing to conduct the Ring cycle since the early 1950's, and that dedication pays off stunningly in this gorgeous performance, one which has some surprising tempi (as noted above), but which is strong, muscular and both aggressive and lyrical in equal measure. Luckily this Blu-ray's DTS HD-MA 7.1 mix picks it all ...

Supplements
A Making of featurette (HD, 27:16) provides some great interviews with Mehta and the cast and crew. As someone who has performed this role countless times in my musical career, I must extend extra props for the rehearsal pianist being so prominently featured throughout the documentary. There's also an image gallery and a trailer included on the Blu-ray, as well as an essay and synopsis in the insert booklet....

Final Words
Too often the Ring has been seen as something to be endured. It's back as a forceful work of art here, updated for new audiences but with a classical approach that should not offend Wagner purists at all. Wow indeed.......

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The Informant! (Blu-ray Review)

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:51:02 -0500
Smart comedy is so hard to come by...

Who is Mark Whitacre? A bumbling dimwit struggling with a crisis of conscience? A misguided upstart fueled by greed? A lonely loser desperately searching for a sense of purpose? A cunning and manipulative crook clawing his way up the corporate food chain? A simple man scrambling to survive in a world of cutthroats and cheats? A devoted husband and father? Narcissistic family man? Unrepentant opportunist? Slack-jawed monster? Compulsive liar? Scorned everyman? Lost soul? Coward? Cr...

Video
At first glance, Warner's humble 1080p/VC-1 transfer isn't much to look at. But don't ready an angry e-mail just yet. Shot with Red One high definition digital cameras equipped with Double Fog filters (evoking a stodgy yet effective period aesthetic), director/oft-times cinematographer Steven Soderbergh's The Informant! is a celebration of barebones photography, modest colors, natural lighting, and merciless shadows. Like Whitacre, Soderbergh hides each shot behind a veneer of simplici...

Audio
Soderbergh's subtle sound design and, by extension, Warner's less-is-sometimes-more Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround track offers a similarly subdued experience. While dialogue is clean and intelligible, the director occasionally allows streetside ambience and background chatter to overwhelm his characters' conversations. It's all intentional, mind you, and enhances the immersive qualities of the mix, but it also produces a flat, front-heavy soundfield that doesn't take full advantage of the LFE chan...

Supplements
The Informant! snakes its way onto Blu-ray with a small but respectable supplemental package comprised of four amusing deleted scenes (HD, 6 minutes) and an engaging audio commentary with director Steven Soderbergh and writer Scott Burns. The pair share a breezy, affable chat about Kurt Eichenwald's original book, the development of Burns' adaptation, Soderbergh's attraction to the material, the reasons he decided to inject comedy into the story, and the subsequent film's casting, tone, ...

Final Words
As is the case with most comedies, The Informant! will entertain some far more than others. For me, Damon, Soderbergh, and Burns have created an unforgettable farce; one inspired by a truly bizarre true story. For those who know what to expect, Warner's Blu-ray edition can be as rewarding as the film itself. Though its video transfer and TrueHD surround track can be underwhelming, it's all by design, make the disc's thin supplemental package the low point of the release. Even so, Sode......

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Running Man (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 23:59:38 -0500
Bring the pain!

1987 was a busy year for Arnold Schwarzenegger. Given his meteoric rise into the ranks of Hollywoods action elite, he accepted the opportunity to play the leading role in two science fiction films within the same year (Predator and The Running Man). The themes and setting couldnt have been more distant, yet they both garnered widespread acclaim, and helped bolster the former bodybuilders career. Ive always felt Predator is a superior picture to The Running Man ...

Video
Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 28Mbps), The Running Man is a bit of a mixed bag on Blu-ray. On the one hand, the picture offers a noticeable improvement over the prior standard definition release. However, compared with other films from the same era (Red Heat, Big Trouble in Little China), the 1987 production seems a bit underwhelming. Theres a good chance this is a direct result of the soft film style that plagued several action entries of...

Audio
Similar to the visual presentation, the audio offering generates varying levels of proficiency. One minute youll find yourself frowning at the dismal reproduction of a gunshot, and the next youll marvel at the wonderful sense of immersion during the tube slide. As with any raucous action/adventure film, were given plenty of opportunity for creative sound use, and the film rarely passes up the opportunity. In most cases, the end result is as good as we can expect from a mid-80s production,...

Supplements
Lockdown on Main Street (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 24:37 min): This supplement focuses on the governments repression of American society since the 9/11 attacks. The Patriot Act is the primary focus, but the various interviews with civil liberties experts also evaluate the creation of internment camps, the erosion of privacy, and the use of technology to keep a watchful eye on the American public. I can appreciate the subject matter, but it seemed an odd inclusion with an 80s action film....

Final Words
The Running Man may not be the greatest 80s action flick, but its still a relevant entry in the genre and well worth your time. I wish the technical upgrades on this Blu-ray release were a bit more pronounced, but considering the limitations of the source material and the affordable price point at which its being offered, this is a no-brainer addition to the collection of any long-time fan. Head to your closet, grab the first spandex jumpsuit you can find, and run to your favorite re......

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Lady in the Water (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 20:50:54 -0500
Close, but no cigar.

It will be the seeds of change.

Lady in the Water is actually something of a noteworthy film in recent Hollywood history, but not for a particularly good reason. It's the film often credited with the confirmation of the beginning of the long and hard fall from the top of the Hollywood scene for Director M. Night Shyamalan, the Eastern Pennsylvania-based director of the legendary Horror/Thriller The ...

Video
Lady in the Water washes up on Blu-ray with a middling 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer that's dull and drab but seemingly reflective of Shyamalan's intended tone. "Flat" and "listless" are the words of the day, the transfer lacking anything even resembling a sparkle, and the lifeless feel remains with the transfer from start to finish. Colors are hardly vibrant; even brighter shades of red, yellow, and green seen here and there offer no more than a cursory break from the drab tone...

Audio
Lady in the Water splashes onto Blu-ray with only a Dolby Digital 5.1 EX soundtrack; Warner Brothers has not included a lossless or uncompressed option for this high definition release. This is a routine, front-heavy, dullard of a track that offers practically no immersion into the film from a sonic perspective while delivering a slightly harsh listen that gives little more than a perfunctory effort. The track is absent the superior clarity and precision of lossless presentati...

Supplements
Lady in the Water brings with it a few extras of note to this Blu-ray release. 'Lady in the Water:' A Bedtime Story (480p, 5:00) features Director M. Night Shyamalan sharing some insights into the real-life bedtime story he wrote and that inspired the film. Throughout the short piece, he reads selections from it, accompanied by illustrations courtesy of Crash McCreery. Reflections of 'Lady in the Water' (480p, 34:45) makes up the bulk of the supplements; it's ...

Final Words
Imagine if Christopher Nolan (Memento, The Dark Knight) or Quentin Tarantino (Inglourious Basterds, Kill Bill) suddenly released a string of critically-panned and audience-loathed films. Unfortunately, that'......

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Wagner: Tristan und Isolde (Recorded Live at the Bayreuth Festival) (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 19:57:09 -0500
Cruising down the river on a Sunday afternoon. . .with Tristan and Isolde?

Is there a reason an opera so musically sophisticated and harmonically challenging is so incredibly static from a dramatic standpoint? That question has haunted generations of fans of Tristan and Isolde, one of Richard Wagners most controversial pieces, compositionally speaking. Tristan is a work of such daunting musical content that its famous altered French augment sixth chord has become known by the soubriquet the Tristan chord, a mere hint at the iconoclastic vocabu...

Video
Tristan und Isolde arrives from Opus Arte with a very crisp AVC encoded 1080i image with a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. The bright colors of Anna Viebrock's costumes, especially after the first, somewhat muted, act contrast very nicely with the sort of seedy looking backdrops. The wonderfully natty materials of Isolde's dresses are fully on display, as is every strand of her lusciously curly hair in Act I. Black levels are exceptional throughout the piece, but conversely contrast is nicely bal...

Audio
There's simply no better place to hear Wagner than in Bayreuth, and the DTS HD-MA 5.1 mix provided here is one of the best recordings I've experience on operatic Blu-rays from both a performance and recording standpoint. Conductor Peter Schneider, rapidly becoming one of the top Wagner conductors anywhere, leads the often immense orchestral forces of Tristan with ease, never over emoting the score which tends toward the lugubrious and histrionic anyway. Despite a large orchestra, balanc...

Supplements
"Kinder Macht Neues" (27:23) is a sort of fun making of featurette (in HD), that offers some absolutely eye popping colors in and around Bayreuth. There's also an illustrated synopsis and cast gallery. The most innovative "extra" is a PIP (picture in picture) option giving a nice view of Schneider conducting the entire opera. The insert booklet also has the expected essay....

Final Words
Tristan and Isolde is a formidably difficult work, that can't be denied. I personally think directors should help bring an audience to the work, rather than adding to their trials, however well intentioned. This Tristan doesn't go completely overboard (pun intended, considering the boat motif this production utilizes), but it comes too close too much of the time. If Tristan and Isolde can't touch each other, how are they expected to touch us?......

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Who: Kilburn 1977 (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:49:06 -0500
A once-lost concert, now found on Blu-ray.

The one thing that disgusts me about The Who, Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder once opined, is the way they smashed through every door in the uncharted hallway of rock n roll without leaving much more than some debris for the rest of us to lay claim to. And its true. If you look back at the history of rock as a kind of family tree, The Who diverge from the trunk of rhythm and blues and sit at the base of a sizeable limb that branches out in a myriad of twiggy genres. The groups ea...

Video
Considering that this 35mm footage has been lying around in a vault for over thirty years, the concerts 1080i/AVC-encoded transfer looks great, and comes to Blu-ray with a minimum of wear and tear. Aside from the expected smattering of white specks on the print, there are no stains or scratches or tears to be found. Grain is ample and thick, and yes, the image is quite soft at times, but taking its age into account and the fact that the concert was shot under normal stage lights, T...

Audio
Who fans will also be surprised by the fidelity of the concerts audio. Stay away, if you can, from the dull Dolby Digital 5.1 mix, but the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Linear PCM 2.0 tracks are both excellent. I actually found that while the 5.1 mix has the benefit of featuring crowd sounds in the rears, along with some bleeding ambience from the music, I prefer the 2.0 mix, which seems tighter and cleaner, with slightly boosted vocals. That said, either option is a great choice. In both...

Supplements
The Who at the Coliseum 1969 (1080i, 1:12:53)
As if one concert wasnt enough, the disc also includes a show that features the band at the real height of their powers at an opera house in 1969. Unfortunately, as it was filmed on 16mm under pretty terrible lighting conditions, the show isnt nearly as presentable as the Kilburn concertits muddy, dark, and soft throughoutand so Image Entertainment has wisely tucked it away in the bonus features. The DTS-HD Master Audi...

Final Words
If youre a fan of The Who, I cant think of any reason not to own this fantastic release, which gathers together two of the bands live showsspaced almost exactly 8 years apartand presents them in the highest quality possible considering the source material. The long-lost 1977 Kilburn concert is the real allure, though, a buried treasure that aficionados have been seeking for years. Recommended.......

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Metallica: Français pour une nuit (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:41:49 -0500

Update: I have been informed that Metallica: Français pour une nuit can now be purchased directly from Amazon. The Blu-ray disc will also be available for sale in the United Kingdom on March 8.

I think that it is appropriate to begin this review with a small rant. During the last couple of weeks, I received quite a few emails from different people asking that we review Metallica: Français pour une nuit. A few of our readers also wanted to know why this Blu-ray dis...

Video
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080i "live" transfer, Metallica: Français pour une nuit arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Universal Music (in cooperation with Canal+).

This exclusive French Blu-ray release is very, very impressive. In fact, the image quality is so strong, at times it feels like the show was shot in 1080p, not 1080i. Clarity and contrast levels, in particular, are exceptional. During many of the panoramic shots - and t...

Audio
There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and LPCM 2.0. There are optional subtitles only for the supplemental features.

Metallica fans will be thrilled with the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. James' voice sounds incredibly crisp and clear, Kirk's solos are equally sharp, and Robert's playing about as infectious as it could be. Lars - well, he is in a different universe. For a live show, the balance is great. The are no sudden dropouts, lost guitar solo...

Supplements
Note: Please note that all of the supplemental features are in 480/60i. Therefore, they are perfectly playable on all Region-A PS3s and SA.

Interview - an interesting collage of interviews with the members of Metallica, in which they talk about promoting their new album, the joy of touring again, how special it is to perform in a venue as the Arena of Nimes, how they've changed during the years, etc. The questions are asked by a French journalist, in French, and ...

Final Words
Metallica: Français pour une nuit is one hell of a show. The exclusive French Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of Universal Music, looks and sounds great. It is also Region-Free. Absolutely, we wholeheartedly endorse it. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. ......

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Debussy: Pelleas et Melisande (Live Recording from the Zurich Opera House) (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 10:51:44 -0500
This Zurich production of Debussy's only completed work of music theater brings new meaning to the term 'opera for dummies.'

At first blush, there are probably no two more different composers than Richard Wagner and Claude Debussy. A suitable metaphor might be the difference between a sledgehammer and a feather. Wagner can be heavy (both figuratively and literally), an overpowering musical and philosophical presence who seemed to delight in browbeating his audiences into submission. Debussy on the other hand seems more typically Gallic (at least if youre not an American), gently coaxing the listener into shimmerin...

Video
As often happens in the "uniquely" staged (and lit) world of opera, the viewer must separate the source material from a more theoretical discourse of what a Blu-ray high definition presentation "should" look like. As you will clearly see in many of the screen captures included with this review, this production, offered via an AVC encoded 1080i image in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio, is almost exclusively comprised of cool blues, whites and grays. That means if you're looking for eye popping color, it ...

Audio
TDK has provided a very brilliant DTS HD-MA 7.1 track for this production, which wonderfully reproduces the wandering lines of Debussy's score with perfect clarity. Unlike Wagnerian chromaticism, which often is bolstered by forceful brass, Debussy tends to color his scores with shimmering tremolo strings and beautifully crafted ensemble winds, and all of those instruments shine through this recording with a really gorgeous and warm lustre. The orchestral forces spill into the surround channels...

Supplements
No supplements other than the insert booklet essay are included....

Final Words
The liner notes for this production of Pelléas and Mélisande mention that director Bechtolf keeps the audience at arm's length from the characters. Whether that's a wise decision with a piece as inherently remote as this one is to begin with is something I fear a lot of viewers are going to wrestle with if they watch this offering. This is an intellectually interesting but emotionally unsatisfying production, all the more the shame as it contains gorgeous singing and playing.......

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Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 01:31:04 -0500
A step back from 'Green Lantern: First Flight,' a step above 'Superman: Doomsday'...

Long before DC and Marvel began making billions at the worldwide box office, long before graphic novels became a staple of every bookstore, dastardly doppelgängers, evil twins, and villainous heroes from alternate realities were putting Earth's mightiest to the test. Who better to face a near-invincible demigod like Superman than an equally powerful manifestation of his darkest impulses? Who better to challenge a strategist like Batman than a mentally unstable Dark Knight who believes murder a...

Video
Fanboys the world over should be well aware of mainstay producer Bruce Timm's less-is-more animation style. His characters are incredibly expressive, but his lineart is sketchy; his color palette is bold, but his worlds are shallow; his designs emphasize movement over form, but lack texture and dimension. Love it or hate it, Warner has preserved its every nick and splotch with yet another cool and capable 1080p/VC-1-encoded presentation. With gorgeous Superman blues and reds, brilliant Martia...

Audio
For reasons I can't hope to understand, Warner has decided that Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths doesn't deserve the sort of TrueHD mix it afforded Green Lantern: First Flight and Wonder Woman; the sort of lossless monster Lionsgate grants each of its animated Marvel Comics films. Dialogue is crisp and intelligible, but is occasionally a tad hollow. LFE output is decent, but fails to shake the room, even when powers surge, jets roar past, and super-punches find their t...

Supplements
If you pick up the Blu-ray edition of Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, be sure to ignore the slipcover sticker that touts "over four hours of extras." While diehards can certainly spend a sixth of their day digging through everything Warner has crammed onto the disc, only 58-minutes of the "four hour" package is comprised of legitimate special features. The rest? Three "First Look" previews recycled from previous releases, another batch of Bruce Timm-selected "Justice League" epis...

Final Words
Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths isn't the best flick to come out of DC Comics partnership with Warner Bros. Animation, but it certainly isn't the worst. As action-packed and entertaining as it is, I can only imagine how good it all would have been had the sensibilities that dominated its third act seeped into the film's first fifty minutes. Warner's Blu-ray release isn't reliable either. While it boasts a high-quality technical transfer, its standard Dolby Digital audio track is a......

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Phantom (Blu-ray Review)

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 22:55:07 -0500
Crossing paths with a purple-suited rider on a white stallion in the middle of the jungle should be enough to scare just about anyone.

Four years before X-Men touched off the triumphant return of the comic book film adaptation, Lee Falks The Phantom received an unsuccessful introduction to a new generation of comic book fans. Unable to fully recoup the films budget during the theatrical run, Paramount unceremoniously dumped the film onto DVD, where it generated newfound respect among the home theater community. I cant honestly say the film deserves a cult following, but when you accept the vintage of the orig...

Video
Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 21Mbps) The Phantom looks surprisingly good on this high-definition release. Detail remains above average in all but a handful of scenes, revealing fine textures in the fabric of clothing and every individual leaf in the jungle canopy. Close-up shots fair the best, as intricate facial features lend plenty of opportunity for the transfer to truly shine. Lionsgate occasionally falls prey to the use of DNR in films of th...

Audio
Adding to the above average technical presentation, Lionsgate has once again delivered an awe-inspiring lossless 7.1 mix that youll need to hear to fully appreciate. Out of all the studios, Lionsgate ranks at the head of the pack when it comes to delivering value-added audio presentations on their budget catalog titles. In this particular case, the result is much better than I expected, and elevates the on-screen action beyond its campy roots. I dont recall the audio presentation incorporat...

Supplements
The only supplement included on the disc is a standard definition trailer for The Phantom....

Final Words
In the end, The Phantom is only a worthwhile purchase if you have a nostalgic attraction to the film. From day one, Ive been underwhelmed by the outlandish nature of the comic book character, and the cinematic adaptation hasnt done much to reverse that opinion. For those that disagree with my level of enthusiasm for Billy Zane in purple tights, this is a substantial improvement from a technical standpoint, and well-worth the attractively low retail price. ......

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Broken Arrow (Blu-ray Review)

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 18:37:31 -0500
Classic Woo translates into a so-so Blu-ray.

I don't know what's scarier...losing nuclear weapons, or that it happens so often there's actually a term for it.

Hong Kong Action filmmaker extraordinaire John Woo (Face/Off) takes his second spin around the American movie landscape with Broken Arrow, a solid but not exceptional Action/Thriller starring John Travolta (The Taking ...

Video
20th Century Fox sends Broken Arrow onto Blu-ray with a 1080p, MPEG-2 encoded, 2.35:1-framed transfer. A fairly stable image but not at all visually stunning, the picture reflects its drab earth-toned surroundings, delivering little in the way of excess color but providing just enough contrast to allow for a fine film-like image in the context of the picture's bland appearance. Detail is a bit flat throughout; even roughly-textured rock and canyon faces and the harsh terrain of ...

Audio
Broken Arrow zooms onto Blu-ray with a structurally sound but not-quite-perfect DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. No doubt this one rocks the soundstage on more than one occasion and tosses sonic goodness hither, thither, and yon, but it lacks the pinpoint clarity of superior lossless tracks. That's not to say that this soundtrack isn't a particularly fun and wild ride; indeed, Broken Arrow delivers almost everything a listener could hope for in an Action movie ...

Supplements
All that's included is the Broken Arrow theatrical trailer (1080p, 2:28); D-Box functionality; and additional 1080p trailers for Alien vs. Predator, Chain Reaction, Commando, Phone...

Final Words
Broken Arrow makes for a good primer into the world of John Woo, and more importantly, it holds up years after its release as a trusty standby Action movie that never seems to lose much of its luster and makes for one of those good "anytime" movies when mindless entertainment done right fits the mood and satisfies the need to get the adrenaline pumping and give the sound system a decent workout. Packed with gunfire and explosions and a completely linear plot with no subtexts ......

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2012: Two-disc Special Edition (Blu-ray Review)

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 07:37:08 -0500
The end of the world never sounded so good.

The world as we know it will soon come to an end.

Reviewing a Disaster movie necessitates a delicate balancing act, unless a reviewer chooses to simply go all Godzilla on the movie and stomp it into oblivion without attempting to compartmentalize what the movie has and wants to offer versus what other pictures of varied genres and purposes have and want to offer. The Godzilla method would s...

Video
2012 arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p, 2.39:1-framed transfer that's a treat for the eyes but not quite on the same level of excellence as the accompanying lossless soundtrack. Aside from slight visible banding in a few select shots, there's little room for complaint with this one. 2012 boasts incredibly rich and detailed blacks throughout, and the film's many darker scenes look extraordinary as a sense of depth and fine detailing both remain intact. Indeed, fine detail...

Audio
2012 splashes onto Blu-ray with an exquisite DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Suffice it to say, 2012's Blu-ray audio presentation leaves most every other soundtrack in the dust, and there's rarely a dull moment to be heard, not to mention the more intense disaster and destruction scenes that positively rock the listening area to its foundation and leave every speaker in the 5.1 setup begging for mercy. This masterpiece of sound uses the entire stage to wonderful ...

Supplements
Though 2012's packaging states otherwise, this is actually a three-disc set with the feature film and select supplements on disc one, additional supplements and a PSP-only digital copy on a second Blu-ray disc, and a PC/iPod digital copy on disc three. Disc one begins with an audio commentary featuring Writer/Director Roland Emmerich and Co-Writer Harald Kloser. Unfortunately, the track is fairly drab with a monotone delivery from each participant. There's little enthusia...

Final Words
A few years prior to the movie's namesake, audiences are treated to a big but not completely dumb End-of-the-World flick that itself is far from being a disaster, even if anyone who seems hellbent on faulting it for not being the next Gone With the Wind would otherwise have people believe. No, 2012 isn't Gone With the Wind -- nor does it want to be -- but darn it if it isn't big, fun, and even a bit ......

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Broken Embraces (Los abrazos rotos) (Blu-ray Review)

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 02:26:28 -0500

Nominated for the prestigious Palme d'Or award at last year's Cannes Film Festival, Pedro Almodovar's "Los abrazos rotos" a.k.a "Broken Embraces" (2009) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of 20th Century Fox-UK. Amongst the supplemental features on the disc are: the short film "La concejala antropofaga"; a short segment showing Pedro Almodovar directing Matteo Blanco's film, with Penelope Cruz following his instructions; deleted scenes; and more. With imposed English subtitles. Region-B "locked."...

Video
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with VC-1 and granted a 1080p transfer, Pedro Almodovar's Broken Embraces arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of 20th Century Fox-UK.

This is a strong high-definition transfer -- fine object detail is very pleasing, clarity excellent and contrast levels consistent throughout the entire film. What impresses the most, however, is the color-scheme. Blues, greens, yellows, browns, blacks and especially reds look fantastic. While watching ...

Audio
There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English Descriptive Audio 2.0. For the record, the English subtitles are imposed (and therefore can not be turned off). They also split the image frame and the black bar below it.

The Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track boasts some excellent surround effects - a lovely fading guitar solo, a gentle breeze, even Penelope Cruz's irregular breathing while making love to Ernesto in the summer villa add ...

Supplements
La concejala antropofaga - "The Anthropophagous Councilor" is a short film about one of the colorful characters in Broken Embraces. I am not going to describe it for you. Prepare to laugh your socks off! In Spanish, with imposed English subtitles. (8 min).

Deleted Scenes - three deleted scenes. In Spanish, with imposed English subtitles. (4 min).

Directing girls and suitcases - a short segment showing Pedro Almodovar direct...

Final Words
Most of Pedro Almodovar's early films, including All About My Mother and Live Flesh, are already out on Blu-ray in Spain. Let's hope that this is the year when Sony Pictures Classics bring them to Blu-ray in North America. The Viva Pedro boxset the studio released a couple of years ago would be incredible to have on Blu-ray. In the meantime, don't miss Broken Embraces. It looks gorgeous and sounds fantastic. Classic Almodovar! VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. ......

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