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Any Given Sunday Blu-ray delivers great video and audio in this excellent Blu-ray release
At the 50-yard line of this gridiron cosmos is Al Pacino as Tony D'Amato, the embattled Sharks coach facing a full-on blitz of team strife plus a new, marketing-savvy sharks owner (Cameron Diaz) who's sure Tony is way too old school. An injured quarterback (Dennis Quaid), a flashy, bull-headed backup QB (Jamie Foxx), a slithery team doctor (James Woods) and a running back with an incentive-laden contract (LL Cool J) also provide some of the stories that zigzag like diagrams in a playbook. and throughout, there's the awesome spectacle of motion, sound and action orchestrated by Stone.
For more about Any Given Sunday and the Any Given Sunday Blu-ray release, see Any Given Sunday Blu-ray Review published by Kenneth Brown on September 3, 2014 where this Blu-ray release scored 4.0 out of 5.
Any Given Sunday was previously reviewed in early 2009, when Warner first released the film on Blu-ray. The new 15th Anniversary Edition release doesn't offer much in the way of differences -- the VC-1 video presentation has been recycled, the new DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is virtually identical to its Dolby TrueHD predecessor, and there's only one new special feature (an excellent 30-minute HD retrospective) -- but Oliver Stone's football drama holds up well enough to warrant a recommendation, particularly if the film isn't already sitting on your shelf.
Embattled Sharks coach Tony D'Amato (Al Pacino) faces a full-on blitz of team strife as a new, marketing-savvy owner (Cameron Diaz) becomes convinced that the aging Tony is out of his league. An injured quarterback (Dennis Quaid), a flashy, bull-headed backup QB (Jamie Foxx), a slithery team doctor (James Woods) and a running back with an incentive-laden contract (LL Cool J) provide stories that zigzag like diagrams in a playbook, throughout which director Oliver Stone provides an awesome spectacle of motion, sound and action.
The 15th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray release of Any Given Sunday features the same solid, oftentimes strong 1080p/VC-1 transfer as its 2009 BD counterpart. The film's palette is generally bold and vibrant (contrast inconsistencies be damned), primaries pop, saturation and skintones are satisfying (despite the sun-struck yellows that tint the image), and black levels are reasonably well-resolved. Shadows are natural, bright skies are hot and piercing, and delineation is quite revealing. There are instances of crush to contend with, but nothing too terribly distracting. Detail is mostly impressive but occasionally erratic as well. Stone and cinematographer Salvatore Totino's photography lurches between crisp and soft -- sometimes a bit too crisp, suggesting some overzealous artificial sharpening is at play; sometimes a bit too soft, suggesting a new remaster would have proved beneficial -- but it's difficult to discern just how much a newly minted remaster and encode would have improved matters. Even so, fine textures have generally been preserved without incident, grain is largely intact (minimized to a small degree but not entirely scrubbed away), and edges are nicely defined. Moreover, significant banding, macroblocking and other issues are held at bay. (Intermittent ringing and the aforementioned crush being the only anomalies that creep in on a regular basis.) Bottom line? While I suspect Any Given Sunday could look better, I doubt by very much. Fans of the film will be fairly pleased with the results.
Rather than the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 mix featured on the 2009 Blu-ray, the 15th Anniversary Edition BD includes a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. However, the two lossless experiences are comparable; for all intents and purposes, identical even. Dialogue is clear and believably grounded throughout the film, spreading voices across the entire soundfield to engaging effect. That said, a few muddled lines are overwhelmed by heavier effects, particularly on the field. While some of these prioritization mishaps can be attributed to the filmmakers' sound design and intentions, there are a handful of quieter conversations that mysteriously suffer the same fate. Likewise, low-end extension is strong and aggressive during livelier scenes and heated character exchanges, but tends to drop out of contention during less intense scenes. The rear speakers follow suit, providing convincing acoustics and busy environmental ambience one moment and little to no support the next. The somewhat uneven results produce a less reliable experience, yes, but, to its credit, the raw experience is too enveloping and energizing to cry over spilled milk. Directionality is precise, pans are smooth, tackles and shouts are weighty and resonant, and a variety of standout scenes showcase the track's power and muscle. It may not deliver the most engrossing sonics from start to finish, but it handles the film's best and worst without falling by the wayside.
Director's Commentary: Oliver Stone has a reputation for delivering some of the most interesting and informative audio commentaries on the market, and this one's no different. Thorough, detailed and engaging, Stone dissects the film scene by scene, discusses the many hurdles that had to be overcome, and talks extensively about the script, his cast and their performances, and the ways in which Any Given Sundayfits into his canon.
Actor's Commentary: Jamie Foxx touches on his character and performance, his experience with Stone and the veterans in the cast, and his take on the film's style and reception. It's a bit dry, especially compared to Stone's first-class director's commentary, but diehards will find enough amusing anecdotes and actor's-eye-view insights to go around.
NEW - Any Given Sunday: Anything Can Happen (HD, 30 minutes): This newly produced retrospective documentary features Stone, NFL stars Marshall Faulk and Willie McGinest, 49ers coach Steve Mariucci, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and author Anthony L. Gargano look back at the movie, touching on its authenticity, themes and storylines, its relationship to the realities of the modern NFL, and the reasons many players, coaches and insiders consider it their favorite football film.
Full Contact: The Making of Any Given Sunday (SD, 27 minutes): Though a bit heavy on promotional fluff and film clips, this HBO-produced documentary still offers a nice collection of cast and crew interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and further details from Stone.
Deleted and Extended Scenes (SD, 33 minutes): In addition to the scenes that were reincorporated into the Director's Cut of the film, Any Given Sunday also includes fourteen deleted and extended scenes. Each scene is also paired with optional commentary bits with Oliver Stone.
Music Videos (SD, 7 minutes): A bland trio of music videos for LL Cool J's Shut Em Down and Jamie Foxx's My Name is Willie and Any Given Sunday.
Audition & Screen Tests (SD, 7 minutes): Also included is a Jamie Foxx audition tape and two screen tests.
Gag Reel (SD, 4 minutes): A collection of rather standard flubs and improvisational moments that don't earn any serious laughs.
Football and Landscape Outtakes (SD, 12 minutes): A sampling of second-unit footage, establishing shots, and on-field plays that didn't make the final cut of the film.
Instant Replay (HD, 15 minutes): A glorified scene selector that leads to the film's on-field sequences.
Production Stills and Advertising Gallery: Two galleries are available that house more than 140 photos, images, and marketing pieces.
Any Given Sunday is considered by many to be one of the best and most authentic football films on the market, and I can't disagree. More than a sports drama, Oliver Stone's 100-yard epic is entrenched in professional football; the business, the money, the egos, the talent, the competition, the injuries, the corruption, the victories, the losses, the rookies, the legends and the forgotten. As stylized and hyper-real as it often seems, football movies don't get much more revealing or true-to-life than this. Warner's 15th Anniversary Blu-ray, though, is a bit of a mixed bag. While its video presentation is as strong as it was in 2009, a newly minted remaster could have reaped extra rewards. While it offers a new DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, it's virtually identical to its predecessor's Dolby TrueHD mix. And while it offers a generous selection of extras, there's only one new bonus feature (an excellent 30-minute HD retrospective). Without much of an upgrade on tap, fans may just want to hang onto the disc they already have. Everyone else should skip right past the 2009 edition and pick up its 2014 replacement.
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Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has detailed the 15th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray release of Oliver Stone's Any Given Sunday, which includes new supplemental content. The sports drama stars Al Pacino, Jamie Foxx, Dennis Quaid, James Woods, Cameron Diaz, LL Cool ...
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