PICK OF THE WEEK FOR JUNE 16 – THE SEVENTH SEAL
Bergman! Blu-ray! Bliss!
Yes, it’s another Criterion week! I’m not going to waste your time with another impassioned rant about the quality of their work and why you should be snatching up every single one of their Blu-ray releases. Let’s cut to the chase and talk about Bergman and the Seventh Seal.
I know there are a few of you out there who won’t be able to watch this disc without thinking of Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey. Yeah, that movie ruined The Seventh Seal for a lot of people. If you’re not familiar with either film, they both feature a depiction of “Death” as a man with a white face, black robes and a penchant for board games. Famously, in the case of Ingmar Bergman‘s Seal, chess. Death’s opponent in the game comes in the form of a war-weary knight of the Crusades, played by Max Von Sydow. He struggles to find his way home to his wife through the plague-ravaged land, while wrestling with his beliefs, the meaning of life and a strategy to beat death at his own game.
We outlined the copious bonus features on the Blu-ray disc previously on The Blu-ray Blog. You’ll find a ton of stuff here, all well worth watching. We don’t have a copy to review yet but from what I understand, Criterion’s new high-def transfer is absolutely stunning and not to be missed.
It’s finally here – Ghostbusters is available this week in HD! The disc is loaded with special features, most ported over from the previously available DVD editions. Not bad. The transfer is controversial. I haven’t seen it myself, but the forums are going mad comparing the Blu-ray disc to older DVDs. Some take issue with alterations to colour timing, others the shifting contrast and brightness and even more complaining about a proliferation of grain. At the end of the day, all you need to know is that the Ghostbusters Blu-ray sports a transfer approved by the Director of Photography and that it’s film-accurate, faithfully representing what was up on screen, with all the limitations and shortcomings of 80s filmmaking and special effects work. I, for one, can’t wait to get my hands on the disc!
ALSO AVAILABLE THIS WEEK
Clicking an image will take you to Amazon.com where you can learn more about the Blu-ray:
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