It’s been a hectic couple of weeks. I’m putting a new project together while juggling screenings and the good old day job. It’s kept me from updating for a bit. Sorry about that. Thankfully, there haven’t been too many great new Blu-ray discs hitting the shelves. So, we haven’t missed out on much. Without further ado, here are my Top Picks for the last couple of weeks.

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APRIL 3

Blu-ray disc of the week: CHINATOWN

THE FILM:

“In a legendary performance, three-time Academy Award winner Jack Nicholson stars as private eye Jake Gittes. Hired by a mysterious woman to investigate Hollis Mulwray, the chief engineer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Gittes’ sleuthing brings him into contact with Mulwray’s wife (Academy Award® winner Faye Dunaway), a stunning socialite with secrets of her own. As a determined Gittes delves deeper he soon realizes that even the City of Angels has a dark side. Director Roman Polanski’s Chinatown has evolved from an atmospheric film noir mystery into a modern day classic, with Robert Towne’s Academy Award-winning script unforgettably and brilliantly capturing a lost era of deceit, corruption and treachery.“

WHO SHOULD BUY: If you don’t own a copy of Chinatown already, we’re probably not friends (Kidding!) But seriously, this is a great opportunity to discover a true cinema classic if you haven’t seen the film, or a great opportunity to add it to your collection if you’re already familiar with Chinatown but have neglected to purchase a DVD copy over the years. The upgrade question is a little tougher, though, as the quality of the Blu-ray does not ascend to the heavenly heights the content deserves (more on that below.) It’s certainly a step up from DVD but cinephiles who thrive on classic movies looking like film when transfered to Blu might want to hold out for a couple of years to see if Paramount decides to afford this jewel in their crown a worthy image harvest in honour of its 40th Anniversary.

THE BLU-RAY DISC: This is a very strong upgrade from the image we’ve seen on previously released DVD editions of Chinatown. It’s vivid and bold with a ton of detail. My only real issue with it is that it doesn’t look as film-like as it should. It’s glossier than it should be with a grain structure that appears muddied and subdued. Considering the status of this legendary film in Paramount’s pantheon of classics, it’s a crying shame that the studio didn’t invest in a new 4K image harvest to preserve the elements and afford us a better looking transfer. Audio is available in a newfangled Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track and a restored version of the original mono, also presented in lossless TrueHD.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

• Commentary with Robert Towne and David Fincher— Towne and Fincher offer unique insights into this classic film. No matter how many times you’ve watched Chinatown, this commentary will open your eyes to a whole new experience.
• Water and Power (HD)— In this three-part documentary, Robert Towne visits sites along the original Los Angeles Aqueduct for the first time. He is informed of the social and environmental impacts and given insight into the major issues around the creation and ongoing operation of the aqueduct.
  • The Aqueduct (HD)— The City of Los Angeles completed the 233-mile gravity-fed aqueduct from the Owens Valley in 1913, under the leadership of a self-taught engineer named William Mulholland. L.A. Department of Water and Power representatives along with Catherine Mulholland, granddaughter of the engineer, discuss the development of the aqueduct and its contribution to the growth of the nation’s second-largest city.
  • The Aftermath (HD)— For decades a large rural community was desiccated under the management of water rights by the City of Los Angeles over a vast area of the Owens Valley. Legal victories beginning in the 1970’s lead to successful reductions in environmental damages and the restoration of some natural habitats. Historians, local ranchers and activists discuss the up-to-date impacts of the aqueduct and struggle to maintain a stable environment and community.
  • The River & Beyond (HD)— Prior to the building of the first aqueduct a century ago Los Angeles relied solely on its own local water supply: the Los Angeles River and its aquifer. Today the river as a water resource is largely forgotten. Currently there are plans to re-develop the river to reduce L.A.’s dependence on imported water, reducing the environmental impact on distant communities, while creating parks and open spaces for the city.
• Chinatown: An Appreciation— Chinatown has been hailed as a perfect film.
  Robert Towne’s cynical labyrinth of secrets and sin, Roman Polanski at the top of his form, Jack Nicholson in all his glory, Faye Dunaway at her sexiest and most mysterious, John Huston as one of the creepiest and most unrepentant villains of all time, the great cinematography, the wonderful score, the bandage on the nose…

  In this featurette, prominent filmmakers express their personal admiration for the film:

  • Steven Soderbergh – Director – Traffic
  • James Newton Howard – Composer – The Dark Knight
  • Kimberly Peirce – Writer/Director – Boys Don’t Cry
  • Roger Deakins – Cinematographer – No Country For Old Men
• Chinatown: The Beginning and the End
• Chinatown: Filming
• Chinatown: The Legacy
• Theatrical Trailer (HD)

AMAZON: $18.99

WAR HORSE

“From legendary director Steven Spielberg comes the epic adventure War Horse, a tale of incredible loyalty, hope, and tenacity. Based on the Tony Award-winning Broadway play, and set against the sweeping canvas of World War I, this deeply heartfelt story begins with the remarkable friendship between a horse named Joey and his young trainer Albert. When they’re forced apart by war, we follow Joey’s extraordinary journey as he changes and inspires the lives of everyone he meets. Filled with spectacularly rich visuals — and complete with never-before-seen bonus features — War Horse is a “Genuine movie masterpiece,” (Rex Reed, The New York Observer) and one of the most powerful and moving stories of friendship ever told.“

WHO SHOULD BUY: War Horse sure is a sappy Spielberg film. Devout fans of the filmmaker will no doubt enjoy the skill with which he’s assembled this over-long WWII tale and horse freaks will probably be in heaven. The rest of you will wish he’d found a way to chop a good hour out of this colourful throwback. The war-time action is extremely well realized and the photography and music are to die for but the characters feel less like real people and more like emotional triggers slotted into the appropriate places in the narrative. Borrow a copy to casually check out how great it looks and sounds. Buy, if you’re a Spielberg or horse nut.

THE BLU-RAY DISC: This is demo quality material through and through. Outside of some relatively soft images (which, I’m certain, is a deliberate choice meant to echo an older Technicolor style of shooting) this a detailed and very colourful transfer that really shows off your home theatre screen. Audio is presented in a reference quality DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track that’ll bring your house down, if you don’t mind your levels. Dialogue is clear, John Williams incredible soundtrack is dynamic and vivacious and the atmospheric effects in the sound field will have you believing you’re right out there on the front line with the troops. The 4-disc combo pack I was able to review packs a couple of featurettes onto the first disc, 4 docs and featurettes totalling nearly 90-minutes on the second, a DVD of the feature and a digital copy.

AMAZON: $24.99

WE BOUGHT A ZOO

“Oscar Winner Matt Damon gives a heartfelt performance in this “delightful surprise” (Lou Lumenick, New York Post) that’s based on a true story. When his teenage son gets into trouble, Benjamin Mee (Damon) gives up a lucrative newspaper job to move his family to the most unlikely of places: a zoo! With help from an eclectic staff, and with many misadventures along the way, Benjamin embarks on a fresh beginning to restore the dilapidated zoo to its former glory, while uniting his family. From the director of “Jerry Maguire”, “We Bought a Zoo” is a “wonderful, warm and witty” (Bill Bregoli, CBS Radio News) celebration of the human spirit.“

I didn’t see We Bought A Zoo but I haven’t heard a lot of kind words about it. Then again, it’s a Cameron Crowe film so, you know, I’ll gladly give it a shot on a quiet week like this one.

AMAZON: $22.99

APRIL 10

A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE

““A Streeetcar Named Desire: The Original Director’s Version” is the Elia Kazan/Tennessee Williams film moviegoers would have seen had not Legion of Decency censorship occurred at the last minute. It features three minutes of previously unseen footage underscoring, among other things, the sexual tension between Blanche DuBois (Vivien Leigh) and Stanley Kowalski (Marlon Brando), and Stella Kowalski’s (Kim Hunter) passion for husband Stanley. Catch all of the classic – nominated for 12 Academy Awards(R) including Best Picture and winner of 4 – that introduced a new era of filmmaking. Step aboard this “Streetcar”.“

WHO SHOULD BUY: Any and every film fan who doesn’t already own a copy of A Streetcar Named Desire should probably grab up this digibook-packaged Blu-ray release. The film is a classic, with Brando at his best. Tennessee Williams’ screenplay, based upon his stage-play of the same name, is beyond reproach, as is the timeless filmmaking of director Elia Kazan. Harry Stradling‘s photography is nothing short of stunning in stark black and white, complimented by Alex North‘s sweaty, jazzy score. There really isn’t a sour note in the production. You need this.

THE BLU-RAY DISC: But maybe you don’t need it now. I’m sad to say that this looks like an older HD transfer. Warner has been delivering some stunning HD presentations lately, and while this is the best Streetcar has ever looked, the transfer is inconsistant, appearing unusually soft in parts and sporting a strangely window-boxed main title sequence. That said, I found it a mostly enjoyable Blu-ray viewing experience and I doubt that many but the most critical will find issue with the disc. Purists will be overjoyed with the surprisingly robust DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track. It can’t compete with modern soundtracks but it sounds great for this vintage.

Extras are carried over from the previously available DVD edition of the film and include an exceptional commentary track from star Karl Malden and historians Rudy Behlmer and Jeff Young as well as screen tests, outtakes, trailers, a ton of featurettes and a feature length doc on director Kazan.

READ MORE: A Streetcar Named Desire: 60th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray announced

AMAZON: $23.99

THE IRON LADY

“The most celebrated actress of our time stars as the most powerful woman of her time. Oscar(R)-winner Meryl Streep, the most nominated performer in Academy Award(R) history, delivers the definitive portrayal of Margaret Thatcher, the enigmatic, highly controversial figure who became the first and only female Prime Minister of England. Much more than a biographical epic, “The Iron Lady” is also the surprisingly intimate journey of a “common” grocer’s daughter whose social ambition and steel will – along with the love of her husband and confidant, Denis (Academy Award(R) winner Jim Broadbent) – propelled her to unprecedented power in a world dominated by men.“

I didn’t see The Iron Lady. I’m sticking it here on the list as it’s a fairly substantial release with an Oscar winning performance on a really, really slow week. I’ll be honest and tell you that I have no desire to see the film but am impressed with what I’ve seen of Streep’s take on Margaret Thatcher.

AMAZON: $19.99

A TRIP TO THE MOON

“No original hand-colored copies of A Trip to the Moon (Le Voyage dans la Lune – 1902), by Georges Méliès, had been known to survive until one was miraculously found in Spain in the mid-1990s, but in a fragmentary condition thought too fragile to handle for either viewing or restoration. In 2010, three experts in worldwide film restoration – Lobster Films, and two non-profit entities, Groupama Gan Foundation for Cinema and Technicolor Foundation for Cinema Heritage – launched one of the most complex and ambitious film restoration projects ever to bring an original, colored version of Méliès masterpiece back 110 years after its first release. Using the most advanced digital technologies now available, the team reassembled and restored the fragments of the 13,375 frames. The two foundations, which carried out specifically the music part of this project, decided to approach AIR s Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoit Dunckel, to compose an original modern soundtrack to accompany this cinematic milestone. Packaged in a limited-edition, SteelBookTM case, this publication also features The Extraordinary Voyage, a fascinating new documentary, directed by Serge Bromberg and Eric Lange, which chronicles the journey of A Trip to the Moon from the fantastical Méliès production in 1902, to the astonishing rediscovery of a nitrate print in color in 1993, to the premiere of the new restoration on the opening night of the Cannes Film Festival in 2011. The documentary includes interviews with contemporary filmmakers, including Costa Gavras, Michel Gondry, Michel Hazanavicius, and Jean-Pierre Jeunet on Méliès enduring significance to cinema.“

This release looks amazing. It’s near the top of my list of Blu-ray discs to order.

READ MORE: Georges Méliès’ A Trip to the Moon on Steelbook Blu-ray

AMAZON: $35.99

THE TERRORISTS

“Sean Connery delivers a compelling performance as Nils Tahlvik, the tough-as-nails security chief of a wealthy Scandinavian country. Tahlvik faces his ultimate challenge when a ruthless group of terrorists take the British Ambassador hostage and hijack a passenger jet. Tahlvik’s government orders him to cooperate fully – but he’s not about to give in! This riveting action film is a thrilling adventure from beginning to end.“

WHO SHOULD BUY: The Terrorists is not a good movie by any stretch of the imagination. It feels like a made-for-TV affair through and through, from the ham-fisted dialogue to the bland over-all style of the piece. It’s kind of shocking that such a muscular talent pool would deliver such a tepid piece of entertainment but it proves that it doesn’t matter how good a crew is (cinematography by the great Sven Nykvist, music by the amazing Jerry Goldsmith!!) when the captain of the ship is lost. And I have a feeling that writer Paul Wheeler and director Caspar Wrede (both of whom appearing to have racked up more TV credits than feature film) didn’t really have a grasp on how to make this material exciting. Even Sean Connery appears to be sleepwalking through this film. That should tell you all you need to know. As tough as it is to make it to the end of the film, however, the story does pay off. It’s a solid yet simple plot that could’ve used some stronger scenes to bring it life.

THE BLU-RAY DISC: The Terrorists looks and sounds better than it deserves on this Anchor Bay Blu-ray. There’s nothing fancy about the HD transfer here but the aged, grainy presentation looks like film, without any digital affectation. Audio is presented in Dolby TrueHD 5.1. There are no special features.

AMAZON: $13.99

THE BOY IN BLUE

“In this entertaining turn-of-the-century drama based on a real-life story, Nicolas Cage stars as Ned Hanlan, a juvenile delinquent who rises to become a world-class rower. Seeing in Hanlan a chance to make some fast cash, Bill (David Naughton), a gambler, has Hanlan trained as a sculler and begins to promote him on the racing circuit. Eventually, Hanlan’s ability grows, and so does his fame, but success comes at a price when Hanlan falls prey to a ruthless businessman (Christopher Plummer). Through it all, Hanlan becomes a world champion, garners awards on three continents and becomes the first to successfully utilize the “sliding seat”.“

WHO SHOULD BUY: Have you ever seen a sports movie? Have you seen Rocky? Well, you can probably avoid The Boy in Blue then. It’s your standard old sports-film structure, this time centered around sculling (or as we layman call it, rowing.) The cast is relatively stellar with recent Oscar winner Christopher Plummer doing his best not to look embarrassed beside an early wackadoo Cage performance and David Naughton’s distractingly fake moustache. But even a strong stable of performers can’t save the film’s limp script and uninspired direction. Only devout fans of sports films, rowing and Nicolas Cage need apply.

THE BLU-RAY DISC: On a bright note, Anchor Bay delivers The Boy in Blue to Blu-ray in a very respectable 1080p transfer. There’s print damage present but it doesn’t distract from the overall pleasing and generally film-like appearance of the image here. Audio is presented in Dolby TrueHD 5.1. There are no special features.

AMAZON: $14.99

ALSO AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY THIS WEEK
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