The Blu-ray Blog

Hammer Films’ Twins of Evil coming to Blu-ray

Brenden — Tue, 15 May 2012 05:25:41 +0000

The Hammer Films hits just keep on coming to Blu-ray, this time all the way to our North American shores. Synapse Films plans to follow up their domestic release of Hammer’s Vampire Circus with the grand finale of the studio’s Karnstein Trilogy of films, Twins of Evil, hitting store shelves in July. Next up for the US label’s Hammer Horror Collection are the classics Countess Dracula and Hands of the Ripper, hopefully coming before the end of the year.

TWINS OF EVIL
(July 10, 2012 – MSRP $29.95 )
Video: 1.85:1 1080p
Audio: TBA

Special Features:

THE FLESH AND THE FURY: X-POSING TWINS OF EVIL (84 mins.) – An all-new, feature-length documentary exploring Hammer’s infamous ‘Karnstein’ trilogy from the origin of Carmilla, to the making of TWINS OF EVIL! Featuring exclusive interviews with director John Hough, star Damien Thomas, cult film director Joe Dante, Video Watchdog editor Tim Lucas, and more!
THE PROPS THAT HAMMER BUILT: THE KINSEY COLLECTION – Featurette (Blu-ray Exclusive)
Motion Still Gallery (Blu-ray Exclusive)
Deleted Scene (Blu-ray Exclusive)
Original Theatrical Trailer & TV Spots (Blu-ray Exclusive)
Isolated Music & Effects Track (Blu-ray Exclusive)

Star Trek: The Next Generation – Season One Blu-ray box announced and detailed

Brenden — Tue, 08 May 2012 05:08:47 +0000

Well, I don’t think there’s been an official announcement yet, per se, but Paramount and CBS have confirmed the release date and details of the first Star Trek: The Next Generation Blu-ray boxed set. If you’re like me, the news and interviews surrounding the release of the Next Level preview disc back in January led you to believe that we wouldn’t get our grubby hands on this complete 6-disc, 26-episode set until much later in the year. So, this July 24th release date comes as something of a surprise. An awesome surprise but a mid-summer attack on my wallet that I wasn’t anticipating. I’d like to start saving my pennies but the studio has yet to offer up a suggested price for this bad boy. Knowing the going rate for these sets, however, I’d bet we’re looking at around about the $100 range. That’s a lot of pennies. I hope I’m wrong…

STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION – SEASON ONE
(July 24, 2012 – MSRP $TBA)
Video: 1.33:1 1080p
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1

Special Features:

Three-part documentary “Stardate Revisited: The Origin of Star Trek: The Next Generation”: Inception, Launch, The Continuing Mission (New HD!)
Behind-the-scenes featurettes:
- Energized! Taking The Next Generation to the Next Level (NEW HD!)
- The Beginning
- The Making of a Legend
- Memorable Missions
- Selected Crew Analysis
Star Trek: The Next Generation Archives: The Launch
Over twenty-two episodic promos
1987 introduction to the series
Season One promo
Gag reel

Via: Blu-ray.com and The Digital Bits

[VIDEO] Plague of the Zombies/The Reptile Blu-ray promo

Brenden — Tue, 08 May 2012 03:50:39 +0000

We here in North America haven’t seen many classic Hammer films make the transition to Blu-ray yet but the famous studio, now reborn, has partnered with Studio Canal for a massive restoration and release program in the UK. The next two titles in the series, due in stores June 18, are Plague of the Zombies and The Reptile, a couple of B-films that played in double features back in the day with their higher-profile siblings, Dracula, Prince of Darkness and Rasputin, the Mad Monk, respectively. Both discs feature a collection of newly produced bonus goodies, including retrospective docs (footage from which has no doubt been used to create the promo embedded above) and restoration demos, among many other extras. They’ll both likely be Region B locked discs, so those of us over on this side of the Atlantic without Region Free players will have to wait until domestic releases are announced. And the studio says we’ll hear all about that very soon. Then again, they’ve been singing that song since January. Their definition of “soon” clearly differs from mine…

Top New Blu-ray releases for the Week of May 1

Brenden — Fri, 04 May 2012 01:45:59 +0000

I guess we’re edging into that weird summer limbo, where Hollywood studios offer fewer catalogue releases, assuming few of us want to spend our hard earned cash on old stuff. They couldn’t be more wrong! I find myself itching for the holidays, when we’re going to get the chance to own great, older titles like the Indiana Jones trilogy and Columbia‘s new restoration of Lawrence of Arabia, a disc I’ve been looking forward to since the advent of the format. Sigh. Only a few months still to wait…

In the meantime, there’s still some decent stuff new in stores including Scorsese‘s George Harrison doc, Universal’s restoration of Pillow Talk and Kino‘s Birds of Paradise, all of which you can find if you scroll down to the bottom of the page.

As always, clicking the Blu-ray package art will zip you over to Amazon where every purchase you make through our links helps the site stay on its feet. We appreciate every single click and thank you again for continuing to read The Blu-ray Blog.

Blu-ray disc of the week: HAYWIRE

THE FILM:

From Oscar® winner Steven Soderbergh (Contagion), this dynamic action-thriller introduces mixed martial arts (MMA) superstar Gina Carano as Mallory Kane, a black-ops agent for a government security contractor. After freeing a Chinese journalist held hostage, Mallory is double-crossed and left for dead – by someone in her own agency. Suddenly the target of assassins who know her every move, Mallory unleashes the fury of her fighting skills to uncover the truth and turn the tables on her ruthless adversary. Featuring Carano performing her own high-adrenaline stunts and an all -star cast including Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, Bill Paxton, Channing Tatum, Antonio Banderas and Michael Douglas, Haywire is explosive movie entertainment.

WHO SHOULD BUY:

Fans of MMA fighter Gina Carano will lap this messy-but-entertaining Bourne-lite mess up. Soderbergh’s fans will most likely find the shots uninspired, score out of place, performances sub-par and the editing choices to be surprisingly suspect. Me? I just went along for the ride and very quickly (in fact, during the very first scene) learned that if I was going to make it to the end of the film’s very brief 93-minute runtime, I was going to have to shut down the ol’ gray-matter and just roll with the cinematic beatdown. Carano is the real lure here. You tune in to see her kick ass and delight every time she’s let off the thespianic leash. And she’s occasionally not too bad at that whole “acting” thing, y’know. I get the sense that given more time and training she’ll make an excellent Wonder Woman in the inevitable WB film. In the meantime, you’ll wonder why Soderbergh didn’t tighten things up a little more, hacking out those moments that plain just don’t work – like the dreadful showdown of acting talent in the opening scene, between Carano and fellow meathead Channing Tatum (just open with the fight, Steven!!) – and rearranging those out-of-place-to-be-clever plot elements to just make this damn thing run straight and narrow like the muscle car it wants to be.

THE BLU-RAY DISC:

Haywire falls in line with more of Soderbergh’s recently shot digital projects. It looks great on Blu-ray as a near-perfect replication of the theatrical experience. White balance often seems off but that’s how the man like his film art these days, and the 1080p presentation on the disc handles the saturated colours with aplomb. This is detailed, good looking stuff. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 is a pretty nuanced affair and keeps itself in check a great deal of the time. But when it unleashes it’s mighty Sturm und Drang, you better have the fine china secured, because your walls will likely shake. Dialogue is clear, music is dynamic and the soundfield overall natural and engrossing.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Gina Carano in Training
The Men of Haywire
The Characters of Haywire

AMAZON: CDN$ 19.93

Also Available: HAYWIRE (US Edition)

AMAZON: $19.99

JEREMIAH JOHNSON

Soured by civilization, Jeremiah Johnson sets out in the mid-1800s to be a mountain man, seeking solitude in a wilderness whose purity he never questioned. His first Rocky Mountain winter almost kills him. Starving and nearly frozen, he finds refuge with a wily old trapper (Will Geer) whose survival teaching includes going eyeball to eyeball with a grizzly.

I’m just going to throw some names out there and see how you respond. John Milius. Sydney Pollack. Robert Redford. Well? What do you think? If you’re not saying, “Oh yeah, Jeremiah Johnson!” because you know and love the classic ’70s mountain-man film with all your heart, you should be jumping up and down and thanking me for spelling out the top three reasons you need to devour this flick. This is a bleak Milius script before there was the bleakness of his Apocalypse Now work, sensitive direction from Pollack a year before The Way We Were and Redford in his prime, not long after Butch and Sundance and shortly before The Sting and All the President’s Men. It’s not the the most accessible, rousing western film ever made but in terms of style and substance Jeremiah Johnson has got it where it counts.

Warner‘s Blu-ray presentation of the film seems right on the money but won’t inspire many beyond enthusiasts of the film and of the format. It looks fairly soft overall, but appropriately so, with grain intact and nice vivid colours. Blacks are deep and might be, in fact, a touch overbearing. But I like the look of this. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is a conversion of the original mono but doesn’t seem to bust out much beyond the constraints of the center channel, so purists needn’t get their bear-skins in a knot. Aside from an 11-minute long vintage “Making Of” featurette and the original theatrical trailer, the disc features an excellent commentary track with all three main creative forces behind the project. Listen, if for no other reason, than to remember how brilliant the late, great Pollack was in his prime, and to mourn the fact that Milius’ genius is being wasted on writing for videogames these days. Thank the lord Redford is still alive and kicking it Hollywood style.

AMAZON: $14.49

THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD

This chilling adaptation of Charles Dickens‘ unfinished final novel spins a disturbing tale of obsession, addiction, and the darkness that lurks in men. John Jasper is haunted and restless. Unhappily settled as choirmaster in the provincial cathedral town of Cloisterham, Japser finds himself striving for the divine in his music even as he struggles against madness brought on by ennui and opiates. Aware of his unraveling, Jasper believes his salvation may be found in the arms of Rosa, his prized pupil. His only obstacle is her fiance‚ Edwin Drood – Jasper’s nephew.

I’ve got a special, soft place in my cold heart for these imported British dramas airing on PBS’ Masterpiece Theatre and published on Blu-ray here in North America under their banner. I’ve had the good fortune of being able to screen a handful of them now and they seem pretty consistant in terms of production style and performances (this is me thanking the good Lord above that I’ve yet to stumble across any films featuring the usual US import fumbling his/her way through a cockney lilt.) Of the latest couple of MT offerings, I was sent The Mystery of Edwin Drood to check out and I’m happy to report that, aside from the unfortunate made-up conclusion (the filmmakers didn’t have much choice as the story was left unfinished by Dickens at the time of his death) it’s another spellbinder. The television production doesn’t ever betray its modest origins, looking for the most part like a feature film set in Victorian times, with a lush orchestral score fit for bigger budget fare. Performances are, as you’d expect, well rounded and perfectly suited to the material. Edwin Drood is compelling right up to its nauseatingly predictable conclusion but easily forgiven for it’s misstep. Not everyone can write Dickens as well as Dickens.

PBS’ Blu-ray presentation is the usual head-scratcher, listed as 1080i on the packaging but registering as 1080p on my equipment (note: I have a new amp/receiver that might – just might – have jacked the resolution up to 1080p, though previous discs played at that res and extras at lower resolutions seem to play at their native res.) I have a feeling that the 25fps broadcast masters get transferred at 1080i for PBS but their final encode is at 1080p. I don’t know the technical implications of this but you will notice the judder of pulldown during camera movements, if you look in the right places. Aside from questions of resolution, this disc looks great. Detailed, colourful and fantastic, for what it is. Audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. The film is split into two episodes which can be watched on their own or played together via a “Play All” function.

AMAZON: $19.99

Also available: GREAT EXPECTATIONS

AMAZON: $19.99

Canadian exclusive: TOMORROW WHEN THE WAR BEGAN

A small group of Australian teens team up to take back their country after an occupying army sweeps in and takes over in this adaptation of John Marsden‘s best-selling novel. 17 year old Ellie Linton (Caitlin Stasey) and her friends live in the quiet coastal town of Wirrawee. As the holidays draw to a close and school looms on the horizon, Ellie longs for one last adventure before heading back into the classroom. Her wish comes true when her parents agree to let her use the Land Rover for a week camping adventure in Hell, a secluded paradise with a deceptive name. At first, everything is perfect. Ellie and best friends pass their time basking in the sun, and wading in a picturesque waterfall. But the fun comes to a sudden end when the group notices a fleet of unidentified jets cutting through the night sky. Shaken, they return home to find that the entire population of Wirrawee has vanished, and all power has been cut off. The teens’ greatest fears are confirmed shortly thereafter, when they discover that the local showgrounds have been transformed into a makeshift prison camp, and that everyone they know has been imprisoned by the invading military. Upon realizing they have been discovered, the teens decide to strike back against the occupiers with everything they’ve got.

AMAZON: CDN$ 31.99

ALSO AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY THIS WEEK
Clicking an image will take you to Amazon.com where you can learn more about and purchase the Blu-ray disc:

Disney’s Cinderella: Diamond Edition coming to Blu-ray

Brenden — Thu, 03 May 2012 03:52:17 +0000

I think we’re close to the end. Disney has made nearly all of their triple-A animated titles available on Blu-ray by now, with only a small handful of holdouts. One of the highest-profile films, Disney’s Cinderella, has finally been announced for an October 2nd release date which leaves what? The Little Mermaid? Aladdin? Peter Pan? I know there’s a bunch more but the likes of Robin Hood and The Black Cauldron just don’t seem top-tier to me.

Anyway, If you’re an animation aficionado or princess enthusiast, you can grab up the Cinderella: Diamond Edition Blu-ray in a two or three disc combo pack or in a six-disc “Jewelry Box Set” that also includes Cinderella 2: Dreams Come True and Cinderella 3: A Twist in Time.

CINDERELLA: DIAMOND EDITION
(October 2, 2012 – MSRP $44.99/$39.99)
Video: 1.78:1 1080p
Audio: 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, 1.0 DTS-HD Master Audio Original Theatrical Mix

Special Features:

Introduction by Diane Disney Miller
Bibbidi-Bobbidi-You! Personalized Digital Storybook (Disney Second Screen)
The Magic Of The Glass Slipper: A Cinderella Story behind-the-scenes featurette
The Real Fairy Godmother featurette
Alternate opening sequence
DisneyView mode
Tangled Ever After animated short
Behind the Magic: A New Disney Princess Fantasyland featurette

Tomorrow, When The War Began Blu-ray Disc Review

Brenden — Thu, 03 May 2012 01:36:39 +0000

TOMORROW WHEN THE WAR BEGAN
(2009, Blu-ray released May 1, 2012 – MSRP CDN$ 39.99)

THE FILM:	★★★½☆
VIDEO:	★★★★☆
AUDIO:	★★★★☆
EXTRAS:	★★★★☆
BLU-RAY:	★★★★☆

THE FILM:

A small group of Australian teens team up to take back their country after an occupying army sweeps in and takes over in this adaptation of John Marsden‘s best-selling novel. 17 year old Ellie Linton (Caitlin Stasey) and her friends live in the quiet coastal town of Wirrawee. As the holidays draw to a close and school looms on the horizon, Ellie longs for one last adventure before heading back into the classroom. Her wish comes true when her parents agree to let her use the Land Rover for a week camping adventure in Hell, a secluded paradise with a deceptive name. At first, everything is perfect. Ellie and best friends pass their time basking in the sun, and wading in a picturesque waterfall. But the fun comes to a sudden end when the group notices a fleet of unidentified jets cutting through the night sky. Shaken, they return home to find that the entire population of Wirrawee has vanished, and all power has been cut off. The teens’ greatest fears are confirmed shortly thereafter, when they discover that the local showgrounds have been transformed into a makeshift prison camp, and that everyone they know has been imprisoned by the invading military. Upon realizing they have been discovered, the teens decide to strike back against the occupiers with everything they’ve got.

WHO SHOULD BUY:

Wow. Watching Tomorrow, When the War Began, it’s tough to believe this film didn’t come straight out of Hollywood’s movie-machine. If you’re wondering, that’s not only a compliment to this homegrown Aussie flick, but also a backhanded condemnation. The film, an adaptation of the first book in an apparently popular series of young adult novels by John Marsden, takes it’s cues from popular Hollywood fare, rendering in familiar tones this Red Dawn-like tale of armed kids striking out against an occupying force through guerilla warfare. The action looks and feels like bigger budget fare but the camping and coupling scenes play like something straight out of Shark Night or any random teenage-weekend-getaway flick. In the case of this type of film, however, that familiarity in tone, style and structure give the impression to we native North Americans that it belongs amongst our own domestic releases, perfectly at home in a double feature with the likes of Hunger Games. Which is reason enough for most folks here in the US and Canada to give this neat little teen-war flick a chance. Just don’t expect much of a resolution. I nearly threw my remote into the TV screen when the film ended, so frustrated that it closes with what amounts to a half-baked cliffhanger. The sequel will be in cinemas Down-Under later on in the year but I won’t expect much in the way of a satisfying conclusion from that one either. There appear to be seven books in the series. Oi vey.

THE BLU-RAY DISC:

The Blu-ray disc features a strong visual presentation, with plenty of detail and spot-on colours. It’s slightly softer than you’d expect a modern action film to appear but is encoded at a ridiculously high bit-rate, so there’s no problem with the authoring here. Audio is available in a solid, powerful DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 English track, with an alternate French dub at your beck and call, should you require it. There’s a ridiculous wealth of special features (outlined in detail below) but nothing that really stands out as revelatory. The “must watch” items are the “making of” doc and the 23-minute interview with author Marsden. The rest of the short pieces really would have benefitted from a “Play All” option.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The Making Of (25:42)
On Set With…
- Caitlin Stasey (1:13)
- Lincoln Lewis (1:21)
- Deniz Akdeniz (1:19)
- Chris Pang (1:44)
- Ashleigh Cummings (1:02)
- Andy Ryan (1:15)
Behind the Scenes
- John Marsden: Characters and Casting (3:02)
- How to Blow Up a Bridge (12:34)
- VFX Breakdowns (2:33)
The Cutting Room Floor
- Alternate Ending (2:21)
- Deleted Scenes (7:34)
- Out Takes (4:24)
Publicity
- Theatrical Trailer (2:30)
- TVC’s
  - Friends Become Warriors (0:33)
  - Relationships (0:33)
  - Us or Them (0:33)
- Premiere (2:57)
- Fans (0:58)
The Books
- John Marsden Interview (23:53)
- Passage Readings (4:29)
Webisodes
- Caitlin Stasey (2:10)
- Rachel Hurd-Wood (1:02)
- Lincoln Lewis (1:06)
- Deniz Akdeniz (1:04)
- Phoebe Tonkin (0:56)
- Chris Pang (1:04)
- Ashleigh Cummings (1:02)
- Andy Ryan (1:05)
- Stuart Beattie (3:14)

John Carter on Blu-ray in June

Brenden — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 21:55:25 +0000

You know what, I really had a great time watching Andrew Stanton‘s much-maligned John Carter in the theatre. I can plainly see it’s imperfections – and they’re numerous and often critical – but it’s heart is in the right place and, despite it’s problems, it manages to deliver a really fun ride. Take the scissors to about, oh, twenty-minutes of content or so and perform a little bit of creative rearrangement of key scenes and I think this movie would be the bomb. I hate to say it but I’m actually really looking forward to the eventual fan-edits of this bad boy. I have a feeling they’re going to take this really good movie and make it great. The Blu-ray editions of John Carter will be on store shelves on June 5th in 3D and non-3D combo pack variations.

JOHN CARTER
(June 5, 2012 – MSRP $39.99/$49.99)
Video: 2.39:1 1080p
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1

Special Features:

Disney Second Screen – Explore John Carter’s journal with this innovative in-world experience and uncover a trove of fascinating details that extend the mythology of the movie.
360 Degrees of John Carter – Experience every aspect of the filmmaking process on one of the movie’s biggest production days.
Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary by Director, Andrew Stanton
Barsoom Bloopers
100 Years In The Making – Follow the journey of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ story, from its origins as a pulp novel to its arrival onscreen.
Audio Commentary with Filmmakers

My Neighbor Totoro announced and detailed for Blu-ray…IN JAPAN!

Brenden — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 21:41:40 +0000

I toyed with the idea of making the headline to this post something like “The Best Movie of All Time FInally on Blu-ray!” but gave up on the sentiment when I came to the harsh realization that most people either haven’t seen or don’t give a rat’s ass about Hayao Miyazaki‘s quiet masterpiece, My Neighbor Totoro. That, or they just outright hate it. But this is, hands down, my all time favourite film. And you haters can just stick it, or, you know, just stop reading now. Because I’m losing my mind over here at the thought of finally getting my hands on a 1080p copy of Totoro! If it looks anywhere near as great as the previous Studio Ghibli Blu-ray discs, it’ll be a revelation. And Lord knows, this film could use a little TLC (I just a new-ish 35mm print of it at the Ghibli fest here in Montreal and, well, it wasn’t very pretty…)

Along with the release of Miyazaki’s finest film ever, Disney and Ghibli are releasing Isao Takahata‘s Grave of the Fireflies and Goro Miyazaki‘s From Up on Poppy Hill, the latest film from the studio. Fireflies is available on its own or packaged in a special boxed set with Totoro. All three films will be released on Blu in July.

MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO
(July 18, 2012 – MSRP ¥ 7,140)
Video: 1.85:1 1080p
Audio: Japanese (2.0ch Surround / DTS-HD Master Audio), English, Cantonese (2.0ch Stereo / Dolby Digital)

Special Features:

Storyboards (picture-in-picture)
Dubbing script
Credit-less version of the opening/ending sequences
Trailers

GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES
(July 18, 2012 – MSRP ¥ 7,140)
Video: 1.85:1 1080p
Audio: Japanese (2.0ch Surround / DTS-HD Master Audio)

Special Features:

Storyboards
Dubbing script
Interview with director Takahata Isao
Interview with film critic Roger Ebert
Audio interviews
Audio documentary
Stills gallery
Trailers

Top New Blu-ray releases for the Week of April 24

Brenden — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 04:21:44 +0000

There’s so much more out on Blu-ray this week than I was able to screen. If the titles at the top of my list don’t thrill you, scroll down for additional gems like Marky Mark in Contraband, the 5-movie Samurai Assassin set and another awesome Blue Underground release in Killer Nun.

Blu-ray disc of the week: CAMELOT

THE FILM:

The oft-told tales of Arthurian legend have always been fertile ground for art. With countless books, films and songs on the subject, there have been many interpretations of Merlin, the Knights of the Round Table, the glories of the kingdom of Camelot and the doomed love triangle of King Arthur, Lady Guenevere and Sir Lancelot du Lac. The musical Camelot, however, remains the most iconic. Consider the historical context of the piece. Originated for the stage in 1960, Camelot coincided with the presidency of a young John F. Kennedy. Kennedy was a big fan of Camelot; he identified with King Arthur and, according to the First Lady, she and the President would often listen to the soundtrack before going to bed at night. Tragically, and ironically, just as Arthur’s rule lasted for one brief, shining moment, so did Kennedy’s, and the press forever linked the two legendary leaders many hundreds of years apart. Camelot is emblematic of JFK and, as such, it is emblematic of an era.

WHO SHOULD BUY:

This is certainly the most impressive release of Camelot on any home video format but I hesitate to say that it’s for all fans of the film. As reviewing this exceptional Blu-ray release was my first screening of the film I’m unable to compare it to previous versions. But those in the know claim that the colour timing is off, leaning further toward the “brown” end of the spectrum than original prints, that the title cards are up-ressed from an old transfer and unnecessarily blurry and that the soundtrack seats the dialogue too firmly in the centre channel, along with a host of other audio difficulties that seem to stem from not using the original four channel stereo mix. I noticed the title cards looking softer than I’d like but otherwise, I was fairly taken aback by how detailed and colourful this handsome release is. I wish I could say that it helped me fall in love with Camelot but I found it overlong and poorly paced. It’s always nice to see Richard Harris, Franco Nero and Vanessa Redgrave on screen but it’ll be a good long while before I give this classic another go.

THE BLU-RAY DISC:

Like I said above, this is a really well put together disc. The 3-hour long film has been masterfully encoded and doesn’t show a hint of digital nastiness, despite the fact that Warner has also crammed a bunch of extras on the disc with the film. Those who aren’t devout aficionados of the film will love the clarity and dynamic headroom of the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix, though I can clearly hear that the dialogue seems locked to the centre channel. Extras include a brand new commentary track by Stephen Farber and a new half-hour long doc called ‘Camelot: Falling Kingdoms‘ along with 2 featurettes from the previously released DVD. The isolated score from that release is woefully absent here. Shame on you Warner. The 4-track CD sampler included in the digibook packaging doesn’t come close to making up for loss.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Audio commentary
Four behind-the-scenes featurettes:
Camelot: The Fallen Kingdom
Camelot: The Castle That Never Was
The Story of Camelot
The World Premiere of Camelot

Theatrical trailer

36-page Digibook

CD Soundtrack Sampler

AMAZON: $24.99

A HOLLIS FRAMPTON ODYSSEY

Icon of the American avant-garde Hollis Frampton made rigorous, audacious, brainy, and downright thrilling films, leaving behind a body of work that remains unparalleled. In the 1960s, having started out as a poet and photographer, Frampton became fascinated with the possibilities of 16 mm filmmaking. In such radically playful, visually and sonically arresting works as Surface Tension, Zorns Lemma, (nostalgia), Critical Mass, and the enormous, unfinished Magellan cycle (cut short by his death at age forty-eight), Frampton repurposes cinema itself, making it into something by turns literary, mathematical, sculptural, and simply beautiful…and always captivating. This collection of works by the essential artist – the first home video release of its kind – includes twenty-four films, dating from 1966 to 1979.

One of this week’s two new Criterion releases. I don’t know anything about Frampton the man or the filmmaker and yet still, I’m excited to check out this new Blu-ray. I’m beginning to recognize that the Criterion releases I get most wound up about are the ones that introduce me to new films and directors I’m unfamiliar with. This one looks fantastic.

AMAZON: $28.99

THE ORGANIZER

In turn-of-the-twentieth-century Turin, an accident in a textile factory incites workers to stage a walkout. But it’s not until they receive unexpected aid from a traveling professor (8«’s Marcello Mastroianni) that they find a voice, unite, and stand up for themselves. This historical drama by Mario Monicello (Big Deal on Madonna Street) is a beautiful and moving ode to the power of the people, brimming with humor and honesty. The Organizer (I compagni) features engaging, naturalistic performances; cinematography by the great Giuseppe Rotunno (Amarcord); and a multilayered, Oscar-nominated screenplay, by Monicelli, Agenore Incrocci (The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly), and Furio Scarpelli (Il Postino).

The second Criterion release of the week. And another one I know little to nothing about. But reviewers who’ve gotten their hands on early screening copies are all speaking highly enough of this disc that I’m drooling in anticipation of owning it myself.

AMAZON: $20.99

CINEMA VERITE

Decades before housewives had screaming matches with each other on camera in public, the Loud family became a television sensation of a new kind when they appeared on the groundbreaking 1973 PBS documentary series An American Family. Witness the birth of reality television as Diane Lane, Tim Robbins and James Gandolfini star in HBO Films‘ presentation of Cinema Verite.

Cinema Verite was a great little surprise. An HBO film about the very first reality TV show – a program from the early ’70s called An American Family that put cameras inside a home and witnessed it unravel. I can only imagine what watching the actual series would have been like – in fact, I really wish that episodes of the series or even a condensed look at it were included on the disc – but the behind the scenes tale is compelling in and of itself. Robbins and Lane are exceptional, as usual, and create a believable family on the edge with Gandolfini a sympathetic vulture. Directors Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini weave moments of the original series’ footage into the film to great effect, which, of course only presents a tease for those of us who’ve never had a chance to see An American Family and most likely never will.

Like most every HBO Blu-ray release, Cinema Verite looks great in 1080p. The studio delivers another high-def stunner here, with a very strong, detailed image, often tinted in bold colours meant to evoke the period. The dialogue-heavy DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is also well put together but offers little sizzle – no surprise given the type of film this is. Special features are limited to an engaging commentary track from directors Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini and a 3-minute long “making of” featurette.

AMAZON: $18.99

TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY (1979)

No doubt remains; a mole has infiltrated the highest level of the Circus, code name for British Secret Intelligence Service. Sidelined agent George Smiley is covertly tapped to root out the traitor-a task that requires an intensive dig through the labyrinths of Cold War espionage and his own past.

If you found last year’s feature film adaptation of John LeCarre‘s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy to be difficult to sit through, you’ll want to avoid this 1979 BBC-produced 7-episode (cut down to 6-episodes for US/Canadian viewing) take on the tale. It’s thoroughly brilliant, from script to performance but it takes a whole lot of hours to get the slow, quiet work done. And if you don’t have the patience to listen to old men talk about espionage for five-and-a-half hours, you should probably look for your spy thrills somewhere else. Those with a love of the author’s work or deliberately paced fictions, and those who’re just happy to watch anything starring the late, great Alec Guinness won’t be disappointed.

The content is really simple to talk about here – it’s quality work, either the sort of thing you like or it’s not – but the Blu-ray transfer is another very complicated matter entirely. Acorn‘s murky and soft-looking 2-disc release of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy isn’t going to thrill anybody but it’s most likely the best presentation that could be afforded. Robert Harris has a great assessment of the situation over at the Home Theater Forum. To sum it up, even if Acorn was able to acquire the rights to the original camera negative, it would be cost prohibitive to scan and restore so many hours worth of already rough-looking 16 mm footage from the ’70s. They’d likely never be able to make a profit on it. So this, a transfer apparently converted from one provided from the UK, is the best we can do. And we should feel fortunate that we’ve got it at all. It’s better than I’ve ever seen the series look. The Dolby Digital 2.0 audio track is solid enough and get’s the job done.

Special features are carried over from the previously available DVD release from last year and include a 20-minute interview with Le Carre, 11-minute worth of deleted scenes, production notes, a Le Carre bio and a trailer. This 2-disc set adds a Blu-ray exclusive half-hour long interview with director John Irvin in 1080i HD.

AMAZON: $49.99

THE INNKEEPERS

After over one hundred years of service, The Yankee Pedlar Inn is shutting its doors for good. The last remaining employees – Claire (Sara Paxton) and Luke (Pat Healy)- are determined to uncover proof of what many believe to be one of New England’s most haunted hotels. As the Inn’s final days draw near, odd guests check in as the pair of minimum wage “ghost hunters” begin to experience strange and alarming events that may ultimately cause them to be mere footnotes in the hotel’s long unexplained history.

AMAZON: $13.99

THE WICKER TREE

When two young missionaries (Brittania Nicol, Henry Garrett) head to Scotland, they are initially charmed by the locals in the town of Tressock, and agree to become the local Queen of the May and Laddie for the annual town festival. But the couple is not prepared for the frightening consequences of their decision, and the very disturbing secrets they are about to discover about Tressock’s seemingly friendly townspeople. Written and Directed by Robin Hardy, The Wicker Tree also features Graham McTavish, Jacqueline Leonard, Honeysuckle Weeks, Clive Russell with Christopher Lee, star of the original The Wicker Man.

I’m kind of at a loss here. Is The Wicker Tree written and directed by the same Robin Hardy responsible for the brilliant 1973 film The Wicker Man? If so, I have to believe that either the earlier film was a fluke or that Hardy has suffered some sort of stroke or head injury in the interim. The Wicker Tree is not a great film by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, I would go so far as to say that it often feels amateurish. Perhaps that’s due to a limited budget or the manner in which it was shot (the ’73 film looks lush and cinematic while this new work looks cheap and poorly shot on digital) but there’s no getting past the drop in quality. Performances are also uneven, with the worst offenders being the US imports, leads Brittania Nicol (whose poorly crafted country-pop songs single-handedly condemn the film to the bargain bin) and Henry Garrett. Pagan horror is always better with British accents. Everybody knows that.

On a brighter note, The WIcker Tree looks pretty decent on this Blu-ray from Anchor Bay. There appears to be a few instances of banding but outside of that, this detailed, colourful presentation is nearly the best thing going on the disc. The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track is equally solid but lacks the sonic punch of bigger Hollywood fare. Special features are few and include a 12-minute “making of” featurette, nearly 12-minutes worth of deleted scenes and a trailer.

AMAZON: $19.99

ALSO AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY THIS WEEK
Clicking an image will take you to Amazon.com where you can learn more about and purchase the Blu-ray disc:

The Innkeepers Blu-ray Disc Review

Brenden — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 21:29:39 +0000

THE INNKEEPERS
(2011, Blu-ray released April 24, 2012 US/May 1, 2012 Can – MSRP $34.98)

THE FILM:	★★★☆☆
VIDEO:	★★★★☆
AUDIO:	★★★★☆
EXTRAS:	★★★☆☆
BLU-RAY:	★★★½☆

THE FILM:

WHO SHOULD BUY:

I made the grievous error of watching The Innkeepers late at night, in the dark, by myself. And I admit that it gave me a start on more than one occasion. But to say that the film is a run of the mill ghost story is to sell it short. This is more of a playful character piece with an edge. The young leads do their best to carry the narrative but, sadly, don’t quite have the chops to shoulder the burden. Thankfully, reliable thespian Kelly McGillis (Top Gun) shows up keep the proceedings on track and to add some gravitas to the old inn. There’s not much of a plot to speak of but the bounty of the 101-minute runtime is effectively used to build tension and scare the living crap out of you. Filmmaker Ti West (House of the Devil) has another throwback hit on his hands with The Innkeepers. Fans of the genre will be delighted.

THE BLU-RAY DISC:

The Innkeepers doesn’t feature the most eye-poppingly stunning transfer I’ve ever seen but overall it looks fantastic on Blu-ray. There’s quite a lot of detail on display, even in the darkest scenes. And there’s plenty of deep, dark blacks to behold here. Audio is presented in a solid DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that the filmmakers suggest you experience cranked up loud. And it’s worth it to turn your surround system up to 11 for this type of nuanced and dynamic sound design. The extras on the disc are a little bit of a disappointment. Both commentary tracks are worth a listen – the production side offering plenty of detail on the film and the track with the director and cast members is a hoot – but I would have really appreciated a lengthier documentary or featurette on the making of the film. The “Behind the Scenes” featurette included is less than 8-minutes long.

Special Features:

Two audio commentaries:
- Writer/director/editor Ti West, producers Peter Phok & Larry Fessenden, and second unit director/sound designer Graham Reznick
- Ti West and stars Sara Paxton & Pat Healy
The Innkeepers: Behind the Scenes featurette
Trailer

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