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Bond 50 – Blu-ray Boxed set of all 22 James Bond films announced

Brenden — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:58:50 +0000

This is the news that we James Bond fans have been waiting for – MGM and Fox are finally preparing to unleash the ultimate Blu-ray collection of all 22 Bond films at some point in 2012. That’s right, no firm date has been announced at this point, though retail rumours point to a late-September/early-October release (which would make sense as that’s not only the beginning of the holiday shopping season but right around the release date of the latest Bond film, Skyfall.) The only detail we know about the set, outside of the MSRP of $299 (already available for pre-order on Amazon for $100 off – less than $10 a film) is the fact that it will include all 22 of the currently produced films (I hope they’ve left room in the box for the inevitable Skyfall release) and over 130-hours of bonus content, some of it newly produced and exclusively available here. Fans clamouring to fill out their already existing Bond Blu-ray collection with the 9 previously unreleased films will likely either have to double-dip or wait until 2013 for individual releases.

From the press release:

LAS VEGAS, NV (Jan. 10, 2012) – In celebration of James Bond’s monumental golden anniversary, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment today unveiled BOND 50, a collectible box-set featuring all 22 James Bond films on Blu-ray Disc for the first time in one complete offering. The longest running film franchise of all time, the Bond 50 collection marks the debut of nine James Bond films previously unavailable in high definition Blu-ray. Fans around the world can pre-order now with participating online retailers.

Acclaimed Bond directors John Glen (five Bond films including For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy, A View to a Kill, The Living Daylights & Licence To Kill), Martin Campbell (GoldenEye, Casino Royale) and Michael Apted (The World Is Not Enough) with special guests Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace) and Caterina Murino (Casino Royale) made the Blu-ray announcement today during a Directors’ Panel discussion in the Panasonic Booth at the annual Consumer Electronics Show.

BOND 50 showcases fifty years of Bond neatly packaged into one cool, sleek collectable box-set featuring all six iconic James Bond actors. Produced using the highest possible picture quality and audio presentation, the collection includes all 22 James Bond feature films from Dr. No to Quantum of Solace and more than 130 hours of bonus features including some new and exclusive content.

“With all 22 feature films available on Blu-ray in one collection for the first time this is a great way for fans to catch up on 007’s epic journey before Skyfall hits theatres next Fall,” said Michael Brown, Senior Vice President, MGM Home Entertainment. “Now viewers can enjoy the intense action of the innovative franchise in the most immersive home experience possible.”“

Top New Blu-ray releases for the Week of December 13

Brenden — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 06:45:06 +0000

Ha! Almost right on schedule this week. Just a few hours late. But a vast improvement, right? RIGHT?! Urgh…

There’s a lot of great stuff new on Blu-ray this week, folks. There are at least five discs listed below that could’ve easily been the Pick of the Week. But I went with the easy one. Seriously, though, don’t miss out on the others. Enough chit chat, let’s get to the reviews!

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: RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

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Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a revolution; an action-packed epic featuring stunning visual effects and creatures unlike anything ever seen before. At the story’s heart is Caesar (Andy Serkis), a chimpanzee who gains human-like intelligence and emotions from an experimental drug. Raised like a child by the drug’s creator (James Franco), Caesar ultimately finds himself taken from the humans he loves and imprisoned. Seeking justice, Caesar assembles a simian army and escapes — putting man and primate on a collision course that could change the planet forever.

I’m not embarrassed to say it – Rise of the Planet of the Apes is not only one of the best summer blockbusters of 2011, it’s also one of the best films I’ve seen all year! Who’d have guessed that Fox could successfully reboot two of their most important franchises within a couple of months of each other this past summer? (X:Men First Class debuted the first week of June and Apes hit screens almost exactly two months later.) While I enjoyed the heck out of the X:Men reboot, I think director Rupert Wyatt knocked Apes out of the park. It doesn’t hurt, though, that the film boasts one of the tightest genre scripts in recent memory, a handful of fantastic actors who’re able to overcome the cardboard nature of their characters (Brian Cox, John Lithgow and Frido Pinto are pretty much the best ever), and some of the best motion capture/animation seen thus far in a live-action film. I don’t know that I’d give Serkis the Oscar for his lead role as Caesar, the leader of the apes, but his character is certainly the most compelling in the cast and the underlying tech that brings him to life is remarkable. Would it surprise you to learn that the film ends with a perfect setup for a sequel? Of course not. And I, for one, can’t wait to see it (Rise of the Battle for the Planet of the Apes?)

Rise of the Planet of the Apes offers one of the stronger Blu-ray presentations of the year. Depth and detail are out of this world on this disc. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 is equally as muscular, with great dynamic range and clarity. It’s an aggressive and exciting track that you can easily use to show off your audio setup, especially if you fast-forward to the action-packed final act of the film.

Special features are numerous, as you can see if you scroll down to the list below. Most are deleted scenes (with unfinished effects) and brief featurettes that generally run under 10-minutes apiece. The real stars of the bonus goodies are the two commentary tracks, both packed with great information – the first from director Wyatt and the second from screenwriters Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver. There’s so much more here, including multi-angle features and BD-Live exclusives that I haven’t had the time to explore yet but it’s all indicative of the care and passion for this project and the production of this Blu-ray release. My only wish is that it had included a feature-length documentary but hey, you know me, that’s what I want from every disc release.

Highly recommended!

Special Features:

Feature Film
Deleted Scenes
- Alpha Gets Shot
- Will’s Meeting with Lab Assistants
- Will Discovers Caesar Has Solved Puzzles
- Caesar Plays with Bicycle
- Caesar Questions His Identity
- Caesar Bites Off Neighbors Finger
- Will Ignores the Risks of an Airborne Mutated Virus
- Rodney Gives Caesar a Cookie
- Rocket Gets Hosed by Dodge
- Caesar Destroys the Lab and Koba’s Attempted Revenge on Jacobs
- Caesar Pushes Helicopter
- Koba with Shotgun
Pre-vis for The Future
Capturing Caesar – Script to Screen
Studying the Genius of Andy Serkis
Multi-Angle: Rocket Cookie Scene
A New Generation of Apes
Breaking Motion Capture Boundaries
Breaking New Sound Barriers: The Music and Sound Design of Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Ape Facts
- Chimpanzee
- Gorilla
- Orangutan
Audio Commentary by Director Rupert Wyatt
Audio Commentary by Writers Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver
Character Concept Art Gallery
Three Theatrical Trailers
Digital Copy

AMAZON: $22.99

FRIGHT NIGHT (2011)

Senior Charley Brewster (Anton Yelchin) finally has it all – he’s running with the popular crowd and dating the hottest girl in high school. In fact, he’s so cool he’s even dissing his best friend Ed (Christopher Mintz-Plasse). But trouble arrives when an intriguing stranger Jerry (Colin Farrell) moves in next door. He seems like a great guy at first, but there’s something not quite right – yet no one, including Charley’s mom (Toni Collette), seems to notice! After witnessing some very unusual activity, Charley comes to an unmistakable conclusion: Jerry is a vampire preying on his neighborhood. Unable to convince anyone that he’s telling the truth, Charley has to find a way to get rid of the monster himself in this Craig Gillespie-helmed revamp of the comedy-horror classic.

I skipped out on seeing the Fright Night remake in the theatre. I thought it looked like trash. I guess it is, you know? But it’s incredibly fun and imaginative trash. The best kind! Outside of the leading characters and the basic premise, it’s fairly safe to say that the whole story has been re-imagined. Okay, maybe re-imagined is a strong term here. Perhaps boosted, broadened, lengthened or deepened are better descriptors. The original narrative of the 1985 film was fairly straightforward but the remake adds complexity into the mix – Charlie’s social standing, Peter Vincent’s (David Tennant) traumatic childhood, Gerry’s lengthy, checkered past. There’s far more to digest here – and the original versions lean and mean approach to the same content proves that none of it is necessary – but director Gillespie handles it all with aplomb. He never forgets that at the film’s core, it’s a dark comedy. And he plays to those strengths leaving the big scares for the climax (which, though quite different and far more grandiose, pays tribute to the original.)

Fright Night comes to Blu-ray boasting a strong transfer with a healthy, high bit-rate transfer. This is a pretty dark film and there’s some crush built into the source but overall, this presenation looks detailed and film-like. The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track is reference quality, with a robust surround presence and plenty of dynamic headroom to accurately reproduce the chilling Ramin Djawadi score and rattle your china with explosive lows. Great stuff!

I’m a little surprised that Disney and Dreamworks didn’t pack more bonus features into this 2-disc Blu-ray/DVD package. Outside of an 8-minute long featurette called “The Official “How to Make a Funny Vampire Movie” Guide” there’s very little sense given of what went into making the film. Beyond that, the disc offers a few minutes of deleted/extended scenes, a gag reel, a music video and a couple of short pieces culled from within the film.

AMAZON: $22.99

FRIGHT NIGHT and RAPTURE

If you’re like me and you love the original Fright Night you’ll be glad to learn that it’s also available on Blu-ray today. Here’s the catch though, it’s only available through Twilight Time (a studio within Screen Archives Entertainment that began licensing Sony titles for exclusive release a few months ago) and in a very limited release of 3000 units. So, if you want one, click on over there and grab it up as soon as you can. The studio is also releasing John Guillermin‘s 1965 dark fairy tale Rapture in limited edition Blu today. I’ve never seen the film but it looks like it might be a blind buy for me!

TWILIGHT TIME: $29.95 each

KUNG FU PANDA 2

“Kung Fu Panda 2“: An “A” with audiences everywhere, “Kung Fu Panda 2″ is “hilarious and full of heart” (Sandy Kenyon, WABC-TV) and a “winning sequel” (Scott Bowles, USA TODAY) to the Academy Award(R) nominated original film. “Kung Fu Panda 2″ packs a powerful punch, combining non-stop action, beautiful storytelling and stunning animation in this awesome adventure. “Kung Fu Panda: Secrets Of The Masters”: In this all-new “Kung Fu Panda” adventure debuting exclusively on DVD and Blu-ray, Po and the Furious Five uncover the legend of three of kung fu’s greatest heroes: Master Thundering Rhino, Master Storming Ox, and Master Croc.

Is Kung-Fu Panda 2 one of the best animated films of the year or one of the best films of the year, full stop? Tough for me to say right now, as I’ve only just watched it but damn, is it ever a winner! I mean, I enjoyed the first one as much as the next animation aficionado but I was blown away by this sequel. To be fair, I’m a bit of an aestheticist (is that even a word? No. No, it’s not…) – I’m a sucker for good design. And Kung-Fu Panda 2 has good design in spades. This is a fantastic looking movie! The crew of designers, illustrators and animators journeyed to China to gather reference and it shows. There’s so much gorgeous detail in every frame it’s almost distracting!

Thankfully, this isn’t just a great looking film, it’s also a fairly well written follow up to the 2008 original. The structure and outcome are a bit ho-hum, playing on typical themes in very predictable ways but the subtlety and comedy of the characters carry the show. Oh yeah, there’s also some incredible martial arts action here to hold your interest, just in case the funny and beautiful aren’t enough for you.

Like I said, Kung-Fu Panda 2 looks like a million bucks. And thankfully, so does the Blu-ray edition of the film. In fact, this is one of the best looking discs to be released this year. The digital-to-digital transfer is just about as perfect as the format gets, looking ridiculously detailed and colourful. The Dolby TrueHD 7.1 track is also reference quality. Actually, I’ll just say it, the audio here is perfect too. I can’t imagine a better sounding lossless track. This Blu-ray is definitely your new demo disc.

The hits just keep coming with the supplemental package on the Kung-Fu Panda 2 Blu-ray disc. The 2-disc set (Blu-ray and DVD) goes way beyond the call of duty and beyond the standard set of extras included on the average release. Aside from the ubiquitous commentary track, featurettes and trailers, the Blu-ray disc also includes a picture-in-picture “Animators’ Corner” which covers just about everything you’d ever want to know about the film and includes interviews, animatics, storyboards, art and much more! If that’s not enough KFP2 info for you, try out the pop-up “Trivia Track”, which covers even more ground. There’s a handful of deleted scenes with intros from director Jennifer Yuh Nelson and a couple interactive games for the kids. But wait, there’s more! To round out the set, the studio has included and all new short, the 23-minute “Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Masters” which delves into the background of the martial arts masters. And when you’re through with that, you can check out a preview episode of the upcoming Nickelodeon animated series, “Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness.”

Super extra highly recommended!

AMAZON: $22.99

THE ROCKETEER

Celebrate the 20th anniversary of director Joe Johnson‘s (“Captain America: The First Avenger”) action-filled, witty “The Rocketeer“. And now with state-of-the-art digital restoration and enhanced high definition sound, experience it as it jets off for the first time on Blu-ray(TM). The discovery of a top-secret jetpack hurls test pilot Cliff Secord into a daring adventure of mystery, suspense, and intrigue! Cliff encounters an assortment of ruthless villains, led by a Hollywood screen star who’s a secret Nazi spy (Timothy Dalton). With the help of his actress girlfriend, the young pilot battles enormous odds to defeat his foes who are anxious to use the device in an evil plan to rule the world! The dangerous mission transforms the ordinary young man into an extraordinary hero.

Hey, remember The Rocketeer?! It was Disney’s attempt to ride the superhero movie wave created in the wake of Tim Burton‘s 1989 Batman film. While it wasn’t a great success at the box office back in the day, it’s garnered something of a cult following these past twenty years. And for good reason. For all the fits and starts in its storytelling, it’s really a fun little period piece. In fact, it’s more relevant now then ever with director Joe Johnston having only just returned to the era of the Nazi-bashing hero this past summer with Marvel‘s über-successful Captain America: The First Avenger. The two films actually have a whole lot in common – tone, structure and genre being the most obvious – but both remain fairly true to their comic book origins.

The Rocketeer, much like its source material, is a bit stiff and very reverent to its influences. It does, however, feature some breakout performances from a young, clean cut Billy Campbell and the-girl-from-Labyrinth-grown-up Jennifer Connelly. Also, look for Terry O’Quinn (John Locke in Lost) as Howard Hughes! The Rocketeer isn’t the best or most exciting comic book film on Blu-ray but it’s a welcome addition to any fan’s library.

The film looks better than ever on Blu-ray. Sadly, I think it might be a little constrained on this single-layered platter. As colourful and detailed as this transfer appears, I can’t help but feel it would look more film-like or have a greater sense of depth if allowed to breath on a dual-layered BD-50 disc. But hey, like I said, this still looks great. Better than I’ve seen it looking since I watched it on the big screen twenty-years ago. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track can’t quite measure up to modern ones but it’s impressive nonetheless. James Horner‘s score is afforded plenty of headroom to breath, the LFE is given a reasonable workout and dialogue is always clean and clear.

The real crime of this Anniversary Blu-ray release is the fact that there are no special features included on it! You read that right, an anniversary release with no bonus goodies. Okay, I mean, there’s a standard-def trailer on here but come on, that’s barely a “feature”. It’s more like mocking the absence of features. Sheesh. Can you tell I’m a little steamed here? I was really looking forward to a commentary track, a Dave Stevens memorial (the creator of The Rocketeer passed away in 2008) or, if nothing else, a short cast and crew retrospective. But to no avail. The Rocketeer gets the shaft yet again. Why cain’t the man get him no respect?!

AMAZON: $18.99

MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS

St. Louis 1903. The well-off Smith family has four beautiful daughters, including Esther and little Tootie. Seventeen-year old Esther has fallen in love with John, the boy next door who has just moved in. He, however, barely notices her at first. The family is shocked when Mr. Smith reveals that he has been transferred to a nice position in New York, which means that the family has to leave St. Louis just before the start of the St. Louis 1904 World’s Fair.

A lot of people have been waiting a long time for a Blu-ray release of the Vincente Minnelli classic Meet Me in St. Louis, and now that day has finally arrived! As decent as the 2004 2-disc DVD release was, fans of the 1944 musical will be bowled over by the improvements here on Blu-ray. To begin with there’s slightly more picture in the frame and that image is now resplendent with fine grain. You can imagine, if grain is visible then there’s a ton of detail on display. But the improvements don’t end there. The early pallet of Technicolor tones is far more vibrant and stable than in the past, making this transfer easily the most film-like edition of Meet Me in St. Louis available to date. The original mono audio has been “upgraded” to a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. Thankfully, it’s fairly respectful to the original intent and only seems to fill the sound field when the music kicks in. Though it’s not exactly representative of the tracks origins, the sound does benefit from the lossless audios added dynamic range and fidelity.

Along with this fantastic new Blu-ray presentation, the Meet Me in St. Louis disc ports over the entire bounty of special features from the previously released DVD Special Edition, including the exceptional commentary track by Judy Garland biographer John Fricke with Margaret O’Brien, screenwriter Irving Brecher, songwriter Hugh Martin and daughter of producer Arthur Freed, Barbara Freed-Saltzman. There’s a half-hour long “making of” doc, as well as a 45-minute long TCM special on Judy Garland called “Becoming Attractions” that are both very much worth watching. The 1972 “Hollywood: The Dream Factory” doc is narrated by Dick Cavett and runs 50-minutes but, as you can imagine, is quite a dated affair at this point. The disc is rounded out with some archival shorts, an “Audio Vault” with a music only track, outtakes and more, the theatrical trailer and an intro to the film by Garland’s daughter Liza Minnelli. The Blu-ray and a 4-track CD Sampler are packaged within a 42-page digi-book.

AMAZON: $25.99

BRANDED TO KILL and TOKYO DRIFTER

Criterion‘s got two critical Blu-ray upgrades out in shops today. Two Seijun Suzuki films that the studio issued on DVD over a decade ago, both of which have been desperate for some TLC, have been cleaned up, restored and given sparkling new transfers that reveal more detail (and in one case, a good deal more of the image on all sides) and offer up new supplements. Both Branded to Kill and Tokyo Drifter top my Christmas list this year. Hope my family is reading…

AMAZON: $35.99 and $27.99

VELVET GOLDMINE

Ewan McGregor (Angels & Demons), Jonathan Rhys Meyers (“The Tudors”) and Christian Bale (The Dark Knight, The Fighter ) star in this alluring journey through rock ’n’ roll’s most outrageous era. It’s been 10 years since glam-rock superstar Brian Slade (Rhys Meyers) faked his own death and vanished from the spotlight. Now, it’s the job of an investigative reporter (Bale) to uncover the truth behind his disappearance. Directed by Todd Haynes (I’m Not There) and acclaimed by critics, VELVET GOLDMINE delves into the vibrant ‘70s music scene with an all access pass and an uncompromising look at the flamboyance and excesses of its larger-than-life stars.

I really didn’t care for Velvet Goldmine the first time I saw it. It seemed at times indulgent and at times utterly confused. It didn’t occur to me until much later that both impressions follow the state of Bale’s character as he delves deeper into the upside down world of glam-rock stardom. I found myself coming back to the film over the years, running across it on late night TV, sitting at home, flipping channels or looking for something to watch while visiting my parents, exploring their endless number of satellite TV stations. It’s one of those strange films that seems to take time to grow on you. And now that it has, I can’t escape it.

Velvet Goldmine is better now than it was when it was released in 1998. It’s Citizen Kane as glam-pop mystery, looking backward at rock-god characters who strongly (and often directly) echo David Bowie and Iggy Pop. The film is best when re-imagining the glory days of glam but serves as just about as wonderful an ode to the cinematic style of Orson Welles as it does to that era of music. I think Haynes might have created the ultimate medium mash-up here.

Velvet Goldmine looks fairly soft on Blu-ray, presented in a single-layer disc transfer that does its best to feel its way around the various types of footage in the film. It’s not bad by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, this is the best it’s ever looked on home video but it’s not the sort of presentation that’s going to “wow” you. Solid but not brilliant. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 sound track, on the other hand, just might take your breath away. All the music in the film – and there’s a lot of it – sounds absolutely stellar throughout.

The Canadian release I had the pleasure of reviewing (from Alliance – the US is out today from Miramax and Lionsgate) doesn’t include much in the way of special features but the newly recorded commentary track from Haynes and producer Christine Vachon is a really engaging listen. If you love the film, the director or the era the film covers you owe it to yourself to check this out. The only other bonus goodie on the disc is the theatrical trailer. The Canadian release also includes a DVD version of the film.

AMAZON: CDN$ 22.09

Also available: VELVET GOLDMINE (US Edition)

AMAZON: $14.99

In Canada only: BLACK SHEEP

When sheep-aphobic Henry returns to sell his share of the family farm, he finds his brother has been genetically altering the animals. The resulting monsters go on a murderous rampage, and it’s up to Henry to stop them. With frighteningly grotesque effects courtesy of Peter Jackson’s WETA workshop, Black Sheep is “rife with bloody gore and funny gags”! (Sam Adams, Los Angeles Times )

Okay, look, I know that these types of films aren’t for everyone but I totally love Black Sheep. Forget for a moment that the effects are done by the Lord of the Rings guys (on a severely tight budget, but still…) and just drink in that this is a movie about zombie sheep in New Zealand. Not sold yet? All right, well, I’ll tell you a secret (a small spoiler, really) – it’s not just about zombie sheep, it’s also about WERE-SHEEP!! Giant, furry were-sheep, frothing at the mouth and damned if they’re going to be sheared!

Honestly, this is great stuff. It’s like a Kiwi Shaun of the Dead. That same type of tone – reverential to the horror films that inspired it but fresh and new and none too serious. I know the film has been kicking around on video and playing the circuit now for about four or five years. I honestly can’t believe it’s taken me this long to see it. Don’t you wait any longer, if this sounds like it might be your cup of tea. Order it, rent it, whatever. Black Sheep is fantastic low-budget comedy/horror!

All things considered, the film looks pretty decent on Blu-ray. Though it’s on a single-layered disc (yes, another one) it retains some depth and offers plenty of gruesome, bloody detail, especially in the brighter scenes. Audio is, sadly, only offered in a compressed Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track. No lossless on this bad boy! But what you get doesn’t sound any too awful, for what it is. You won’t be too disappointed at the lack of lossless here.

There are plenty of extras on the disc including a commentary track with writer/director Jonathan King and actor Nathan Meister, a half hour “making of” doc, a collection of deleted scenes with optional commentary, a blooper reel and the trailer.

AMAZON: CDN$ 19.99

HEAVENLY CREATURES

From acclaimed director Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings, King Kong) comes a true-life story of the shocking crime that stunned a nation. When circumstances bring together two imaginative teenage schoolgirls, they quickly form an unwavering bond, creating a fantasy world that only they can share. But then their parents become disturbed by the intensity of the friendship, and threaten to keep them apart. In retaliation, the girls vow to stay together, devising a secret plan that leads to shocking consequences. Thrilling and provocative, HEAVENLY CREATURES stars Academy Award® winner Kate Winslet in her screen debut.

Heavenly Creatures in out in the US today but hit Blu-ray here in Canada last week. I posted my thoughts on the disc in last week’s roundup of new releases. You can check it out here.

AMAZON: $14.99

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:

Top New Blu-ray releases for the Week of November 29

Brenden — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 21:59:40 +0000

Sorry for the severely tardy New Release post this week, folks. I’ve been overwhelmed by a nasty combo of home renovations, office work, meetings, band rehearsals and health issues. I’m not trying to make excuses for this late post here. Just trying to let you in on why I couldn’t get it posted before now. In any case, be sure you scroll all the way down to the bottom for the additional Blu-ray releases this week. There’s some good looking stuff there like the US release of Herzog‘s Cave of Forgotten Dreams (we took a look at the Canadian version a few weeks ago), Paul Rudd in Our Idiot Brother and the final season of the hit TV show, Smallville.

Blu-ray disc of the week: ANOTHER EARTH

This “deeply emotional…extraordinarily profound” (USA Today) film became a must-see sensation at the Sundance Film Festival. “Beautiful, bright and fearless” (Associated Press) newcomer Brit Marling and fan favorite William Mapother (TV’s “Lost”) star as Rhoda and John, two people whose worlds collide after a tragic accident. Their intimate drama plays out against the astounding discovery of Earth 2, a parallel world that poses provocative and fascinating possibilities. Does a new Earth mean a chance at another life? Another destiny? Another self? “Another Earth is science-fiction at its best” (The Hollywood Reporter) — with a mind-bending surprise ending that you will never forget.

Another Earth is definitely a special film. Though set against a sci-fi concept, it’s a very intimate character drama. In fact, it’s so focused on the two leads, one could argue that the film could succeed just as well without the conceit of a duplicate Earth hanging overhead. Sure, it provides the inciting incident and helps motivate a handful of actions throughout the story but the core of the narrative is the tragic relationship of Marling and Mapother’s broken characters, performed to great effect by both actors. Shot on a super-low-budget, director Mike Cahill makes the best use of what he’s got on hand in the film, focusing on those stellar performances while only occasionally delivering the conceptual goods in the fashion of a small handful of attractive, spacey shots. His twist ending, however, will leave most wanting. I actually liked it. What’s important here is that the film establishes a great, melancholy vibe. Stick with it and you’ll most likely really appreciate what savvy young filmmakers can accomplish now on a shoestring budget.

I’ve yet to take a look at Fox‘s Blu-ray edition of the film but the DVD screener they sent over looks pretty soft. The compressed audio is clear and dynamic enough for a show of this budget but, from the evidence on the DVD, I’m not expecting the Blu to look very impressive. There were no special features on the screener but the extras on the Blu-ray are listed below.

Special Features:

Deleted Scenes
Music Video: “The First Time I Saw Jupiter” by Fall On Your Sword
The Science Behind Another Earth
Creating Another Earth
Fox Movie Channel presents “Direct Effect with Mike Cahill,” “In Character with Brit Marling,” and “In Character with William Mapother”

AMAZON: $19.99

TUCKER AND DALE VS. EVIL

Dale (Tyler Labine) and Tucker (Alan Tudyk) are checking out their newly acquired “summer home” (read: dilapidated cabin) when they save the life of a gorgeous college student (Katrina Bowden) who’s camping in the woods with some friends. When a series of misunderstandings leads to Dale and Tucker being labeled psycho killers by the vacationing students, the situation takes a sudden and ghastly turn for the worst.

To say I was taken aback by how much I enjoyed Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil is something of a massive understatement. This is not only one of the best comedy/horror films I’ve seen in years, it’s also one of the most refreshing, lively films I’ve had the pleasure of watching in a long time! Labine and Tudyk are suitably hilarious and Bowden is as lovely (and plastic) as she is in her regular appearances on 30 Rock. It’s not much of a horror film, per se, but Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil plays with the conventions of the terrorized-camping-college-kids genre so ingeniously that it’s probably the finest commentary on those conventions since the first Scream hit theatres way back in the ’90s. Recommended for those who love horror, comedy and film criticism.

The Blu-ray edition of the film looks spectacular (I screened the Canadian released from Alliance, which should be sourced from the same elements as the Magnolia release in the US.) The film was shot on the RED camera, providing a digital-to-digital transfer that really shines. This is the way to make a small-budget film that still looks like a million bucks! The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is also impressive, while maybe not as explosive or immersive as bigger budget Hollywood fare.

The collection of bonus goodies on the disc is par for the course but be certain to check out both the hilarious-yet-informative commentary with director Eli Craig and actors Labine and Tudyk and the truly excellent outtakes from the film. Just when you think the laughs are over, there’s a lot more to be found in the discs Special Features department! Also included are a standard “making of” featurette, a 5-minute long HDNet promo for the film, storyboards, a trailer and a pretty funny feature that cuts the film down to around 16-minutes and shows the events of the story from the POV of the “College Kids”.

AMAZON: CDN$ 19.99

Also available: TUCKER AND DALE VS. EVIL (US Edition)

AMAZON: $16.99

CHILLERAMA

It’s the closing night at the last drive-in theater in America and Cecil B. Kaufman (“Hatchet’s” Richard Riehle) has planned the ultimate marathon of lost film prints to unleash upon his faithful cinephile patrons. Four films so rare that they have never been exhibited publicly on American soil until this very night! What could possibly go wrong? In the spirit of classic anthology films like “Creepshow” and “Twilight Zone: The Movie” and containing films that not only celebrate the golden age of drive-in B horror shlock but also span over four decades of cinema, “Chillerama” offers something for every bad taste. With titles like “Wadzilla”, “I Was a Teenage Werebear”, “The Diary of Anne Frankenstein”, and “Zom-B-Movie” and featuring appearances by Joel David Moore (“Avatar”), Lin Shaye (“Insidious”), Ray Wise (“X-Men: First Class”), Kane Hodder (“Friday the 13th”), Eric Roberts (“The Dark Knight”) and more cameos than you can count, “Chillerama” is sure to have you screaming for more. From the depraved minds of Adam Rifkin (“Detroit Rock City”), Tim Sullivan (“2001 Maniacs”), Adam Green (“Frozen”), and Joe Lynch (“Wrong Turn 2″).

If you’ve read this blog for a while, you’ll know of my deep affection for all things horror and of my love of B-movies of all variety. You can imagine then how much I wanted to fall in love with Chillerama. But it just didn’t happen. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot to like in the film but ultimately some of the material just comes off as rather slipshod and cheapens the whole already sophomoric affair. But I love what the film stands for and nearly all of the concepts within, so I’m not going to spend these few words tearing it a new one. Instead, I’ll just provide a few shout-outs to the stuff that works.

The first short, Wadzilla, is the strongest of the bunch and, even in it’s lowest, most bargain basement moments, feels like it’s right on target. And Ray Wise, as the urologist and sperm-enhancer Dr. Weems, is really the best ever. Not too short and not too long, not too cheap but still B-grade all the way, the short film strikes the perfect balance. As does the overarching narrative entitled Zom-B-Movie, which wraps up the entire picture in a fairly pleasing way. There’s a lot of heart up there on screen and a lot of laughs for any audience that enjoys the combination of horror, comedy, nudity and substantial gross-outs. Recommended for a drunken midnight-madness party.

The Blu-ray encode from Image is most likely right on the money but the source material varies greatly from short to short so it’s tough to be sure. Despite the fact that the film and all the extras are crammed onto a single layer disc though, the studio has delivered an encode without any sign of compression nastiness. As a film shot on digital but heavily processed, I think Chillerama looks pretty great on Blu. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is also a bit of a mixed bag but certainly sounds more impressive than it has any right to. Well done all around!

There are plenty of special features on the disc including a fairly thorough group commentary track with all four directors. It’s presented as a picture-in-picture track, so you can get a sense of who is talking and when, particularly useful as there’s lot of joking around and talking over one another. There are a collection of deleted scenes from each of the films-within-the-film, with the exception of “The Diary of Anne Frankenstein“, which instead, is afforded a 23-minute “making of” featurette. “I Was a Teenage Werebear” also receives a 22-minute “Behind the Scenes” doc. The disc is rounded out with a couple of interiew segments with all four directors (both filmed at Comic Con) and some trailers.

AMAZON: $15.99

HORROR EXPRESS

An English anthropologist has discovered a frozen monster in the frozen wastes of Manchuria which he believes may be the Missing Link. He brings the creature back to Europe aboard the Trans-Siberian Express, but during the trip the monster thaws out and starts to butcher the passengers one by one.

Oh man, I’ve been tracking the journey of the Horror Express Blu-ray release since last October (over a year now!) and was so hoping to have a review copy so I could sing it’s praises at length. Alas, another fine-looking Severin release has passed me by (I still haven’t seen Santa Sangre or The Stunt Man from earlier in the year) but this time around, I know it’s only a matter of time before I get my grubby mitts on a copy of the disc in question. Though it’s yet to ship, my Amazon order for the Horror Express Blu is in and I’m anxiously awaiting my first viewing of a high-def Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing teamup! I can’t recomend the Blu-ray disc from first hand experience but include it here out of my sheer excitement for the release. Fingers crossed that it’s all I hope it’ll be!

AMAZON: $13.99

THE ART OF GETTING BY

Fatalistic teenager George Zingavoy (Freddie Highmore) is a master at just barely getting by. In fact, he’s practically turned it into an art form – making it through the entire school year without doing a shred of work. But when George meets a beautiful and complicated girl named Sally (Emma Roberts), he discovers a kindred spirit who turns his slacker world upside down. Their quirky and unexpected romance may just inspire George to do the unthinkable – get off his butt and chase after his dreams.

Whoa. Okay, I’m really hard pressed to find a fifth disc to recommend this week. So, I’ll cap off my list with The Art of Getting By, which my girlfriend thoroughly enjoyed. Yes, I know, it’s somewhat of a cop-out but if the lady of the house sings it’s praises there must be something there to like. The AVS forum speaks highly of the presentation on the Blu-ray, which includes a commentary track and a bunch of featurettes. Check it out here.

AMAZON: $24.99

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:

Annie Hall, Midnight Cowboy, Rebecca, Notorious, Spellbound and The Apartment coming to Blu-ray in January

Brenden — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 02:18:27 +0000

Oh man, this is non-Criterion news that just happens to read like a Criterion Collection title announcement (in fact, a number of these films have actually had a Criterion DVD release in years past but have since fallen out of print.) Early pre-orders posted on Amazon.ca indicate that MGM plans to release six of their finest films on Blu-ray this coming January 24, 2012, including three early Hitchcock films (Rebecca, Notorious, Spellbound), Billy Wilder‘s The Apartment, John Schlesinger‘s Midnight Cowboy and Woody Allen‘s signature film, Annie Hall. As there hasn’t been a product announcement yet, we don’t have any of the official package art or details for the discs but rest assured as soon as the studio sends out a press release we’ll get you the goods.

Top New Blu-ray releases for the Week of November 15

Brenden — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 06:07:41 +0000

What a week! It might not seem overwhelming at a glance but there’s such an embarrassment of fantastic discs hitting the shops today, it’s tough to actually give them all time in the spotlight. Don’t miss those I didn’t cover in my highlights, including the controversial Blu-ray release of My Fair Lady (read more about the controversy here), the shiny, new How To Train Your Dragon cartoon, the Sigur Ros concert film, Inni and Hansjörg “Giorgio” Moroder‘s ’80s music version of Metropolis.

Blu-ray disc of the week: THREE COLORS

“This boldly cinematic trio of stories about love and loss, from Krzysztof Kieślowski was a defining event of the art-house boom of the 1990s. The films are named for the colors of the French flag and stand for the tenets of the French Revolution—liberty, equality, and fraternity—but that hardly begins to explain their enigmatic beauty and rich humanity. Set in Paris, Warsaw, and Geneva, and ranging from tragedy to comedy, Blue, White, and Red (Kieślowski’s final film) examine with artistic clarity a group of ambiguously interconnected people experiencing profound personal disruptions. Marked by intoxicating cinematography and stirring performances by such actors as Juliette Binoche, Julie Delpy, Irène Jacob, and Jean-Louis Trintignant, Kieślowski’s

Three Colors is a benchmark of contemporary cinema.

This is the Criterion Blu-ray release I feel I’ve been waiting for all year. The culmination of everything the studio does well – grabbing up the rights to the best foreign and indie films, providing them the finest presentations possible and cramming the discs they’re on full of bonus goodies. And the Three Colors trilogy of films by Krzysztof Kieślowski are some of the most iconic foreign/indie films of the ’90s, easily deserving a place in the collection. In fact, many would argue that the inclusion of these films in the Criterion library is long overdue.

The transfers on all three films are just about everything a fan could hope for, with Red knocking it out of the park. The films look better than ever before on home video, and most likely better than most have seen them in the cinema. Though not as vivid and clear as modern, big budget presentations, Blue, White and Red all look like film, with tons of detail, accurate colour, a healthy amount of grain present and no hint of digital manipulation. The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 tracks on all three discs are superb, exhibiting surprising dynamic range and depth, while clean and clear throughout. Fantastic!

As you expect from Criterion, the supplemental features are exhaustive, with the only unfortunate omission being the Annette Insdorf commentary tracks from the previously released Miramax DVD versions of the film. Thankfully, Insdorf chimes in here in a 20-minute long “video essay” on the Blue disc. Tony Rayns and Dennis Lim do the same for White and Red, respectively. “Kieslowski’s Cinema Lesson” featurettes are carried over, providing brief but valuable commentary on the films from the director himself. Also carried over from the DVD is a sequence of scenes from Blue with commentary by star Juliette Binoche. The White and Red DVDs had similar features with Julie Delpy and Irene Jacob but they don’t appear to have made the transition to Blu. But let’s nevermind the rest of the content from the old DVDs. What you’ll will find on these discs will blow you away, from exclusive interviews with cast and crew, to various documentaries on the man and his work to a couple of his student films, presented here for the first time in glorious HD. In fact, I should note that all the special features on the discs are in HD – just another little thing that makes Criterion the best at what they do!

Highest possible recommendation!

Special Features:

New high-definition digital restorations with DTS-HD Master Audio
Three cinema lessons with director Krzysztof Kieślowski
New interviews with composer Zbigniew Preisner; writer Krzysztof Piesiewicz; and actors Julie Delpy, Zbigniew Zamachowski, and Irène Jacob
Selected-scene commentary for Blue with actress Juliette Binoche
Three new video essays, by film writers Annette Insdorf, Tony Rayns, and Dennis Lim
Kieślowski’s student short The Tram (1966) and his fellow student’s short from the same year The Face, which features Kieślowski in a solo performance
Two short documentaries by Kieślowski: Seven Women of Different Ages (1978) and Talking Heads (1980)
Krzysztof Kieślowski: I’m So-So . . . (1995), a feature-length documentary in which the filmmaker discusses his life and work
Two multi-interview programs, Reflections on “Blue” and Kieślowski: The Early Years, with film critic Geoff Andrew, Binoche, filmmaker Agnieszka Holland, cinematographer Sławomir Idziak, Insdorf, Jacob, and editor Jacques Witta
Interviews with producer Marin Karmitz and Witta
Behind-the-scenes programs for White and Red, and Kieślowski Cannes 1994, a short documentary on Red’s world premiere
Original theatrical trailers
New and improved English subtitle translations
PLUS: A booklet featuring essays by critics Colin MacCabe, Nick James, Stuart Klawans, and Georgina Evans, an excerpt from Kieślowski on Kieślowski, and reprinted interviews with cinematographers Sławomir Idziak, Edward Klosinski, and Piotr Sobocinski

AMAZON: $55.49

Also new from Criterion this week: THE RULES OF THE GAME

Considered one of the greatest films ever made, The Rules of the Game (La règle du jeu), by Jean Renoir, is a scathing critique of corrupt French society cloaked in a comedy of manners in which a weekend at a marquis’ country château lays bare some ugly truths about a group of haut bourgeois acquaintances. The film has had a tumultuous history: it was subjected to cuts after the violent response of the premiere audience in 1939, and the original negative was destroyed during World War II; it wasn’t reconstructed until 1959. That version, which has stunned viewers for decades, is presented here.

AMAZON: $27.99

LOONEY TUNES PLATINUM COLLECTION: VOLUME ONE

50 of some of the greatest Looney Tunes cartoon are together for the first time on Blu-ray(TM). Releasing in a digibook with rare images and cartoon guide by historian Jerry Beck, this collection has been digitally restored and remastered. This 3 disc collection contains some of the franchise’s most enduring shorts featuring all your favorite Looney Tune Characters! Disc One features 25 classics from the immortals: Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Road Runner, and Wile E. Coyote and more! Disc Two includes 25 shorts featuring One-Shot Classics and the complete collection for each of the following characters: Marvin the Martian, Tasmanian Devil, Witch Hazel, Marc Anthony and Ralph Phillips. Disc Three contains over 5 hours of content saluting animator Chuck Jones, insightful documentaries and rare shorts from Jones and others.

You need to buy this 3-disc boxed set. I’m serious. If you don’t pick this one up there might never be another collection of classic Looney Tunes shorts in HD. Please support this one and ensure that Warner keeps cranking ‘em out into the future! My full review is inked to below.

Highly recommended!

AMAZON: $38.99

WEST SIDE STORY

The greatest love story ever told…in the most acclaimed musical of all time…is now on Blu-ray! Experience every sensational song, dazzling dance number and magical movie moment of “West Side Story” in sparkling high definition with pure 7.1 digital sound – along with fascinating special features created exclusively for this 50th Anniversary Edition! Winner of ten Academy Awards(R), including Best Picture, this electrifying musical sets the ageless tragedy of Romeo and Juliet against a backdrop of gang warfare in 1950s New York. Featuring an unforgettable score, exuberant choreography and powerful performances by Natalie Wood, Russ Tamblyn, Richard Beymer, Rita Moreno and George Chakiris, “West Side Story” will forever resonate as a true cinematic masterpiece.

As is par for the course with Fox and MGM releases, my review copy will turn up after release date. That means I can’t tell you from first hand experience whether or not this new West Side Story Blu-ray release lives up to all the hype. What I can say is that this is one of the most significant releases of the year. And, apparently, one of the most controversial. There seems to be a technical error in the transfer that has turned a dissolve from an image to the main title into a fade-out/face-in situation. In addition, critics on the web are noting faded opticals with poor flesh-tones and contrast. However, those same critics also speak of a brilliant, stable scan with exceptional colour. So, my advice at this point is to purchase with caution. I’ll chime in again on this one when I get my hands on a copy.

AMAZON: $16.99

BEGINNERS

Golden Globe® nominee* Ewan McGregor (Star Wars I, II, III ), Academy Award® nominee† Christopher Plummer (Inside Man), and Mélanie Laurent (Inglourious Basterds) star in Beginners, an uplifting comedy about how funny and transformative life can be. When graphic designer Oliver (McGregor) meets free-spirited Anna (Laurent) shortly after his father (Plummer) has passed away, Oliver realizes just how much of a beginner he is when it comes to long-lasting romantic love. Memories of his father, who, following the death of his wife of 45 years, came out of the closet at age 75 to live a full, energized, and wonderfully tumultuous gay life, encourage Oliver to open himself up to the potential of a true relationship. Inspired by writer/director Mike Mills’ own father, it’s an original love story that critics cheer is “smart, poignant and often hilarious!” (Karen Durbin, Elle)

Mike Mills‘ Beginners is a wonderful film. I reviewed the Canadian Blu-ray release a couple of weeks back and, let me tell you, it’s exceptional, all around. It’s linked to below. Check it out.

AMAZON: $24.99

BELLFLOWER

Best friends Woodrow and Aiden spend all of their free time building “Mad Max”-inspired flamethrowers and muscle cars in preparation for a global apocalypse. But when Woodrow meets a charismatic young woman and falls hard in love, he and Aiden quickly integrate into a new group of friends, setting off on a journey of love and hate, betrayal, infidelity, and extreme violence more devastating and fiery than any of their apocalyptic fantasies.

I think I’m having a love affair with Oscilloscope Labs. In my limited experience with this studio they appear not to be able to do any wrong, delivering unusual, unforgettable films in near perfect presentations with a nice smattering of bonus features! And Bellflower, the debut feature from 21st Century Mad-Max wannabe Evan Glodell, fits the bill to a tee. This is one crackerjack of a little film. It’s not perfect, mind you – it kind of goes off the rails near the end of the second act and never really recovers – but damn, if it hasn’t got it where it counts.

Glodell and his cohorts are the twisted sort who build home-made flamethrowers and Lord Humungous-style apocalypse-driving muscle cars in their spare time so it’s no surprise that Bellflower is fashioned around their particular proclivities. Sadly, the team also seem to be subconsciously effected by the storytelling cliches of modern “mumblecore” cinema and fall into the trap of actually filming a tepid indie romance instead of letting their killer hardware do the talking. And because of the direction the romantic angle leads the narrative, the powerful moments near the end of the film feel cheap and manipulative. Luckily, there are enough idiosyncratic character moments, in-your-face violence and gorgeous, gritty imagery courtesy of Glodell’s custom outfitted Silicon Imaging SI-2K Mini Digital camera to make Bellflower really sing.

Speaking of imagery, this Blu-ray disc looks fantastic! I mean, the film itself looks like nothing I’ve ever seen before – vibrant, and detailed, yet dirty, dark and dull at the same time. Oscilloscope’s transfer replicates every nuance of the oddball source and the results are breathtaking. Seriously, you need to see this to believe it. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 has got it where it counts but it drives home the budget nature of the voice recording in the production. Dialogue sounds thin and even clips at times. But this isn’t a fault of the disc. It’s the nature of the low-budget beast. Extras include an entertaining and informative 23-minute “making of” featurette, a 10-minute rundown of the completed “Medusa” Road Warrior muscle-car, 7-minutes of outtakes and the theatrical trailer for the film. All this packaged in another winning double-gatefold digipack made from recycled material. I love this studio!

AMAZON: $23.99

EVIL DEAD 2

After a relaxing cabin vacation doesn’t go as planned, Ash (Bruce Campbell) is left with three dead friends, an undead girlfriend and an angry evil spirit on the loose. As nightfall approaches, Ash must prepare to again battle the legions of the damned if he wants to make it to dawn. Welcome to EVIL DEAD II, director Sam Raimi‘s infamous second film in his gleefully gory, cult classic EVIL DEAD franchise – starring Bruce Campbell as the most lethal and groovy hero in horror movie history! With over four hours of special features, this 25th Anniversary Edition of EVIL DEAD II: DEAD BY DAWN will leave you gasping for more!

All right, horror nerds! Time to throw out your twelve DVD copies of Evil Dead 2 now because the big, bad Blu-ray has finally arrived to replace them. I know, Anchor Bay already released it on Blu a couple of years back. But seriously now, were you happy with that transfer and that paltry selection of extras? The correct answer is no, you weren’t, and you want more. Well now, thanks to Lionsgate (and Alliance, if you live in Canada, as I do) you can have more in this spiffy, new 25th Anniversary Blu-ray.

The studio was promising a better transfer for the film’s anniversary and I’m pleased to report that they have delivered! Evil Dead 2 has never looked better on home video. That’s not to say that this presentation is going to win any awards. It’s still uneven, with a fair number of soft shots and a grain structure that comes and goes in waves but on the whole, this is a vast improvement from anything I’ve seen before. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 is solid and seems to offer a slight uptick in dynamic response from the previous Blu-ray, with boomy lows and brighter highs.

As nice as it is to have a more respectable HD presentation of the film on Blu, this new edition of Evil Dead 2 really shines in the extras department. The new disc carries over the famous (and hilarious) commentary track from star Bruce Campbell, director Sam Raimi, co-writer Scott Spiegel and special makeup effects artist Greg Nicotero as well as a couple decent featurettes – the 17-minute long “Evil Dead II: Behind the Screams” and 32-minute long “The Gore the Merrier” – both of which are presented in their original SD. The highlight of the new HD extras is the feature-length doc “Swallowed Souls: The Making of Evil Dead II“. Split up into seven parts and running a total of 98-minutes when viewed together, this thing is comprehensive but most likely covers a lot of ground that hardcore fans already know. There’s also a half-hour’s worth of rough looking “behind the scenes” footage, consisting of Nicotero’s on-set home movies and deleted scenes and a brand new, 8-minute long trip back to the original location of the shoot. Cool stuff! The disc is rounded out with four stills galleries covering “Advertising & Memorabilia,” “Behind-the-Scenes,” “Special Make-Up Effects” and “Stop Motion Animation.”

The Canadian edition that I had the pleasure of screening, which is otherwise identical to the US version, also contains a DVD copy of the film.

AMAZON: CDN$ 22.09

Also available: EVIL DEAD 2 (US version)

AMAZON: $9.99

INFERNAL AFFAIRS

The award-winning crime thriller that inspired THE DEPARTED has been hailed by critics everywhere for its gritty action and international superstars. Chan Wing Yan (Tony Leung, Hero) is a hard-nosed veteran cop sent undercover to infiltrate the notorious Triad crime ring. An expert at bringing down violent syndicates, Chan thinks it’s going to be a routine mission. What he’s not prepared for is the discovery that the Triad’s boss (Eric Tsang, The Accidental Spy) has planted a mole (Andy Lau, The Legend of Drunken Master) in the police department… and now Chan is being hunted down. In this battle of wills, only one cop can win!

I don’t recall but were a lot of film fans claiming they like Scorsese‘s The Departed better when it was called Infernal Affairs back in the day, when it was first released? I hadn’t seen the original Chinese film at that point so the storyline was all new to me and decent enough. Maybe not the best Scorsese I’d ever seen but you know. Good movie. Infernal Affairs is a very different creature, to me. I mean, both films share the same narrative DNA but the tone is just so damn different and it’s paced like a rocket in relation to the US film. I think I might have ended up preferring Infernal Affairs if it weren’t for the twist ending which is just so damn…infernal! I mean, infuriating! In any case, this version of the story is the balls. Like I said, it’s really well paced, with just enough action, intrigue and humour to carry you through the 101-minute runtime (50-minutes shorter than Scorsese’s bloated film.)

I don’t know what to think of the Blu-ray presentation of the film. I mean, I know how it looks to me, on my screen, I’m just not sure why. My guess is that Lionsgate is working off the source material Miramax had in it’s possession back in the day, when they made the deal to distribute the film in North America, instead of seeking out the original negative or an interpositive that could provide a more faithful, film-like presentation on Blu. As a result, we’re left with a transfer that’s fairly dull and flat with signs of digital tampering to make it appear to pop a bit more in 1080p. The real shame of the whole thing is that this is probably the best we’ll do where this film is concerned unless we’re willing to import (there’s a Hong Kong Blu-ray release from 2007 that is well reviewed around the internets.) The Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, on the other hand, is excellent across the board, offering clean, clear dialogue, plenty of surround effects and some thunderous lows. There’s an English dub track as well but if you listen to that then you and I can’t be friends any more.

Special features are all carried over from previous DVD releases and are all in SD. They include a 15-minute “makine of” featurette, 6-minutes of “behind-the-scenes” footage, an alternate ending and a couple of trailers.

The Canadian edition from Alliance which I had the pleasure of screening and which is otherwise identical to the US version, also contains a DVD copy of the film.

AMAZON: CDN$ 22.09

Also available: INFERNAL AFFAIRS (US Edition)

AMAZON: $14.99

FARSCAPE: THE COMPLETE SERIES

John Crichton. Astronaut. Flung through a wormhole and lost in a galaxy far from home. He finds himself in the middle of a prison break, surrounded by hostile aliens, soaring through space inside a glorious living space ship called Moya. Hunted by the relentless Peacekeepers, he allies himself with his unimaginably alien fellow refugees and searches for a way home. So begins the epic sci-fi classic “Farscape“. A fusion of live action, state-of-the-art puppetry, prosthetics and CGI, “Farscape” features mind-boggling alien life forms, dazzling special effects, edge-of-your-seat thrills, irreverent humor and unforgettable characters all brought to life by the creative minds at Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. No wonder it’s been called the most imaginative sci-fi series in television history. Here, in time for the series tenth anniversary, are all four “Farscape” seasons, 88 episodes, together for the first time in one epic collection. These are the adventures of Moya’s crew, Crichton, Peacekeeper Aeryn Sun, warrior Ka D’Argo, azure priestess Zhaan, spritely thief Chiana, Dominar Rigel, Pilot and many others. Like Moya herself, this package contains amazing surprises including hours of bonus materials, making-of featurettes, commentaries, interviews, deleted scenes and much more. Prepare for Starburst.

Oh man, I loved Farscape and am totally stoked for this four-season boxed set. If you’re like me and jonesing to pick this up (which we should both probably do sooner than later as it’s relatively cheap on Amazon right now) keep in mind that this show was created in SD. While this case of SD-to-HD doesn’t appear to walk the same dangerous road taken by the Highlander series boxed sets, it does merit some research by the buyer before handing your credit card over to make the purchase. Bill Hunt at The Digital Bits has a great interview with New Video‘s Dan Kenny about the restoration of the series and the production of the Blu-ray discs. There are even some screencaps and Blu/DVD comparisons so go check it out before you buy!

AMAZON: $96.99

ASSASSINS CREED: LINEAGE

“Assassins Creed: Lineage” is a prequel to the video game “Assassin’s Creed II”. It revolves around Ezio’s father, Giovanni Auditore da Firenze, and gives insight on the game’s backstory and universe. Giovanni is an assassin living during the Renaissance in 15th century Italy. At this dawn of a new era, a conspiracy is being plotted by one corrupt family to overthrow the powerful Medici family and destroy a unified Italy. As an assassin, Giovanni must face this threat and bring justice. The story introduces the situation before “Assassin’s Creed II”, and the enemies of both characters.

I don’t quite know what to say about this Blu-ray release as I haven’t gotten my hands on a copy as yet, but the word on the street is that this little 45-minute live-action film, a supplement to the Assassin’s Creed game story, is pretty damn effective and entertaining! I’m looking forward to watching it and the bounty of film and video game related special features included on the disc.

AMAZON: $10.99

Exclusive to Canada: ANIMATION EXPRESS 2

The NFB enriches the world of animation with unforgettable works through its collaboration with the most talented artists and artisans in a spirit of creativity and innovation. The Animation Express 2 compilation presents the best from the 2009-2011 crop, created by filmmakers of diverse cultural origins, including such luminaries as Paul Drissen, Amanda Forbis, Wendy Tilby, Co Hoedeman, Georges Schwizgebel and Koji Yamamura. A selection of 21 films that will delight audiences by taking them into unexplored regions.

I guess it’s animation-on-Blu-ray week here in Canada. Not only do we get our hands on the first of hopefully many Looney Tunes collections but we’re also fortunate enough to receive the second collection of animated shorts from the National Film Board of Canada (we just call it the NFB or the ONF for those who parle français.) You might recall that the first Animation Express collection was released back in 2009 and featured a decidedly modern collection of shorts, adding a few classics in for flavour. Animation Express 2 is much of the same but focuses on the films created since the first disc was released. As in any collection of work from a variety of artists, this one is a mixed bag. But I think it’s safe to say there’s got to be something in the 27 provided shorts for just about everyone. And for the animation fan, the whole thing is very nearly a dream come true. This is high quality work from a broad range of voices and styles.

All 27 shorts are crammed onto a single dual-layer disc which sounds like a pretty decent idea on the surface. Until you realize that those 27 short films actually sport a combined runtime of over 5-hours long! That’s a lot of video to stuff onto a disc while expecting a decent HD image. So, much like the content of the disc itself, the 1080p presentations are a mixed bag, more often than not sporting decent amount of detail but appearing softer than they probably should in a perfect world, suffering here under a variable bitrate that often runs around the DVD mark. Keep in mind, that static images in animated films don’t require the same video bandwidth as live action but all the same, I feel like all the films on this disc would have looked sharper and had a greater sense of depth in their presentations if the content had been spread over two Blu-ray discs. Audio is also a compromise, offered in various language varieties of compressed Dolby Digital.

There are no special features on the disc (thank goodness – where would they have found the room?!) but 6 of the films are exclusive to the format, one of which is available here with an optional 3D presentation! Kind of cool, I guess, if you’ve got a 3DTV and are into that kind of thing.

AMAZON: CDN$ 27.97

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:

Fox/MGM Blu-ray announcements: Sid & Nancy, Tora! Tora! Tora!, The Art of Getting By, more

Brenden — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 16:17:05 +0000

Playing a little catch-up here with some of the recent announcements from Fox and MGM. As we head into the holiday season, the studios tend to release a crap-ton of new titles, and Fox is no slouch. They’ve got quite a wide variety of films and TV coming up on Blu, from catalogue dramas to brand new horror to fun with penguins! Check out the detailed listings below for a handful of what they’ll have on offer in the coming months.

SID & NANCY
(December 27, 2011 – MSRP $24.99)
Video: 1.85:1 1080p
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

Special Features:

“For the Love of Punk” featurette
“Junk Love: featurette

TORA! TORA! TORA!
(December 6, 2011 – MSRP $34.99)
Video: 1.85:1 1080p
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

Special Features:

Digibook packaging
Rare photos from the Fox archives
Extended “Japanese Cut” containing 10 minutes of previously unreleased footage

SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN
(November 1, 2011 – MSRP $39.99)
Video: 2.39:1 1080p
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

Special Features:

The Sworn Sisterhood of the Secret Fan

THE ART OF GETTING BY
(November 29, 2011 – MSRP $39.99)
Video: 2.39:1 1080p
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

Special Features:

Audio commentary with director Gavin Wiesen
New York Slice of Life featurette
On Young Love featurette
Fox Movie Channel featurette – In Character with Freddie Highmore
HBO First Look – The Making of The Art Of Getting By
Theatrical trailer

ATLAS SHRUGGED: PART 1
(November 8, 2011 – MSRP $29.99)
Video: 2:35:1 1080p
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

Special Features:

Audio commentary with writers John Aglialoro and Brian Patrick O’Toole and producer Harmon Kaslow.
Road to Atlas Shrugged
I Am John Galt
“The John Galt Theme” Slideshow

WATER FOR ELEPHANTS
(November 1, 2011 – MSRP $39.99)
Video: 2.39:1 1080p
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

Special Features:

Audio commentary with director Francis Lawrence and screenwriter Richard LaGravenese
Featurettes on stars Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon
The Traveling Show: From Page to Screen: Featurette on the book’s screen adaptation.
Working Without a Net: The Visual Effects of Water for Elephants
The Star Attraction
Raising the Tent
Secrets of the Big Top
Theatrical Trailer

WRONG TURN 4
(October 25, 2011 – MSRP $29.99)
Video: 1.78:1 1080p
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

Special Features:

Feature Commentary with Director Declan O’Brien
Director’s Die-ary’s
Making Another Wrong Turn
Lifestyles of the Sick and Infamous
Music Video

MR. POPPERS PENGUINS
(December 6, 2011 – MSRP $39.99)
Video: 1.85:1 1080p
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

Special Features:

Audio commentary
All-new animated short: Nimrod and Stinky’s Antartic Adventure
Six original featurettes:

The Legacy of Mr. Popper’s Penguins
Ladies and Gentoomen
Ready for their Closeup
Stuffy Penguin Theater
Penguin Pandemonium
Original Story Sampler

Select deleted scenes with optional commentary
Gag reel
Tooth Fairy 2 sneak peek
Theatrical trailer

Rise of the Planet of the Apes Blu-ray coming in December

Brenden — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 15:14:50 +0000

Rupert Wyatt‘s reboot of the Planet of the Apes franchise is absolutely brilliant and, hands down, the best adventure film of the blockbuster summer season. And from the look of the announcement from Fox, the Blu-ray edition of the film should be a worthy release, at least in as much as the special features are concerned. There’s a ton of them here, from multiple commentary tracks to deleted scenes and featurettes. Hell, there’s even a doc about Andy Serkis! Rise of the Planet of the Apes will be on store shelves December 13th in the US and Canada and December 7th internationally.

James Franco (127 Hours) stars as Will Rodman, a neuroscientist living in San Francisco trying to develop a cure for Alzheimer’s disease by testing on chimpanzees, giving them a human level of intelligence. After a test subject’s baby, Caesar, is orphaned, Will decides to raise him at home on his own with his Alzheimer-stricken father (John Lithgow; “Dexter”). What begins simply as a continuation of his experiment quickly turns into a problem for Will, as Caesar is taken away from him and forced to live in a primate facility. As Caesar’s intelligence continues to grow, he begins to stake his claim as the leader of his new primate counterparts, which will ultimately lead to the RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES.

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
(December 13, 2011 – MSRP $39.99)
Video: 2.39:1 1080p
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

Special Features:

Feature Film
Deleted Scenes
- Alpha Gets Shot
- Will’s Meeting with Lab Assistants
- Will Discovers Caesar Has Solved Puzzles
- Caesar Plays with Bicycle
- Caesar Questions His Identity
- Caesar Bites Off Neighbors Finger
- Will Ignores the Risks of an Airborne Mutated Virus
- Rodney Gives Caesar a Cookie
- Rocket Gets Hosed by Dodge
- Caesar Destroys the Lab and Koba’s Attempted Revenge on Jacobs
- Caesar Pushes Helicopter
- Koba with Shotgun
Pre-vis for The Future
Capturing Caesar – Script to Screen
Studying the Genius of Andy Serkis
Multi-Angle: Rocket Cookie Scene
A New Generation of Apes
Breaking Motion Capture Boundaries
Breaking New Sound Barriers: The Music and Sound Design of Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Ape Facts
- Chimpanzee
- Gorilla
- Orangutan
Audio Commentary by Director Rupert Wyatt
Audio Commentary by Writers Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver
Character Concept Art Gallery
Three Theatrical Trailers
Digital Copy

Straw Dogs Blu-ray Disc Review

Brenden — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:34:36 +0000

STRAW DOGS (1971, Blu-ray released September 6, 2011 – MSRP $24.99)

MOVIE:	★★★★★
VIDEO:	★★★★½
AUDIO:	★★★★☆
EXTRAS:	½☆☆☆☆
BLU-RAY:	★★★½☆

The original Straw Dogs is one of a handful of true masterpieces of the cinema to come out of the seventies and it’s never looked or sounded better than on this new bare-bones Blu-ray from MGM/Fox.

Brace yourself for the extended version of this daring and provocative drama from the director of “The Wild Bunch”. Starring Dustin Hoffman in a “superbly realized” (Time) performance, this “brilliant” (Cue), disturbing film charts one man’s brutally violent journey from cowardice to courage and “delivers one helluva jolt” (Playboy). To escape the Vietnam-era chaos in the U.S., American mathematician David Sumner (Hoffman) moves with his British wife Amy (Susan George) to an isolated English village. Their presence provokes antagonism among the village’s men. Escalating from routine bullying to the gang rape of his wife, David finds his pacifist self being backed into a corner and responds in the violent and gruesome manner he abhors.

When most film nuts are asked to name their favourite Sam Peckinpah film, dollars to donuts the answer will be The Wild Bunch. But I’ve always been more of a Straw Dogs kind of guy, myself (with a healthy amount of love and fascination with the amazing Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia, added in for good measure.) There’s something about the quiet build of the film, the menace that’s lurking right under their noses, as Hoffman and his wife (Susan George) move to their new home in rural England. It might not be the most action packed Peckinpah film but I think it’s the most nuanced and well balanced of his oevre. I didn’t get a chance to see the recent remake (this Blu-ray disc was released just in time to promote the film) but I find it tough to believe that it could possibly be superior to this classic in any way.

Straw Dogs makes its Blu-ray debut in a very handsome, rich transfer from MGM. The 1080p/AVC encode is thick with grain and colour, sporting deep blacks and tons of detail. This is an entirely film-like and shockingly stable presentation that I’m proud to shelve alongside my Criterion Collection 2-DVD set. I’m sorry to report, however, that the original mono soundtrack has not been included on the disc – a critical strike against the Blu-ray for purists. The included DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 is, thankfully, quite respectful and eschews unnecessary bombast and effect for clean and clear audio, mostly centered around the front of the soundstage.

As I said above, I’ll be shelving this new Blu-ray disc alongside my old 2-disc DVD set from Criterion. I’ll be holding onto to that one because it contains a ton of bonus content, almost all of which has been left off of the MGM Blu. The only extras provided on the disc are a bunch of TV spots and a trailer for the film – a far cry from the commentary track, isolated score, documentaries, behind the scenes footage and interviews available on the DVD. That said, the Blu-ray provides a big enough leap forward in presentation that any fan of the film would do well to upgrade from their old standard-def DVD. And, despite the lack of extras, you can’t go wrong picking up Straw Dogs on Blu at current Amazon prices (only $10.99 at the moment!)

Recommended!

Special Features:

Original Theatrical Trailer
Three Original Television Spots

Dressed to Kill Blu-ray Disc Review

Brenden — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 21:00:33 +0000

DRESSED TO KILL (1980, Blu-ray released September 6, 2011 – MSRP $24.99)

MOVIE:	★★★½☆
VIDEO:	★★★★☆
AUDIO:	★★★★☆
EXTRAS:	★★★½☆
BLU-RAY:	★★★½☆

Brian De Palma‘s twisty noir Dressed to Kill is the furthest thing from a perfect film. But what it lacks in solid story it makes up for in style and technical prowess. The new MGM/Fox Blu-ray edition of the film highlights it’s strengths with a strong presentation and decent collection of special features.

Kate Miller (Angie Dickinson, “Police Woman”) is a sexually-repressed housewife who seeks treatment from Dr. Robert Elliott (two-time Academy Award®-winner Michael Caine, Hannah and Her Sisters, The Cider House Rules). While secretly leaving a hotel after a one-night affair, Kate is mysteriously murdered by a tall blonde woman wearing sunglasses. The only witness is a high-priced call girl, Liz (Nancy Allen in a Golden Globe®-nominated performance), who becomes the killer’s next target. With the help of Kate’s grown son, Peter (Keith Gordon, A Midnight Clear), Liz discovers that the murderer is connected to Dr. Elliott, and the pair come face-to-face with a shocking surprise.

Dressed to Kill is a strange duck. On one hand, it’s a thrill to see a director craft work that so celebrates his medium as De Palma does here. Every shot, every camera movement is electric – a perfectly lit and choreographed ballet of elated cinematography. It’s a wonder to watch. On the other hand, the story doesn’t work as well as it should. De Palma’s structure and pacing are off through most of the picture – more concerned with a brilliantly staged sequence than the effect that chunk of narrative has on the movement of the entire piece. He might be trying to pull off his best Hitchcock here but he lacks the Master’s ability to perfectly balance the medium and the narrative. It’s tough to be critical of a film that’s such a classic, though. Dressed to Kill could be a much better movie but at thirty years old, most fans are pretty comfortable with it’s many idiosyncrasies. I don’t think we’d have it any other way.

Fans will be over the moon with the Blu-ray presentation of Dressed to Kill, as it makes its high-def debut in a detailed, completely film-like transfer. We’re not talking about Criterion-level clean up here, like their pristine, gorgeous edition of De Palma’s Blow Up released earlier in the year. But this colour accurate, very stable transfer sure does hold its own. Blacks are deep, there’s plenty of film grain on display (never too much for me!) and no untoward signs of digital manipulation appear, as far as I could tell. Really nice work from MGM. The original audio tracks have been expanded to a very pleasing DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, that’s far more active than you’d expect. I don’t know what state the original stems are in but, as nice as this new surround track is, it would have been even better to have those included. That said, I’m pretty ecstatic about the dynamic, clean and clear track provided.

There are a number of special features included on the new Dressed to Kill Blu, all carried over from the 2001 DVD, and, sadly, all still in standard definition. But let’s not gripe about the small things. The 45-minute ‘The Making of a Thriller‘ doc is great stuff, interviewing most of the principal cast and crew from the film and filled with info and anecdotes. If you check out any extra on the disc, make sure it’s this one! ‘Slashing Dressed to Kill‘ is nearly 10-minutes of discussion on the edits necessary to bring the film to theatres and TV. A comparison of all three versions of the film is also included and runs around 5-minutes. ‘Dressed to Kill: An Appreciation by Keith Gordon‘ is a little 6-minute chat with one of the stars of the film. The disc is rounded out with a photo gallery and the original theatrical trailer.

Special Features:

“The Making of a Thriller” Full-Length Documentary including interviews with Brian De Palma, Angie Dickinson, Nancy Allen and Dennis Franz
“Slashing Dressed to Kill” Featurette
“Dressed to Kill: An Appreciation by Keith Gordon” Featurette
“Comparison of the Unrated, R-rated, and Network Versions” Featurette
Animated Photo Gallery

Top New Blu-ray releases for the Week of October 4

Brenden — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:06:16 +0000

Wow. I’m still reeling from the pick of the week. It’s hard to even look at anything else here. Make sure you check it out (as if you can miss it) but also scroll all the way to the bottom of the page and take a gander at some of the other interesting discs hitting shelves this week: new season sets of Chuck and Bones, excellent TV horror Dark Night of the Scarecrow and several recent Jane Austen PBS mini-series.

Blu-ray disc of the week: TREE OF LIFE (CANADA)

From Terrence Malick, the acclaimed director of such classic films as “Badlands”, “Days of Heaven” and “The Thin Red Line”, “The Tree of Life” is the impressionistic story of a Midwestern family in the 1950s. The film follows the life journey of the eldest son, Jack, through the innocence of childhood to his disillusioned adult years as he tries to reconcile a complicated relationships with his father (Brad Pitt). Jack (played as an adult by Sean Penn) finds himself a lost soul in the modern world, seeking answers to the origins and meaning of life while questioning the existence of faith. Through Malick’s signature imagery, we see how both brute nature and spiritual grace shape not only our lives as individuals and families, but all life.

I’m not sure that there’s a more important film released this year than The Tree of Life. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anything that can compare, to be honest – the unprecedented marriage of sounds and images in perfect subjective symmetry. I have a feeling this film will become a touchstone for generations of artists, including those already working today. Malick is able to use the form in ways that seem to escape most in the business, particularly those caught in the gears of the plastic Hollywood machine. His ability to juxtapose disparate images to imply new narrative threads is rare and, in my experience, usually only found at this level in the best comics, where the use of image-as-concept is often the only tool in the creator’s pallette. The Tree of Life is pure art. A two-and-a-half hour long tone poem of a sort, but with a backbone of narrative to support it. As far as I’m concerned, this is the best film of 2011. And one of the best Blu-ray presentations as well!

I received the Canadian version of The Tree of Life Blu-ray from eOne. The disc is identical to the US release from Fox (save the studio marker at the beginning) and is one of the most stunning high-def releases of the year. Honestly, I don’t think any film has ever looked better on my projector. Colours pop, detail is out of this world and blacks are deep and dark. Combine the reference quality image with the near-perfect 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track and The The Tree of Life is the perfect demo disc to show off your home theatre. No matter what you think of the deliberately paced story and the gentle, subjective style of film-making, you’ll want to own a copy of this disc just to wow your neighbours and friends. It’s the Planet Earth purchase of 2011.

Special features are limited to a single half-hour long documentary called “Exploring the Tree of Life.” Don’t sell this little gem short, though. It’s created by home-video producer extraordinaire Laurent Bouzereau (Jaws, Avatar, Indiana Jones disc and doc producer, to name a few) and it’s wonderful and insightful, covering not only the various facets of the production, but also looking to other contemporary filmmakers (Christopher Nolan and David Fincher to be exact) for comments on Malick and his style. If, after watching the film, you find yourself a little lost, give this doc a watch. It’ll set you on the path to understanding the work and what went into assembling it. Magnificent. As is to be expected, the reclusive auteur, Malick himself, doesn’t make an appearance. The theatrical trailer is also included.

Highest possible recommendation.

Special Features:

Exploring the Tree of Life, a 30 minute making-of documentary
DVD (and Digital Copy in the US) of the film

AMAZON: CDN$ 24.99

Also available: TREE OF LIFE (US)

AMAZON: $24.99

THE FOUR FEATHERS

This Technicolor spectacular, directed by Zoltán Korda, is considered the finest of the many adaptations of A. E. W. Mason’s classic 1902 adventure novel about the British empire’s exploits in Africa, and a crowning achievement of Alexander Korda’s legendary production company, London Films. Set at the end of the nineteenth century, The Four Feathers follows the travails of a young officer (John Clements) accused of cowardice after he resigns his post on the eve of a major deployment to Khartoum; he must then fight to redeem himself in the eyes of his fellow officers (including Ralph Richardson) and fiancée (June Duprez). Featuring music by Miklós Rózsa and Oscar-nominated cinematography by Georges Périnal and Osmond Borradaile, The Four Feathers is a thrilling, thunderous epic.

Another landmark release from The Criterion Collection, The Four Feathers has been long in need of a respectful resurrection on home video. I haven’t received my copy of the film yet but I’m so looking forward to delving into it. Early reviews point to the image being far from perfect but, without question, the best the film has ever looked on any format. Special features include a commentary track, a half-hour long interview with the director’s son, filmmaker David Korda, a vintage promo film, the theatrical trailer and the usual printed booklet.

AMAZON: $26.99

BEAUTIFUL BOY

“Beautiful Boy” is an unconventional love story that explores the journey of a married couple on the verge of separation, who must live with unimaginable heartbreak, and find healing through the darkest days of their lives. Bill (Michael Sheen) and Kate (Maria Bello) hopelessly try to find some hint of an explanation after finding out that their only son committed a mass shooting at his university before taking his own life. They struggle numbly through the funeral, the media onslaught, and the awkward pity from relatives and friends. Their already strained marriage is tested as they realize all they have left with each other is their shared grief and confusion – and the unfortunate legacy of their son. This life-altering event forces Bill and Kate to face their feelings of guilt, rage, blame, self-discovery – and ultimately hope – so that they can finally see each other and their chance for happiness again with clear eyes.

Beautiful Boy has a lot in common with The Tree of Life. (I wonder if its home-video release was timed to coincide?) Both films revolve around a narrative dealing with loss and attempts to find one’s self after suffering profound tragedy. Shawn Ku‘s film, however, deals with things head on, in as direct a fashion possible, with a linear narrative that examines a couple pulling apart and ultimately together to cope with great loss. It’s a moving and poignant portrait of a couple of well rendered people, played to perfection by master thespians, Michael Sheen and Maria Bello. It’s far from a fun film but a thoroughly rewarding drama by a bright young filmmaker with great promise.

Anchor Bay presents the film in an attractive, film-like Blu-ray edition that appears to accurately replicate the source material. There’s a fair amount of grain on display but if you’re at all like me, you love it and love that source-accurate discs like this give the feeling of actually watching film. And that’s when Blu-ray is at its best. This isn’t the prettiest looking film, but the presentation on the disc is detailed and just about perfect, for what it is. The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround mix is front heavy, as is to be expected in a drama of this sort, without very many opportunities to show off. It’s a good, solid lossless track but not very exciting.

Special features are limited to a couple minutes of fairly dry deleted scenes and one of the sleepiest group commentary tracks I’ve ever heard. Keep that coffee at arms length if you plan to listen to writer/director Shawn Ku, editor Chad Galster and cinematographer Michael Fimognari talk about the production for any longer than a few minutes. They’ve got a lot to say and they certainly amp up the energy as the track moves along but boy, is this one a tough slog. The disc is rounded out with the theatrical trailer.

AMAZON: $19.99

GREEN LANTERN

In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, an elite force of protectors for peace and justice has existed for centuries. They are the Green Lantern Corps. When a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of the Corps’ newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds). Bringing the popular superhero to the big screen for the first time, Green Lantern also stars Blake Lively (Gossip Girl), Peter Sarsgaard (Orphan), Mark Strong (Sherlock Holmes), Academy Award® nominee Angela Bassett* and Academy Award® winner Tim Robbins**.

I haven’t seen the Green Lantern Blu-ray yet and I don’t know that I want to. This is probably the worst big-budget, mainstream superhero film to be released in years. How this clunker of a script got by the gatekeepers of quality at Warner and DC is beyond me. Very little in the story makes sense for the characters and the plot is a mess, when it’s not too busy being pedestrian. What a let down. That said, the extras on the Blu-ray look like they’ll be fun to watch. And I’m sure the A/V quality of the thing will be stellar. Any way you slice it, it’s one of the biggest releases of the week and worth noting here. Green Lantern will be on store shelves this Friday, October 14th.

AMAZON: $24.99

HORRIBLE BOSSES

Management candidate Nick Hendricks has been logging 12-hour days and eating everything his twisted supervisor dishes out, toward the promise of a well-earned promotion. But now he knows that’s never going to happen. Meanwhile, dental assistant Dale Arbus has been struggling to maintain his self-respect against the relentless X-rated advances of his D.D.S. boss when she suddenly turns up the heat. And accountant Kurt Buckman has just learned that his company’s corrupt new owner is not only bent on ruining his career but plans to funnel toxic waste into an unsuspecting population. Quitting is not an option. These monsters must be stopped. So, on the strength of a few-too-many drinks and some dubious advice from a hustling ex-con whose street cred is priced on a sliding scale, the guys devise a convoluted but foolproof plan to rid the world of their respective employers… permanently. But even the best-laid plans are only as good as the brains behind them.

I’m sticking Horrible Bosses up here this week because I’m kind of excited to see it, despite the mixed reviews it received. C’mon, how can any film with Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Kevin Spacey and Colin Farrell, who just happens to be sporting a bald wig and bad comb-over, possibly be anything but brilliant? I’ll let you know, when my review copy shows up.

AMAZON: $24.99

THE BAD SEED

Rhoda Penmark (Patty McCormack) is a well-mannered 8-year-old little lady – and an efficient, unfeeling killer. And in this spellbinding chronicle of evil, whatever Rhoda wants, she ruthlessly gets. Her mother Christine (Nancy Kelly), reluctantly made to see her offspring’s moral blindness at work, is heartrendingly torn between the love for the child she bore and grief for Rhoda’s victims. From Maxwell Anderson‘s stage hit, “The Bad Seed” ticks like a time bomb under the skillful direction of Mervyn LeRoy, who cast several Broadway production originals, including Kelly (recreating the role that won her a Tony), McCormack and Eileen Heckart. their harrowing performances captured three of this suspenseful movie’s four Academy Award(R) nominations – and make this thriller one of the great ones.

If The Bad Seed were a modern film, it would be the campiest of productions this side of Desperate Houswives. In fact, it’s hard to take it seriously, even now, watching this classic 1956 stage adaptation. The performances are all overheated, the story, right on the nose and that ending – my, God, that ending! Watching The Bad Seed felt like experiencing an old, lost episode of Dark Shadows or something, without the supernatural element to it. Young Patty McCormack is something to behold, as the bitchy little so-and-so who takes what she wants and deals out her ruthless vengeance to those who resist or threaten. Apparently, she perfected her duplicitous persona on stage in the role before heading to the big screen. It would explain why director LeRoy could coax such an assured and solid, yet theatrical, performance from such a young actress. But, sadly, in the end, as entertaining as The Bad Seed is to watch, it feels like an overlong television production, with uninspired shots and stagey setups. It’s still a classic and worth a look but don’t expect a grand Hollywood production here.

Warner brings The Bad Seed to Blu-ray in a presentation that appears uneven at the best of times. If I had to guess, I would put my money on the source material here being the best of the films surviving elements, with some shots looking fairly clear and detailed, as if transferred from 35 mm and others appearing dull, flat and without detail, as if scanned from a 16 mm dupe or even pulled from old tape. Yes, some scenes almost look that bad. But it’s the inconsistency, and the fact that there are moments where this disc looks pretty great, that makes me believe Warner did the best with what they’ve got. I wish I knew more about the source here. Just know going in that The Bad Seed looks way better on Blu than it did on DVD. But this disc is not going to blow you away. The mono DTS-HD Master Audio track is clean and clear, with limited range, as is to be expected from a film of this age.

McCormack provides most of the Blu-ray discs special features, carried over from the DVD, in the form of a 15-minute interview and a very lively, entertaining commentary track. While the interview is quite fine and informative, I would actually recommend checking out the commentary track, if you’re only going to hit up one of the extras here. Playwright/actor Charles Busch chats informally with McCormack for the length of the film, the two sharing laughs and stories, providing a very easy and pleasant listen. The disc is rounded out, as most are this week, with the theatrical trailer.

AMAZON: $13.99

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:

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