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Goodfellas (20th Anniversary Edition) Blu-ray Disc Review

Brenden — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 00:27:06 +0000

GOODFELLAS (20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION) (1990, Blu-ray released February 16, 2010 – MSRP $34.99)

Goodfellas is twenty years old? Get the f*$& outta here! There’s no denying that this is one of the finest mob movies, if not one of the finest films that has ever been made. And the new Blu-ray from Warner, celebrates the anniversary with a new silk suit and haircut but, sadly the mobster inside remains the same. Um…by that, I mean that this is the same disc they released three years ago in a new package.

You don’t need me to tell you the story of Martin Scorsese‘s Goodfellas, do you? I mean, in the twenty years since its release it’s managed to become the ultimate depiction of the mob, inspiring damn near every subsequent mafia film that’s emerged in its wake. Not to slight the Godfather films in the least, but Goodfellas seems to have eclipsed the famous Francis Ford Coppola trilogy in the minds of younger generations. And that fame and level of import are only a few of the reasons that this 20th Anniversary Blu-ray release is a bit of a let-down.

This is the same Blu-ray disc that was released in 2007. The same transfer, the same extras. Same, same, same. If you already count Goodfellas among your Blu-ray disc collection, you won’t find anything new here. And that’s a disappointment. The quality of the transfer isn’t awful. But it’s not great either. It didn’t win any awards back in 2007 and it only looks that much worse now, when our expectations for what a good transfer can be have been raised so high. But a lot of the problem here isn’t necessarily the fault of the disc. The film could really use a restoration (for instance, there’s a moment about an hour into the film when a very distracting line runs down the entire screen) despite its relative youth. I’m sure, given the cost of such a job, we won’t be seeing an improvement here anytime soon. With that in mind, you can feel confident that this version of Goodfellas is best this film will look on home video into the immediate future. But enough about the problems of the disc set, let’s talk about what’s great here.

Lots. First of all, Goodfellas comes packaged in a beautiful hardcover book. I really love these things. Warner should reissue as many films as they can in nice “digibook” editions. I think it’s the classiest way to display a Blu-ray collection. Inside the little book, you’ll find two discs – the Goodfellas BD and Public Enemies: The Golden Age of the Gangster Film on DVD, a feature length documentary about mob movies that, until now was an exclusive addition to the Warner Gangsters Collection Vol. 4.

While they may not be exactly new, the special features on the Goodfellas Blu-ray disc are quite nice. Anytime you can get a Scorsese commentary track you know you’re in for a treat. And his commentary here is shared with author/screenwriter Nicolas Pileggi, producers Irwin Winkler and Barbara De Fina, cinematographer Michael Ballhaus, editor Thelma Schoonmaker, and cast members Ray Liotta, Lorraine Bracco, Paul Sorvino and Frank Vincent. As excellent and informative as this cast and crew track is, you may prefer to listen to the Cop and Crook Commentary, featuring the real Henry Hill (the man whose real-life story is told in the film) and FBI agent Edward McDonald. An awesome and truly inspired inclusion!

Rounding out the extras on the disc are a handful of fairly good featurettes – a standard, half-hour “making-of”, a 14-minute piece examining the legacy of the film, an 8-minute look at real-life mobsters and a storyboard comparison. In addition, the second disc (the gangster doc DVD) includes half an hour of gangster related Looney Tunes and Merrie Melody cartoons. All bonus features are in standard definition.

Previously on The Blu-ray Blog: Goodfellas 20th Anniversary Blu-ray coming in February

Goodfellas: 20th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray Disc Details, Package Art

Brenden — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:53:53 +0000

We’ve finally got some details on Warner Home Video‘s upcoming Goodfellas: 20th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray Disc set. Not only do I love this film but I love the idea that we’re getting a new edition of it packaged in a digibook along with a whole host of additional special features. I fear, however, that Disc-1 of the 2-disc set, the one with the feature on it, will just be a re-purposing of the previously available release. If that’s the case, we may have to wait until a possible 25th Anniversary Blu-ray edition of the film to get an audio upgrade from the 2007 lossy Dolby Digital to a lossless soundtrack.

GOODFELLAS: 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
With 34-page digibook with film facts, insider info, and photos
(February 16, 2010 – MSRP $34.99)
Video: 1.78:1 VC-1
Audio: TBA

Special Features:

Commentary with cast and crew
Commentary with Henry Hill and Former FBI Agent Edward McDonald
3 featurettes (“Getting Made”, “Made Men: The GoodFelllas Legacy”, “The Workaday Gangster”)
Storyboard-to-Screen Comparisons
“Public Enemies: The Golden Age of the Gangster Film” documentary
Classic Gangster Themed Cartoons (“I Like Mountain Music”, “She Was an Acrobat’s Daughter”, “Racketeer Rabbit”, “Bugs and Thugs”)
Theatrical trailer

Previously on The Blu-ray Blog: Goodfellas 20th Anniversary Blu-ray coming in February

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Goodfellas 20th Anniversary Blu-ray coming in February

Brenden — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 06:13:45 +0000

You might remember that I picked Goodfellas as one of my Top 8 Blu-ray Discs to get Dad for Father’s Day this year. I had to. It’s one of those films that my father will watch over and over and over again. Clearly it plays well to the over-50-with-adult-children set. Hell, it plays well to damn-near everybody! What a perfect film. And now it’s getting a new edition to celebrate its 20th Anniversary.

Home Media Magazine is reporting that Warner will ship a Blu-ray Book Edition version of the film on February 16. In addition to the standard hardcover 34 page book packaging, the Blu-ray will include a TCM feature-length documentary called Public Enemies: The Golden Age of the Gangster Film (available on DVD from Amazon here), four Warner Bros. mob-themed cartoons and the rest of the bonus content from the previously available Blu-ray disc.

We’ll update you when we find out more about this release!

Top 8 Blu-ray Discs to get Dad for Father's Day

Brenden — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 06:24:00 +0000

Father’s day is creeping up on us pretty quickly and, I don’t know about you, but I always have a tough time buying for the old man. So, I thought this year I’d do us all a favour and put together a list of some of the movies that my dad loves, to assist in the gift-hunting frenzy that will no doubt be the coming week. Now, I’m assuming here that everyone’s dad has the exact same taste in movies. Probably not the best idea. But I only know what I know. And this list represents the best of the best on Blu-ray, as my dad would see it.

Just in case he reads this: No dad, they don’t have The Full Monty or The Commitments on Blu-ray yet. Maybe you’ll get them next year.

THE TOP 8 BLU-RAY DISCS TO GET DAD FOR FATHER’S DAY

8. DIE HARD COLLECTION

Once upon a time, Bruce Willis had hair and could take out an office tower full of terrorists while barefoot and bloodied. Those were the days. Relive Willis at his best here, in this box-set featuring all four Die Hard films. As you can imagine, if you recall all the films, you’ll also have the opportunity to relive Willis at his worst. Nevermind. Who doesn’t love a Die Hard film?

The Box set features a couple of lackluster transfers, a couple of great ones and bonus material that deserves an upgrade. On a positive note, you can usually get this thing for a steal! And c’mon, really…who doesn’t love a Die Hard film?

7. GOODFELLAS

My dad has watched Goodfellas on TV about a hundred times. Rarely from beginning to end as his preference seems to be watching films from the middle onward, but he’s seen it a lot. At least he’s seen the end of it a lot. Needless to say, whenever it’s on the old boob-tube, dad flicks it on. It’s a favourite.

And this Blu-ray disc version of Goodfellas could easily become a favourite as well, what with the spiffy 1080p upgrade and a couple of the better commentary tracks on home video. Not only do you get a nice sit-down with director Martin Scorsese, his cast and crew but you also get a second track featuring the man whose life the film is based upon, Henry Hill and FBI agent Edward McDonald, the man who put him in witness protection. Fascinating!

6. STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES – SEASON 1

Fascinating, indeed! I am simply blown away by this box set (full review coming soon) and anxious to show it to my dad. While not a Trekkie or Trekker, he always had a great appreciation for a good sci-fi show. And Trek ranked among the best in my house, growing up.

Paramount Home Video has gone above and beyond the call of duty in bringing these episodes of the original 60s TV show to Blu-ray. Star Trek has never looked this brilliant, vivid and saturated in lush colour. Packed to the brim with featurettes, commentary tracks and behind-the-scenes footage, you simply can’t go wrong picking up this box-set.

5. ENTER THE DRAGON

Bruce Lee at his best. I had forgotten how fantastic the man was until watching this film again recently on Blu-ray. This is a quintessential 70s action flik and no doubt a favourite of a lot of fathers.

The Blu-ray edition of Enter The Dragon ports over most of the generous portion of bonus features that Warner had assembled for their four releases of the film on DVD. These extras are amazing! Some might say, better than the film itself. If your dad has ever had any interest in the life of the martial arts master, he’ll be pleasantly surprised by the wealth of information packed within the many documentaries and featurettes on the Blu-ray. Oh, and to tempt you further, Enter the Dragon looks great for a 35 year old film. And you can usually pick it up pretty cheap! (Currently, $11.49 at Amazon)

4. THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

I had to fit a western on here. And what better film than one of Sergio Leone and Clint Eastwood‘s finest spaghetti westerns, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Mind you, this wasn’t an easy choice. John Ford‘s incredible The Searchers starring John Wayne was a definite contender, with it’s incredible restoration job and low, low price of $7.99 at Amazon. But ultimately I had to go with the film that I would pick up for my own dad. And Clint will always win over the Duke in my dad’s eyes.

While the film itself may not be the ultimate presentation of Leone’s epic shooter in it’s extended cut, with perhaps a bit too much digital processing in the wrong places, the package contains some incredible extras. Not least of which is a brand new commentary track historian and Leone expert, Christopher Frayling that contains more information about the ‘Dollar’ trilogy than you can shake a six-shooter at. All together, a great buy.

3. JAMES BOND FILMS

I couldn’t pick a single Bond film. Guilty as charged. It’s not that I’m necessarily indecisive. It’s just that there’s really a wealth of Bond-awesomeness to chose from on Blu-ray. Something for everyone, for every budget.

If it’s old-school Bond that floats your dad’s boat, you can find a good selection of the Connery and Moore films on Blu in individual releases. Or if you’re feeling wealthier and your father enjoys the entire series, you can pick up the Bond Collections, which feature 3 films each, chosen in a seemingly random fashion from amongst the eras. Last but certainly not least are the newer, Daniel Craig films, both excellent on Blu. The 2-Disc Casino Royale is currently quite affordable on Amazon at $14.99.

2. THE GODFATHER: THE COPPOLA RESTORATION GIFTSET

I don’t know a dad who doesn’t like The Godfather 1 and 2. In fact, I think a devout appreciation of Francis Ford Coppola‘s mob epic is a prerequisite of fatherhood. Also required, a hatred of the much-maligned Godfather Part 3.

If anything can make your dad give Part 3 another go, it’s this gorgeous giftset of the entire Godfather series on Blu. The first two films have undergone a drastic restoration process and have a look that some might find startling. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. While not gaining the sparkle of modern films, Godfather 1 and 2 are brighter and more detailed than ever before. Part 3 is well presented and, while the film isn’t the best of the series, it is nice to look at in 1080p. The set is rounded out by a ridiculous wealth of bonus features, including all the extra content from the 2001 DVD edition as well as brand-spanking new HD stuff. Great set!

1. BAND OF BROTHERS

This HBO TV series by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks is epic. It’s complex. It’s real. Based on Stephen Ambrose‘s book of the same name, Band of Brothers chronicles the story of the soldiers of Easy Company from basic training to the end of World War II in ten phenomenal, riveting episodes.

The box-set set of the complete series looks and sounds great on Blu and ports over all the bonus content from the DVD set. In addition, each episode features all new, Blu-ray exclusive Picture-in-Picture interviews/commentary with the surviving members of Easy Company. The veterans share haunting memories of WWII and discuss the accuracy of their on-screen representations. As if this wasn’t enough, each of the ten Band of Brothers episodes offer real time trivia, accessible video content, interactive maps, archive footage, and a glossary of WWII military terms, abbreviations, and slang in the feature called In the Field with the Men of Easy Company: Interactive Guides.

I’m going to be honest with you here: I don’t know if my dad has even seen this show. But I’ll tell you this, if I had to rush out and get him a Blu-ray gift that looked and sounded great, had tons of amazing bonus features and offered an incredible value, Band of Brothers would be at the top of the list.

The Blu-ray Blog » Goodfellas

Goodfellas (20th Anniversary Edition) Blu-ray Disc Review

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Goodfellas: 20th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray Disc Details, Package Art

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Goodfellas 20th Anniversary Blu-ray coming in February

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Top 8 Blu-ray Discs to get Dad for Father's Day

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