The Blu-ray Blog » JJ Abrams

Top New Blu-ray releases for the Week of November 22

Brenden — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 03:25:44 +0000

I actually started tackling this post early this week, knowing full well that the onslaught of Black Friday deals would chip away at what little free time I would have to look at and review new Blu-ray discs. But alas, I find myself in the unfortunate position of publishing this New Release update late in the day as per usual. Luckily, there’s a lot of good stuff to check out here. Be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom of the page for titles I didn’t get a chance to review like Three Amigos!, Birth of a Nation and the latest season set of the Doctor Who TV show.

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: SUPER 8

JJ Abrams and Steven Spielberg join forces in this extraordinary tale of friendship, mystery, and adventure. Super 8 tells the story of six friends who accidentally film a train wreck only to discover that something unimaginable escaped during the crash. Now, the only thing more mysterious than what it is – is what it wants. Experience the film that critics rave is, “filled with unstoppable imagination and visual effects to spare. It will put a spell on you.” – Peter Travers, Rolling Stone.

There are those of us who’ve been longing for the type of films and the style of filmmaking we came to know and love in the early ’80s in the work of Steven Spielberg – the magical, innocent feel of Close Encounters and E.T. that seems very elusive in cinema these days. I have a feeling that we can count filmmaker J.J. Abrams among us, as his latest film Super 8 is as much a love letter to a youth spent making films on the titular handheld camera as it is to the cinematic style of a man who would become something of a mentor to him.

Super 8 has just about everything going for it. It’s so slick and well shot, it stars the best and brightest cast of young kids to appear on the big screen since The Goonies and it sports another fantastic Michael Giacchino score. And, oh yeah, Abrams is a hell of a director who, In this case, absolutely nails that vintage Spielberg tone. It’s a cracking good yarn that really only loses some steam upon the moment of the big reveal. I mean, it’s not a bad reveal, I think I was just hoping to see something new or a little more imaginative. Perhaps a younger audience would look upon the plot with fresher eyes and not see that the twist in the tale is actually tired and predictable. It’s a testament to the filmmaking and all those involved in the production, though, that the single shortcoming of the film hardly matters a whit when the movie is just so overwhelmingly entertaining.

Super 8 looks fantastic on Blu-ray. I give Paramount a tough time about a good deal of their catalogue transfers but when they put their mind to these new releases they just knock them out of the park! And this one is no exception. This Blu-ray disc is reference quality with spot on colours, deep blacks and a light, perfect sheen of film grain. The Dolby TrueHD 7.1 sound track is also a winner, providing booming lows, clean, clear dialogue and perfectly dynamic representation of the score. It’s honestly one of the most immersive tracks I’ve hear in ages. Just wait until you hear the train crash sequence. You’ll hardly believe your ears!

The Super 8 Blu-ray comes packed with special features including a killer commentary from Abrams, producer Bryan Burk, and cinematographer/lens-flare fanatic Larry Fong, a series of featurettes that, if viewed together, form an exhaustive feature-length doc about the making of the film and around 12-minutes of deleted scenes. There’s also a DVD and digital copy of the film in the package.

Highly recommended!

Special Features:

Commentary by writer/director J.J. Abrams, producer Bryan Burk and cinematographer Larry Fong
Behind-the-Scenes Featurettes
- The Dream Behind Super 8
- The Search for New Faces
- Meet Joel Courtney
- Rediscovering Steel Town
- The Visitor Lives
- Scoring Super 8
- Do You Believe in Magic?
- The 8mm Revolution
Deconstructing the Train Crash
Deleted Scenes

DVD:

Feature Film
Digital Copy

AMAZON: $19.99

12 ANGRY MEN

12 Angry Men, by Sidney Lumet, may be the most radical courtroom drama in cinema history. A behind-closed-doors look at the American legal system that is as riveting as it is spare, this iconic adaptation of Reginald Rose’s teleplay stars Henry Fonda as the dissenting member on a jury of white men ready to pass judgment on a Puerto Rican teenager charged with murdering his father. The result is a saga of epic proportions that plays out over a tense afternoon in one sweltering room. Lumet’s electrifying snapshot of 1950s America on the verge of change is one of the great feature film debuts.

Some say this film, Sidney Lumet’s first is his best. And now some are saying that this new Blu-ray edition of the courtroom classic from Criterion is the best it’s ever looked or sounded. I’m dying to get my hands on it and, by gum, if it doesn’t end up in a Black Friday sale some time this week it’s going to be the number one item on this year’s Christmas list.

AMAZON: $27.99

RUSHMORE

The dazzling sophomore film from Wes Anderson (Fantastic Mr. Fox) is equal parts coming-of-age story, French New Wave homage, and screwball comedy. Tenth grader Max Fischer (The Darjeeling Limited’s Jason Schwartzman) is Rushmore Academy’s most extracurricular student—and its least scholarly. He faces expulsion, and enters into unlikely friendships with both a lovely first-grade teacher (The Ghost Writer’s Olivia Williams) and a melancholy self-made millionaire (Groundhog Day’s Bill Murray, in an award-winning performance). Set to a soundtrack of classic British Invasion tunes, Rushmore defies categorization; it captures the pain and exuberance of adolescence with wit, emotional depth, and cinematic panache.

Also making my Christmas list, if it doesn’t dip in price this week, is my favourite Wes Anderson film ever. I’ve just about burned out my Criterion DVD edition of Rushmore so I guess I’m about due for this upgrade. And with this release, I can tick another title off my list of Criterion DVDs most deserving of a Blu-ray upgrade. Now if only the studio would get around to Brazil…

AMAZON: $27.99

COP LAND

This tense action -thiller explodes with nonstop excitement and riveting star performances! Sylvester Stallone stars as Freddy Heflin, the sheriff of a place everyone calls “Cop Land” – a small and seemingly town populated by big-city police officers he’s long admired. Yet something ugly is taking place behind the town’s peaceful facade. And when Freddy uncovers a massive, deadly conspiracy among these local residents, he is forced to take action – and make a dangerous choice between protecting his idols…and upholding the law!

Cop Land was released on Blu-ray a couple of weeks back by Lionsgate in the US of A. We, here in Canada, see the film hit shelves on Blu today via Alliance. This is exactly the same presentation that’s on the American disc. The only differences come in the form of branding and some trailers.

The transfer is a mixed bag and I can’t really pinpoint why. It looks really great at times, exhibiting tons of detail and definition but then, with other shots, suddenly appears soft. I can only imagine that the source material is all over the place – no doubt a result of limited budget – and resulted in this transfer that’s less than perfect. Lionsgate has been doing a bang up job with their Blu-ray presentations lately and I’d be shocked to learn that they cut corners here. All things considered, though, the disc looks pretty decent. It’s a big step up from the DVD.

Speaking of which, it’s been years since I’ve watched Cop Land and it really holds up. This is one of the best catalogue films I’ve watched recently and I’m so glad I’ve had this chance to revisit it. James Mangold writes and directs here and reminds me with every nuanced character and every show of machismo on screen why he’s the perfect choice to helm the next Wolverine film (yes, I’m actually kind of excited about Mangold directing Wolverine. Sue me!) But as awesome as the story is here, Cop Land is all about its killer cast – Sylvester Stallone, Robert DeNiro, Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta, Janeane Garofalo, Robert Patrick, Peter Berg, just about every cast member of The Sopranos and the list goes on and on.

The special features here are carried over from the previously available DVD edition of the film (which is actually included here as well, in the Canadian release) and include a decent commentary track from Mangold, Stallone, Patrick and producer Cathy Konrad, a 15-minute “making of” featurette, a storyboard comparison and a couple of pretty decent deleted scenes that you can choose to watch with optional commentary from Mangold, Stallone and Konrad.

AMAZON: CDN$ 22.09

CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND

George Clooney (Up in the Air) makes his directorial debut and stars alongside Drew Barrymore (He’s Just Not That Into You), Sam Rockwell (Iron Man 2) and Julia Roberts (Eat Pray Love) in the comedy thriller that poses an irresistible question: What would happen if a wildly successful TV producer was also a top secret CIA assassin? While a maverick creator of America’s favorite game shows gains notoriety for his smash television hits, he is also drawn into a shadowy world of danger as a covert government operative! But soon his double life begins to spiral out of control. Based on Chuck Barris‘s cult classic autobiography, this entertaining comedy is a killer hit!

Exactly along the lines of Cop Land, Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind was released on Blu-ray a couple of weeks back by Lionsgate in the US of A. We, here in Canada, see the film hit shelves on Blu today via Alliance. This is exactly the same presentation that’s on the American disc. The only differences come in the form of branding and some trailers.

And just like Cop Land, this one was a pleasure to watch again, after only having seen the film once, way back when it was released in 2002. I’ve got to tell you that, as weird and subjective as it is, it really holds up. Clooney is one hell of a director and this is one hell of a debut. The script is never uninteresting and the performances are absolutely out of the world, with Rockwell devouring the screen at every opportunity. The only thing that makes the work feel dated is the over-the-top use of filters in the photography. It’s as if cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel, fresh off his experimental work on Three Kings, felt like pushing every limit of the medium here in this production. And, as effective as that style might be at times, I find it simply distracting here.

So, don’t adjust your set, your Blu-ray looks exactly as it should – weird. Don’t worry, it’ll settle down after a time. And when it does, you’ll see just how fine this transfer is. There’s a lot to like here but with all the filtering and processing it’s tough to tell exactly how the disc is handling the source material. That said, fans of the film will be be more than happy with this upgrade. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is also quite strong.

Much like the Cop Land disc again, the Confessions Blu-ray has carried over extras from the previously issued DVD which is included here as well, in the Canadian release. Bonus features include an entertaining commentary track from Clooney and Sigel, a fairly decent “Behind the Scenes” featurette that runs over 20-minutes, 23-minutes of, frankly amazing deleted footage with excellent optional commentary from Clooney and Sigel, screen tests, more footage of Gong Show acts and a few minutes looking at “The Real Chuck Barris”.

AMAZON: CDN$ 22.09

THE DEVIL’S DOUBLE

Based on a shocking true story, The Devil’s Double follows the riveting journey of Latif, a man forced to become the body double of Saddam Hussein’s ruthless son, Uday. Thrust into the debauched life of fast cars, easy women, and limitless power, Latif becomes virtually indistinguishable from the feared “Black Prince”. As war threatens Uday’s gangster regime, Latif realizes he must escape from the devil’s den – or die trying.

I enjoyed Lee Tamahori‘s The Devil’s Double for its story and design but the film belongs to Dominic Cooper, who plays both leading roles to perfection. The Blu-ray release is very strong with a vibrant, if not occasionally strange presentation and nice collection of extras. Check out my full review of the Canadian edition of the Blu-ray, linked to below.

AMAZON: CDN$ 24.99

Also available: THE DEVIL’S DOUBLE (US Edition)

AMAZON: $19.99

CONAN THE BARBARIAN

A quest that begins as a personal vendetta for the fierce Cimmerian warrior soon turns into an epic battle against hulking rivals, horrific monsters, and impossible odds, as Conan realizes he is the only hope of saving the great nations of Hyboria from an encroaching reign of supernatural evil.

I’ve got a lot to say about this new Conan film but I’ll hold most of my thoughts for the inevitable full length review I’m plan to tackle whenever my screener arrives. I saw the film in theatres and feel comfortable saying that there’s a lot of fun to be had with the film. There are exciting action sequences, some scantily clad women and imaginative Frank Frazetta inspired images, rendered, for the most part, using the powers of the mighty CGI paint brush. Sadly, there’s also a whole lot that doesn’t work. But then again, I’m a massive fan of the original Conan film and might have had my personal bar set too high on initial viewing. Perhaps I’ll like this remake a lot more on Blu-ray?

AMAZON: $22.99

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:

Super 8 Blu-ray announced and detailed

Brenden — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 14:45:48 +0000

I’m still kicking myself for missing Super 8 when it was playing in theatres this past summer. It’s this year’s Scott Pilgrim for me – the film I kept making failed efforts to see. Hopefully it’s not going to take me a year to see J.J. Abrams‘ ode to Spielberg and sci-fi films of the ’70s and ’80s, as it did for me to finally see Pilgrim. Thankfully, Paramount is bringing the film to Blu-ray on November 22 to help me out. Thanks, guys! Looking forward to it!

SUPER 8
(November 22, 2011 – MSRP $44.99)
Video: 2.39:1 1080p
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 7.1

Special Features:

Commentary by writer/director J.J. Abrams, producer Bryan Burk and cinematographer Larry Fong
Behind-the-Scenes Featurettes
- The Dream Behind Super 8
- The Search for New Faces
- Meet Joel Courtney
- Rediscovering Steel Town
- The Visitor Lives
- Scoring Super 8
- Do You Believe in Magic?
- The 8mm Revolution
Deconstructing the Train Crash
Deleted Scenes

DVD:

Feature Film
Digital Copy

Lost: The Complete Sixth and Final Season Blu-ray Disc Review

Brenden — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 20:10:24 +0000

LOST: THE COMPLETE SIXTH AND FINAL SEASON (2010, Blu-ray released August 24, 2010 – MSRP $79.99)

Count me among the legion of viewers and fans who were left empty by the Lost series finale. What a disappointment. It was a lackluster conclusion to an imperfect season of television. The same can’t be said for the Lost: The Complete Sixth and Final Season Blu-ray disc set. Aside from the show itself, there’s very little to take issue with here.

I think my frustration with the final season of Lost is due to the myriad of story opportunities the show passed by in favour of extolling a collection of ideas and themes that the producers felt a strong connection to. This wasn’t always the case. Over the initial five seasons the show was most concerned with the careful balance of character moments and plot movement. It came out of the gates firing on all cylinders six years ago but quickly ‘lost’ itself in an endless mess of dull subplots and seemingly random threads of story that lead nowhere. Into the fifth season of the show, which I reviewed on Blu-ray last year, it had clearly become a television series that had once again found its way, presenting some of the most well crafted stories I’ve seen on TV. Leading into the final season, this past year, Lost felt to me like it was finally going somewhere. Like we were on the precipice of experiencing the most well thought out and satisfying conclusion of any series in television history. Sadly, that wasn’t to be.

After watching this final collection of episodes again on Blu-ray, it seems like the season actually had very few plot points to hit before drawing to its grand conclusion. A lot of the screen time is actually eaten up either attempting to hastily tie up dangling plot threads from previous seasons or pushing the series toward its overwrought and only loosely relevant finale. Which brings me to the now infamous “flash-sideways” elements of the story.

Previous seasons have used flashbacks to reveal character and flash-forwards to escalate the plot. I was certain that the “flash-sideways” device, which presents the characters off of the island, living their lives in an alternate universe, would amount to something of a revelation in the plot. Instead, this device which easily takes up half of every episode, ultimately adds nothing to the show, aside from the heavy-handed punctuation of some major themes that would have been better addressed within the main story threads. Watching the season over again hammers home what a wasted exercise this was for the show. One that detracts from the finer points of the entire series, if you ask me.

But enough grousing. Lost is still a fantastic show. Still one of the best things ever to air on network television. Season 6 might not hold a candle to season 5 in my eyes, but it’s got a whole lot going for it – adventure and intrigue, incredible action and mystery, touching, even tear-jerking moments with your favourite characters and, most importantly, some answers to long-burning questions. After these episodes, you’ll finally know who Jacob is, what the island is all about and why Jack, Sawyer, Kate and their fellow passengers of the doomed Oceanic flight 815 are so important to keeping it secret and safe.

Along with being a cracking good series, Lost: The Complete Sixth and Final Season is also one of the best looking and sounding TV shows ever! This Blu-ray disc presentation is as close to perfection as it gets, providing crisp, detailed and clean HD transfers for all 16 episodes. Colour fidelity is pitch perfect and blacks are deep and deliciously inky. Along with an aggresive, robust and dynamic DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless track, you’ll feel satisfied making the discs in this boxed set your new demo material. Seriously, television has never looked or sounded this good!

Much like previous seasons of Lost on Blu-ray, this newest disc set offers up a stunning collection of bonus features, with a couple of caveats. Let’s get those out of the way first – there’s a whole other disc full of content not present here (you’ll have to pick up The Complete Series boxed set to get your hands on that bad boy) and you’ll have to struggle through Disney‘s “Season Play” feature on all the Blu-ray discs. What’s this “Season Play“, you ask? It’s supposed to be a feature that makes keeping track of your viewing progress an easier process. But for me, it simply involved too many clicks, too much setup to enjoy using. And, in fact, before you can even use it, you have to sit through a commercial touting the feature you’ve already chosen from the menu! I would have much preferred to have a “Play All” feature on each disc than to have to click into my “account”, then choose the disc (despite the fact that there’s only a single disc in my player) and then choose the episode I want to watch. Much too labourious a process to play a single episode.

But those are small quibbles with an otherwise incredible set of extras. Along with four of the best commentary tracks you’re ever bound to hear on disc, featuring members of the cast and the creators of the show revealing more behind the scenes info than you can shake a stick at, you’ll be treated to a veritable ton of featurettes, deleted scenes and bloopers. In addition, the hit of the season 5 Blu-ray set, “Lost University” returns with another BD-Live Master’s Program, accessed through your players’ network connection. But wait, there’s more! The feature all Lost fans have been waiting for has got to be “The New Man in Charge” – the 12-minute denouement to the series, exclusively presented in this season set and the in the Complete Series collection. It’s a lot of fun and answers more questions in its brief runtime than the first four seasons combined! Well worth the wait and well worth the $48 on Amazon!

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Plus: A Lost Blu-ray & DVD exclusive – Go deeper into the world of LOST with a much-anticipated new chapter of the island’s story from Executive Producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse… and starring some very familiar faces
The End: Crafting A Final Season – Join the LOST team along with other producers of some of television’s longest running shows as they examine the challenges of ending a landmark series
A Hero’s Journey – What makes a hero? Which survivors of Oceanic 815 are true heroes? These questions and more are explored
See You In Another Life, Brotha – Unlock the mysteries of this season’s intriguing flash sideways
Bloopers
Deleted Scenes
Audio Commentaries

Top 5 New Blu-ray releases for the Week of August 24

Brenden — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 04:47:57 +0000

This weeks best Blu-ray releases deliver us a healthy dose of TV shows, classic films and animation. But nothing can compete with the juggernaut of a series that is Lost! It’s an easy call for the number one slot this week.

1. LOST: THE COMPLETE SIXTH AND FINAL SEASON

Well, this is a no-brainer. If the final Blu-ray season collection of the Lost tv series isn’t on your radar this week you’re missing out. This is one of the strongest releases of the year, featuring one of the best shows ever to air on network television in a damn-near perfect video and audio presentation. Not to mention the incredible and robust set of special features included in the set. I’ll save my musings about this final season of the series for a full review of the season set where I can go on at length about the controversial decisions the production team made to bring the series to a close along with my thoughts on the story in general.

But!

If, by chance, you happen to be one of those rare people who hasn’t had a chance to watch any of the series yet, you’re in luck…

Amazon: $47.99

ALSO AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY TODAY -

LOST: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION

…because the entire series, all six-seasons are now available in one amazing and convenient boxed set! Owners of individual seasons may even want to trade up to this big, bad-boy as it offers an extra secret disc of bonus content as well as tons of collectibles and goo-gahs.

Amazon: $194.99

2. THE SIMPSONS: THE 13TH SEASON

Hardcore fans might look at this thirteenth season of the long-running animated show as something of a mixed bag as it marks the beginning of Al Jean‘s first season as Show Runner and the subtle (to some, drastic to others) shift in tone from The Simpsons of previous seasons to the style of stories we still see from Jean’s team today. Either way, collectors will be happy to add another season to their shelves and fans will praise the return of creator commentary tracks. Here’s hoping Fox gets us more Simpsons on Blu-ray soon!

Amazon: $39.99

3. SHOGUN ASSASSIN (30TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTOR’S EDITION)

I used to collect the Lone Wolf and Cub comic books back in the 80s, when they were first issued in English with those great Frank Miller and Bill Sienkewicz covers (yeah, I’ve still got ‘em!) Shogun Assassin is an American edit of the first two Japanese film adaptations of the series, smushed together into one slick package with a brand new rock soundtrack. It might not be as pure as the original versions but it’s still all kinds of fun. Read all about it in our previous post, here: Shogun Assassin coming to Blu-ray.

Amazon: $14.99

4. MACHINE GUN MCCAIN

Okay, this is a gangster film you’ve probably never seen. Why should you care about Machine Gun McCain? I’m going to throw some names at you here to see if I can can convince you – the film stars John Cassavetes, Peter Falk, Gena Rowlands and the always stunning Britt Ekland, with music by…get ready… the master, Ennio Morricone!!! The disc is produced by the Criterion of b-movies, Blue Underground so you’re guaranteed something nice to look at. I mean, aside from the lovely miss Ekland.

Amazon: $17.49

5. HANDMADE FILMS COLLECTION – TIME BANDITS, MONA LISA, WITHNAIL AND I, THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY

Oh man, I was so so so excited for these four classic British movies produced by Handmade Films to make their way onto Blu-ray. But not like this. All four of these should be Criterion releases. Hell, they’ve all been Criterion titles at some point and I wish they would goddamn well get their asses back there, to a studio that will treat them with some respect. Image has just chucked them all unceremoniously onto single-layer discs, compressed to hell with very few extras. And the worst offense? Time Bandits is only presented in 1080i. That’s right. Interlacing on a disc of a movie shot on film, in this day and age. Despite my reservations about the quality of the discs, all of these films are wonderful and most have never looked as good as they do on these cheapo discs.

Amazon: $12.99 each

ANIME OF THE WEEK: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Part 2

If you picked up Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Part 1 back in May (it was one of our recommended Blu-ray discs for the week of May 25th!) you’ve no doubt been counting the days until you could get your hands on the follow-up thirteen episodes. Well, anime fans, the day has come and let me tell you, if you’re into this sort of thing, this second boxed set featuring the adventures of the Elric brothers is going to blow your mind!

While the first thirteen episodes were all about set-up, covering familiar ground and essentially condensing the first 30-or-so episodes of the original series into a small, more palatable chunk, the episodes found on the Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Part 2 Blu-ray discs find their way into new, unexpected and exciting territory. Al and Ed Elric are Alchemists – young magicians of a sort – who lost some significant body parts to their forbidden experiments. Their quest to find the mysterious Philosopher’s Stone which can make them whole again now takes a dark turn, leading them to lose dear friends and face painful secrets that could lead the boys to ruin. To speak more specifically about the story would spoil a host of surprises but rest assured, if anime is your thing, you won’t feel cheated by Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Part 2.

The Blu-ray discs look pretty good, for upconverted content and sound great in both Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0 and English Dolby TrueHD 5.1. I only wish there were more substantial bonus materials in the Blu-ray set, beyond the two commentary tracks from the English language voice cast.

Amazon: $33.99

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

The 82nd Oscar Winners on Blu-ray

Brenden — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:46:23 +0000

I hate award shows. I was almost able to avoid the whole Academy Award fiasco last night. Sadly, I caught the opening few minutes of this years self-congratulatory Hollywood travesty, like a stray botox-bullet to the face. I’ll no doubt spend the rest of the week recovering.

I caught up on all the Oscar award winners afterward and I can’t say I was surprised or delighted by much of the news. I am happy to tell you though, that most of the films that took home a statue are either already available on Blu-ray or have been announced to be released on the format soon. Are you more apt to pick up any of the following titles, now that they are Academy Award winners?

AVATAR – ART DIRECTION, CINEMATOGRAPHY, VISUAL EFFECTS

Available now in 2D movie-only Blu-ray and DVD and 4-Disc Special Edition Blu-ray sometime in November (unofficial) from Fox.

THE BLIND SIDE – SANDRA BULLOCK – BEST ACTRESS

Available now from Warner.

THE COVE – DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Available on Blu-ray only in France and Germany with no domestic release pending from Lionsgate.

CRAZY HEART – JEFF BRIDGES – BEST ACTOR; ORIGINAL SONG – “THE WEARY KIND (Theme from Crazy Heart)”

Available now from Fox.

THE HURT LOCKER – DIRECTING; FILM EDITING; BEST PICTURE; SOUND EDITING; SOUND MIXING; ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Now available on Blu-ray from Summit.

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS – CHRISTOPH WALTZ – BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Now available on Blu-ray from Universal.

PRECIOUS – MO’NIQUE – BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS; ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Available now from Lionsgate.

EL SECRETO DE SUS OJOS – BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM (Argentina)

Blu-ray announcement pending from Sony. Available in Spain now.

STAR TREK – MAKEUP

Now available on Blu-ray from Paramount.

UP – ANIMATED FEATURE; ORIGINAL SCORE

Now available on Blu-ray from Disney.

THE YOUNG VICTORIA – COSTUME DESIGN

Available now from Sony.

With thanks to Blu-ray.com.

[VIDEO] Lost: The Complete Sixth and Final Season Blu-ray Trailer and Details

Brenden — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 17:00:43 +0000

That’s right, the sixth and final season of Lost has only just started airing on TV and we’ve already got a trailer for the Blu-ray boxed set! These are crazy, crazy times we live in here, folks. While final details have yet to be released by the studio, we’ve been given a preview of the special features likely to end up on the final discs. Take a look:

LOST: THE SIXTH AND FINAL SEASON
(August 24, 2010 – MSRP $79.99)
Video: TBA
Audio: TBA

Special Features:

Previously on The Blu-ray Blog: Lost: The Complete Fifth Season Blu-ray Disc Review

Lost: The Complete Fifth Season Blu-ray Disc Review

Brenden — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:46:13 +0000

LOST: THE COMPLETE FIFTH SEASON (2009, Blu-ray released December 8, 2009 – MSRP $79.99)

Lost just about lost me. J.J. Abrams‘ castaway drama had one of the strongest openings of any TV show I’ve ever seen but squandered that beginning over the ensuing couple of seasons with meandering, plotless episodes that led us further from the mystery at the heart of the show. Thankfully, things have tightened up in the last couple of years. And I’m happy to say, this fifth season of the series is the strongest ever!

How do I even begin to talk about this show? I mean, I can’t really go anywhere near the plot without spoiling elements of the story for any prospective viewers out there. I can’t talk much about the characters beyond providing quick descriptions of the main players. But that’s almost pointless. They’re so far beyond their cardboard-cutout starting points. Jack is no longer just the surgeon of the group. Kate is more than a fugitive from justice. And John Locke? Well…if I say ANYTHING about Locke, it’s way too much at this point.

I’ll just tell you this – the fifth season of Lost was a game-changer in almost every way. It altered all the rules, then broke them and fashioned new ones to suit its needs. It introduced new characters, killed off old favourites and revealed names, faces and personalities of characters we had only glimpsed in seasons past. It played with science and mysticism, time and space, and most important of all, began to draw back the curtain, providing the audience with some much needed answers to questions long held. This is the bright, fresh intelligent series promised us by the pilot episode. Lost can now hold its head up high, crowned king of the new HD airwaves. The best US network television has to offer.

As befits a king, Lost: The Complete Fifth Season Blu-ray Disc set is crowned with sparkling, bejeweled transfers, the likes of which any program created for TV would be proud to possess. These episodes look incredible. You’ve never really experienced Lost until you’ve had a chance to see it on Blu-ray. The super-compressed HD versions broadcast over the airwaves and on cable just don’t measure up to the pristine high-video bandwidth transfers on the discs. This is how Lost should be experienced. Simply breathtaking! (Oh, and the DTS-HD Master Audio track is no slouch either!)

If you’re a rabid fan of the series as I am, you’re no doubt most curious about the special features offered in the set more than anything else. These extras generally provide more than just a chance to see behind the scenes but also supply additional clues to the mystery at the core of the series. And god knows, anyone following Lost can always use a few extra hints to keep up with the twists and turns of the story!

There’s a lot to love here – in depth audio commentaries, deleted scenes and a metric-ton of featurettes covering everything from the cast’s reflections on the first 100 episodes of the show to a look insides the writer’s room, where all the real magic happens. My favourites had to be “Making Up For Lost Time” where we get a chance to see how all involved with the production dealt with the elements of time travel now littering the plot of the show and “An Epic Day With Richard Alpert“, following actor Nestor Carbonell through 24hrs of shooting. I also really enjoyed the blooper reel, which you can see a preview of above.

The greatest disappointment of the Lost: The Complete Fifth Season Blu-ray set for me is not an element of the actual discs themselves but the set-up of the BD-Live presence. Before the discs release, much had been made of the Lost University feature – a series of online classes available through the discs (learn more at www.lostuniversity.org) I’ve got to say, I was really looking forward to these “classes”. They seem really cool! Watch a sample below:

But here’s the problem: apparently I’m not allowed to access this feature of the discs because I live in Canada. Now maybe it’s because I’m reviewing discs sent from the USA and Canadian discs would work perfectly well for me. Or maybe I’m just falling prey to a problem many users outside the US are experiencing, being unable to login due to overwhelming server demand. I can’t say for sure. All I know is that this looks like an amazing feature and it sucks that I can’t review it for you.

Despite this apparent glitch in the system, keeping me from experiencing everything the discs have to offer, I can unequivocally recommend the Lost: The Complete Fifth Season Blu-ray set. This is television at its best, looking and sounding better than ever before.

Blu-ray Picks for the Week of December 8

Brenden — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:16:10 +0000

Oh, what a weird day today! Was awakened at 5AM by bad porch kitten, iPhone died around 7AM, almost choked on a Cinnamon Streusel Mini-Wheat at 9AM, now I’m left exhausted, out-of-touch and coughing, to wade through this weeks new Blu-ray releases. Thankfully, there aren’t a lot of quality discs out today (there is a whole pile of crap, direct to video kind of stuff I’ll just ignore) but the discs worth noting are most certainly worth rushing out to pick up.

I just watched Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince a couple of nights ago. Amazing! I’m in love with this series. I’m not sure that I can even be objective about the individual films anymore. I loved this film to the extent that I’d be happy to pop it on again tonight and watch it all over again. And the Blu-ray package is a fantastic one as well, stuffed with incredible special features. Chief among them is the Maximum Movie Mode, which allows you to watch the film alongside the actors and production crew, who explore elements of the film through conversation, stills and focus featurettes. Awesome!

And if you’re half the Harry Potter nut that I’ve become, you’re going to want to grab up these new Ultimate Editions of the first two films. They come complete with everything included on the old versions of the discs and have added extended cuts of the films, more special features and come packaged with collectables and books. Read our full run-down of the releases for more details.

Best. Season. EVER! With season 5, Lost went from a pretty good show to absolutely great! And this Blu-ray set will let you relive every moment in stunning 1080p. Really, these episodes are gorgeous in HD. You haven’t seen a thing until you’ve seen them on the Blu-ray disc. The Season 5 disc set contains a ton of extras, the coolest of which is the online Lost University, which you can enroll in today via BD-Live.

And if you’re a super-mega fan of Lost, you’ll want to get your hands on this Dharma Initiative Orientation Kit edition of the Season 5 set. It includes a VHS Orientation Video for New Recruits, Limited Edition Collectible embroidered DHARMA Patches (MAY Include The Exclusive Submarine Patch), Orientation Guides to the Compound, Motor Pool, Security and Cafeteria and an exclusive CD of Geronimo Jackson’s “Dharma Lady” and more!

And if you’re up for a killer deal today (Tuesday, Dec. 8th only!) Amazon.com has Lost: Seasons 1-5 in their Gold Box Deal today for 70% off the MSRP! Take advantage of this deal before it’s over and get every episode of Lost that’s aired so far for only $108.99!

This film was surprisingly good! We watched Julie and Julia last night and while I would take issue with some of the more ham-fisted lines of dialogue and moments of over-acting littered throughout, the whole film plays quite well overall. It is sweet, in that Rom-Com kind of way but that’s to be expected from a director like Nora Ephron (Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail). But this isn’t a Rom-Com. It’s a study of two lives that run in parallel over two different time periods – one, a young girl in 2002 lost in the doldrums of her life and the other, a lady approaching middle age, who would become famous for bringing French cuisine to the USA. And Meryl Streep is simply outstanding in the role of famous chef Julia Child. It’s worth checking out the movie for her portrayal alone. Great film and a wonderful Blu-ray from Sony.

I haven’t had a chance to screen this Blu-ray yet but I really enjoyed Public Enemies in the theatre. I’ll get behind any Michael Mann film, of course, but I think this one is really worth checking out. If for no other reason than the very peculiar way a period film plays when shot on High-def video!

Star Trek (2009) Blu-ray Disc Review

Brenden — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 23:02:01 +0000

STAR TREK (2009, Blu-ray released November 17, 2009 – MSRP $39.99)

This is probably my favourite new title of the year. Yes, I’m a nerd. But while my Trek-loving tendencies may be to blame in part for my enthusiasm, this new film is so all-around entertaining that everyone I know who had a chance to see it enjoyed J.J. Abrams‘ re-imagining of Star Trek immensely. I just watched the new Blu-ray edition of it and to be honest, I can’t wait to watch it again!

I know some Trek-haters. Only a couple, really. A lot of people with Trek-apathy, though. And yet all of them, every single one dragged kicking and screaming into the theatre, walked out singing the praises of Star Trek. Some even curious to watch episodes of the old TV show. And that, to me pinpoints the success of the film. J.J. Abrams took everything that ever made Star Trek great, distilled it to a couple of hours, packaged it in lightning and unleashed it on an audience who didn’t know they were craving it all along.

Most fans had given up on the franchise long ago. It had been ages since I cared about Star Trek, I know that for sure. I recall starting to feel worn out by the franchise around the time of Deep Space 9. Voyager, Enterprise and a handful of less-than-fantastic Next Gen feature films were the final nails in the coffin for me. By the time the early 2000s rolled around, I barely had a Trek-care left. I’d be happy to watch the odd episode of the original series when they came on TV and Wrath of Khan remained a treat, but aside from that I had little interest left. This new Trek film has managed to turn all of that around. It reminds me of the things that made me fall in love with the franchise to begin with. It manages to do that and so much more, bringing a new, fast-paced action feel to our beloved tale of space exploration. Along the way we’re introduced to younger versions of our favourite characters, all perfectly cast and embodying everything we came to love about them in the TV show and films. Now, I’m not saying that this Chris Pine fellow is any replacement for the legendary William Shatner in the role of Captain Kirk. But he does a fantastic job and even manages to make the character his own, while maintaining a little of the James Tiberius we know and love. A cheeky smile. Commanding authority. Even a hint of classic Kirk conversational cadence. Perfect! A quality indicative of the rest of the film. Damn-near note perfect.

There isn’t another Blu-ray disc in my collection that I want to watch with such frequency as I do Star Trek at the moment. I can’t wait to have a chance to put it on again! It looks damn-near perfect, it sounds damn-near perfect and is a great sci-fi adventure on top of that. It’s a wonderful demo disc that’s going to sell set-top players and PS3s all holiday season.

And aside from just being a wonderful technical showpiece for your home theatre, the Star Trek Blu-ray will provide you with countless hours of additional entertainment, as it’s packed to the gills with special features! I literally spent hours wading through the bounty of HD featurettes on the second Blu-ray disc. They cover every aspect of the film, from the concept, the casting, shooting, make-up, music, sound effects…the list goes on. And almost every little doc can be viewed with or without the ability to see additional branching content. If I have a single gripe with the special features, it’s a common one I have with most modern discs – if given the chance, I’d rather watch all “making-of” featurettes as one lengthy documentary, as opposed to little bits and pieces. To be honest though, I’d happily settle for a “Play All” option.

The commentary track with director Abrams, producers Bryan Burk and Damon Lindelof, and writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci is one of the highlights of the Blu-ray disc set. Listening to it makes you feel like you’re at a production party or an exclusive gathering. It’s equally as enthralling and as frustrating as a commentary track can be! The former, obviously, because it’s so candid and jovial and the latter because there are so many of them with so much to say that they’re constantly cutting each other off! I can’t tell you how many times I felt like we, the listeners were just about to learn another production secret when one of the participants jumps in, cutting off the speaker only to point out something inane onscreen or offer some Trek-based fact. Like I said, frustrating. But a really great listen, nonetheless.

Rounding out the Blu-ray package are some incredible deleted scenes, a gag reel, trailers a digital copy of the film and some HD exclusive Vessel Simulations of the Enterprise and its enormous enemy ship, the Narada!

Super-extra-mega recommended!

[VIDEO] Star Trek Blu-ray Preview: The Gag Reel

Brenden — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:29:14 +0000

Have you picked up your copy of Star Trek on Blu-ray yet? If the answer is no, allow me to introduce you to one of the multitude of fantastic special features on the disc – the gag reel.

Me? I refuse to watch this bad boy on YouTube, as I’ve got a copy of the Blu-ray disc waiting for me at home. I don’t want to spoil any of that high-def goodness with this type of compressed, streaming video (Yes, I’m a Blu-ray snob!) But if you happen to need any more convincing that the Star Trek Blu-ray is worth snapping up, this might just do the job!

Via: /Film

Previously on The Blu-ray Blog: [VIDEO] Star Trek Blu-ray Preview – Deleted Scene: Diora Baird as Orion Slave Girl

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