This might not be the biggest, most overwhelming release week of the year but there are a couple Blu-ray discs here that any serious collection simply can’t be without. And everything else this week somehow seems lesser as a result. That’s not to say the other films aren’t worth watching but when you’ve got two behemoths of cinema vying for your attention as these discs are, it’s tough to validate giving their competitors even the slightest regard. But then again, there’s Snake Plissken on Blu-ray. What’s a nerd to do?
Saving Private Ryan was sitting in my number two slot in this list for the longest time. And that’s where I would rate it in terms of necessary purchases this week. In terms of the importance of the films as cinema classics. But, I changed my mind at the last minute to better reflect the real world demand for the titles. This is the one most people want. And with good reason. This is a killer Blu-ray disc with a nearly perfect transfer. It could be the new go-to demo disc!
Read more about the Blu-ray disc here: Paramount brings Saving Private Ryan to Blu-ray
Ahhh. David Lean. This is my personal top pick for the week – the disc I’m most desperate to get my dirty little mitts on. Everything Lean touched just screams cinema and “big screen”. The perfect content to bring to Blu! If I’m going to be brutally honest here, I would, of course, rather have Lawrence of Arabia or Bridge on the River Kwai in high-def but watching Doctor Zhivago, in all its restored, 1080p splendour is like the ultimate warm up for those, arguably Lean’s finest and most epic films.
3. TETRO
You know it’s an imperfect Top 5 list when a new Coppola flik pulls in at number 3! But bear with me and with Tetro. It’s an imperfect film from a filmmaker who seems to be slowly but ever so surely crawling out of his two decade long rut. Tetro is no Godfather or The Conversation but it is a thoughtful effort full of ideas. And hey, who doesn’t love Vincent Gallo?!
4. HAMLET
This one is for all you Doctor Who and Star Trek fans out there. Oh yeah, and anyone who just can’t get enough of the old bard. This is Hamlet re-imagined as a modern psychological thriller, starring David Tennant as the tortured Danish prince and Captain Jean-Luc Picard as his treacherous uncle. The language might be old school but everything else about this production is contemporary and quite riveting! A stellar take on an old favourite with a stellar cast!
5. DIRTY DANCING: LIMITED KEEPSAKE EDITION
Word on the street is that this bulked up Dirty Dancing Blu-ray package contains an all new transfer of the film, which easily bests the garbage that Lionsgate foisted on its audience in the earlier 2007 edition of the film. I can’t speak from first-hand experience about the quality of the Blu-ray presentation (still can’t get Lionsgate to acknowledge my existence and send out some screeners!) but I can say that it comes with a 52-page book and a featurette tribute to my boy, Jerry Orbach. Nobody puts Lenny Briscoe in a corner!
ANIME OF THE WEEK: Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE: Collected Memories Box Set
Tsubasa might not be exactly to my tastes but then again, I’m a couple of decades out from the age of its target audience. This is the stuff that my nephew would totally eat up! And this amazing, comprehensive collection from FUNimation really delivers for fans. You get every single episode of the show as well as the “film”, The Princess in the Birdcage (also available this week on the Clamp Double Feature: Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE and xxxHOLiC Blu-ray disc) along with a bunch of decent extras. Be warned, however, that you won’t want to pick this up if you already own the season 1 set as you get both season 1 and 2 in this box. If that’s you then just gran the stand-alone season 2 set. Fans with a keen eye will be happy to learn that transfer quality improves slightly into the second season.
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:
Related posts
]]>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.
Related posts
]]>Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers have become a single entity in my mind. I have a hard time recalling what events, what story-points are covered in which film/show. Both the film and the series have the same creative teams at their core and feel very similar, from the way they were shot to the music behind them. That being said, I’m a big fan of both. And very excited to tell you about Paramount‘s upcoming Sapphire Series release of Saving Private Ryan, timed to be released just days before V-E day.
The timing of the release is also advantageous in that it can ride the wave of hype surrounding HBO‘s upcoming Band of Brothers “sequel”, The Pacific (premiering March 14th).
Kathryn Bigelow‘s (The Hurt Locker) K-19: The Widowmaker and John Carpenter‘s Escape From L.A. will also make their Blu-ray debut on the same day. I’ve got to say, I’m a bit sad that we’re getting the Snake Plissken sequel on Blu before a domestic release of Carpenter’s far superior Escape From New York. I’m not going to hold my breath for EFNY though, what with the rights being owned by MGM and that studio being currently mired in financial trouble. If I’m feeling desperate, I can always import Optimum‘s Blu-ray release of the film from the UK, which I understand is a mild upgrade from the DVD.
UPDATE: Saving Private Ryan details added!
SAVING PRIVATE RYAN: SAPPHIRE SERIES EDITION
(May 4, 2010 – MSRP $39.99)
Video: 1.85:1 1080p
Audio: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
Special Features:
- An Introduction—Director Steven Spielberg discusses his interest in WWII and how it led him to make the film.
- Looking Into the Past—Steven Spielberg explains the research done for the film, the evolution of the screenplay and his intentions.
- Miller and his Platoon—Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and other cast members introduce the different characters and how the actors worked together.
- Boot Camp—Memories from the cast about the intense boot camp they went through with Captain Dale Dye.
- Making Saving Private Ryan—Steven Spielberg and his collaborators discuss the look of the film, the production design, the costumes and the photography.
- Re-creating Omaha Beach—A look at how the filmmakers re-created this historical event.
- Music and Sound—Discussion with the team that edited, scored and brought sound to the film.
- Parting Thoughts—Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks share their final thoughts on the experience of making the film.
- Into the Breach: Saving Private Ryan—A 25-minute documentary with the cast and crew.
- Shooting War—Tom Hanks hosts and narrates this documentary on WWII combat photographers in Europe and the Pacific theater of war.
- Theatrical Trailer (HD)
- Re-Release Trailer (HD)
K-19: THE WIDOWMAKER
(May 4, 2010 – MSRP $29.99)
Video: 2.39:1 1080p
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Special Features:
- Theatrical trailer (in HD)
ESCAPE FROM L.A.
(May 4, 2010 – MSRP $29.99)
Video: 2.39:1 1080p
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Special Features:
- Commentary by director Kathryn Bigelow and cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth
- Featurettes:
- The Making of K-19: The Widowmaker
- Exploring the Craft: Make-Up Techniques
- Breaching the Hull
- It’s in the Details
- Theatrical trailer (in HD)