The Blu-ray Blog » Reviews

Complete Grindhouse Collection Blu-ray in October, disc details emerge

Brenden — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 23:56:08 +0000

It looks like IGN‘s Blu-ray reporters have nabbed the inside scoop on the layout and special features of the upcoming Complete Grindhouse Collection Blu-ray 2-Disc set. And let me tell you, it looks pretty sweet. But be warned, as “Complete” as the set might claim to be, it is missing one vital piece of the Grindhouse puzzle – Machete is nowhere to be found! That’s right folks, as Machete is no longer only a faux-trailer, and exists outside of the Grindhouse collection as a full-fledged feature film in its own right, Vivendi Entertainment and The Weinstein Company have yanked it from the playlist. Outside of that one glaring omission, everything seems to be in order here. I’m just curious how compressed the films are going to be, now that they’ll be squished together onto one disc. Time and review screeners will tell…

GRINDHOUSE
Temp German Package Art shown above
(October 5, 2010 – MSRP $39.95)
Video: 1080p
Audio: TBA

Special Features:

Disc 1 – Theatrical Exhibition:

Grindhouse Feature (Planet Terror)
Intermission Cards
Don’t Trailer
Werewolf Women of the S.S Trailer
Thanksgiving Trailer
Grindhouse Feature (Death Proof)

Disc 2

Planet Terror

Robert Rodriguez’s 10-Minute Film School
The Badass Babes of Planet Terror
The Guys of Planet Terror
Casting Rebel
Sickos, Bullets, And Explosions: The Stunts of Planet Terror
The Friend, The Doctor, and the Real Estate Agent
Planet Terror Poster Gallery

Death Proof

Stunts On Wheels: The Legendary Drivers of Death Proof
Quentin’s Greatest Collaborator: Editor Sally Menke
The Guys of Death Proof
Kurt Russell as Stuntman Mike
Finding Quentin’s Gals
The Uncut Version of “Baby, It’s You” performed by Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Introducing Zoe Bell
Double Dare Trailer
Death Proof Extended Music
Death Proof Poster Gallery

Plus these all-new bonus features:

Robert Rodriguez’s 10-Minute Cooking School
The Makeup Effects of Planet Terror
The Hot Rods of Death Proof
From Texas to Tennessee: The Production Design of Death Proof
Trailers
Extended Werewolf Women of The SS Trailer
View Extended Cut Of Werewolf Women of the SS Trailer with Commentary by Director Rob Zombie
The Making Of Werewolf Women of the SS Trailer
Extended Don’t Trailer
View Extended Cut Of Don’t Trailer with Commentary by Director Edgar Wright
The Making of Don’t Trailer
Don’t Storyboard/Trailer Comparison
View Don’t Storyboard/Trailer Comparison with Commentary by Director Edgar Wright
Don’t Storyboards Still Gallery
Don’t Poster
The Making of Thanksgiving Trailer
New York Times Talk with Quention Tarantino and Lynn Hirschberg at Comic Con 2006 Featuring the Directors and Cast of Grindhouse
Grindhouse Trailer Contest Winner Hobo With A Shotgun

Complete Grindhouse Collection Blu-ray coming soon?

Brenden — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 19:57:55 +0000

This has been a long, long, long time coming! Those of us who are fans of Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez‘ Grindhouse films have been waiting since the formats inception to finally get our dirty mitts on an Ultimate Collector’s Boxed set of both films and the trailers that originally screened between them during the initial theatrical run. Japan got such a set on DVD a few years back but we, on the other side of the Pacific have had no such luck. Well, it looks like things are finally about to change…

Though there has yet to be an official announcement about such a Blu-ray (or DVD) set, our first clue that this may actually be happening for us came in the form of this tweet from director Edgar Wright,

“So, get this, tomorrow I am doing a commentary on ‘Don’t’. Some of you will know what that means is finally happening.”

Those of you who are fans of the film, will know that “Don’t” is the name of the short faux-trailer that Wright directed for the Grindhouse project. If he’s recording a commentary track for that film then a new, updated release is clearly imminent. And the studio would be foolish not to take advantage of the legion of fans who’d like to own those films on Blu-ray. I’d put my money on a holiday 2010 release. We’ll let you know if we hear any more rumblings from the Grindhouse…

Sony's PS3 Slim News Round-Up: Released, Reviewed, Compared

Brenden — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 21:08:21 +0000

It’s smaller, thinner, lighter, better, uses less energy and best of all…IT’S ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS CHEAPER!!!

I know, I know…I’m a little slow on reporting the release of the new PS3 Slim from Sony. (Give a guy a break! I’ve been a little swamped with all this vacationing lately, you know!) But this is really important news to gamers and Blu-ray enthusiasts alike, so I thought I should chime in with some thoughts and a collection of links to check out.

First things first – check out the announcement video above for a quick, corporate look at the new system. All right. All done? Here are the rest of the details you need to know.

The new PS3 Slim…POINTFORM:

$299 (MSRP)
Matte finish replaces shiny, grand-piano black
Touch-sensitive power and eject buttons replaced with matte click buttons
33% Smaller than original model
36% Lighter (7.05lbs down from 11)
Stand (for vertical placement) not included
2 USB Ports (down from the original 4)
802.11 b/g wireless connectivity (still no Draft-N wi-fi for higher bandwidth, faster connections)
Ground pin removed from A/C cord
BD-Rom drive still only 2x speed
Physical On/Off switch removed from back of console
Third-party OS install discontinued
No flash memory slots
No PS2 backward compatibility
New 45nm Cell processor uses almost half as much power
2 to 3 decibels quieter on average during gameplay, and up to 10 decibels quieter while watching Blu-ray movies
Bitstream lossless TrueHD and DTS-HD MA audio
Bravia Sync

Looks pretty decent, don’t you think? Even considering what Sony has left out of the system since it’s initial offering, you really get a lot for your 300 bucks here. Not only is this still one of the best Blu-ray players on the market, but it’s also a great media server and, oh yeah, it plays videogames too! I would love to have a PS3 that’s smaller and quieter and sends lossless bitstream audio to my receiver. That’s a pretty fair trade for losing the ability to play the handful of PS2 games I’ve got left sitting around.

While I’m not quite ready to trade up to the Slim yet, I think this new machine is bananas! You better believe I’m going to be recommending this thing to all of you who’ve been on the fence about bringing home a PS3 for the last couple of years. It plays videogames. It plays Blu-ray and DVD movies. It plays CDs and MP3s. It streams all of your media from a Windows or Mac OSX computer. It downloads more media directly from the Sony Store. It does just about everything you need a full featured media system to do and it does it for way less money than last year at this time! What are you waiting for? Go get yourself a new PS3 Slim now!

Obsessed Blu-ray Disc Review

Brenden — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:02:32 +0000

OBSESSED (2009, Blu-ray released August 4, 2009 – MSRP $39.95)

I completely underestimated the B-movie potential of Beyoncé Knowles‘ latest Hollywood excursion. Let me sum it up for you this way: the only bonus feature advertised on the back of the Blu-ray package is called “Girl Fight“. That’s right. At it’s core, the entire film is a set up to the mother of all feline throw-downs featuring the popular R&B singer facing off against Ali Larter from the TV show Heroes. Let the fur-balls fly…

If you ask me to call it like I see it, I would have to tell you that Obsessed is a terrible movie. It’s a whole lot of things that I can’t stand about modern Hollywood cinema. Tired, predictable story structure. Poorly crafted, clichéd dialogue. Unbelievable characters. Ridiculous situations. But if I try to be a little more objective and put myself in someone else’s shoes, like say, my sister’s for instance, well I might just have to classify Obsessed as a fun, little domestic thriller. The slightly less intelligent love-child of Fatal Attraction and Cape Fear. With Roger Corman and Hammer Films as godparents. I can see how a lot of people will have fun with this!

On paper, the set up doesn’t really seem too ridiculous: Sexy temp falls for hot, married executive. Begins stalking. Causes trouble. Marriage becomes difficult. Drama ensues. Yeah, fine. Good. But the actual execution here comes off like suspense thriller-lite. Even drama-lite. Hitchcock on rohypnol. But I think that might be all right for most folks looking for some easily digestible entertainment. This is not great filmmaking. But it might just be okay entertainment.

While the quality of the film itself is questionable, the Blu-ray disc is certainly worth a look on its technical merits alone. It features a great transfer of some dark, moody (but a bit too contemporary-blue for my tastes), well composed photography and effective, if a little too front-and-centre sound design. There’s also a small collection of bonus features – well, featurettes really – one of which is a straightforward, promotional EPK. Not bad. Just standard studio promo fare. The others cover the aforementioned “Girl Fight” and a really nice piece on the films production and costume design.

'Jonas Brothers: The 3-D Concert Experience – Deluxe Extended Edition' Blu-ray disc review

Brenden — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 20:51:16 +0000

‘Jonas Brothers: The 3-D Concert Experience – Deluxe Extended Edition’ Blu-ray disc review http://bit.ly/13hqBt #music #film

'The Diary of Anne Frank [1959]' Blu-ray Disc Review

Brenden — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:16:46 +0000

‘The Diary of Anne Frank [1959]‘ Blu-ray Disc Review http://bit.ly/tO8ZS #film

Blu-ray Picks for the Week of June 9 – Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace & Music Director's Cut (Review)

Brenden — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:27:53 +0000

PICK OF THE WEEK FOR JUNE 9 – WOODSTOCK: 3 DAYS OF PEACE & MUSIC DIRECTOR’S CUT

What do I know about Woodstock? Yeah…nothing. I’m almost ashamed to admit that, as a musician, I have little interest or investment in any of the acts that played the famous festival. I look at it as more of a curiosity. But this 40th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition of Michael Wadleigh’s Oscar-winning documentary might just be the artifact that turns me around.

This Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace & Music Director’s Cut box-set is bat-shit crazy! Warner has really pulled out all the stops here – taking the original Éclair 16mm shoulder-mounted camera footage, shot dirt-level full of scratches and grain and given it a stunning 2K transfer. I mean, this thing is never going to look pristine perfect like Planet Earth or Iron Man on your big screen. This was guerilla filmmaking in the 60s. It’s supposed to look dirty. But the Blu-ray transfer preserves the nature of the film. The grain. The scratches. And the soundtrack! Originally recorded on eight-track, using a remote sound truck, the Blu-ray producers have made the best of what they had to work with. This disc marks a substantial improvement over previously releases, sporting a new mix that make you feel like you’re a part of the crowd. Not a crisp, shiny 7.1 tracks of perfection, of course. But slightly noisy and poppy with the occasional hiccup. Just like you were there. There’s nothing wrong with that.

I’m not making apologies for the quality of the disc. No need. This is as good as Woodstock has ever looked and sounded. Just be prepared to watch a film that’s been restored and preserved with loving care, not one that’s been computer-enhanced to artificially bring it closer to today’s shiny standards. Bravo, Warner!

So, this thing’s a little bloated. Not only in the near-4 hour run-time of the film but also in the Blu-ray packaging. The fringed hippy box it ships in is loaded with goo-gaas and trinkets including:

Oi vey. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There’s so much bonus content here that watching these discs could become a full-time job:

And just in case this isn’t enough for you, you can nab yourself an additional exclusive bonus disc with never-before-seen performance footage and featurettes if you order from Amazon.com.

ANOTHER PICK – GRAN TORINO

“Urghhhhh…Grrrrrr…” That’s what I took away from Gran Torino. When you’re old, all you need to do is snarl and growl at the camera. It’ll get you where you need to be…

Ok, so, I’m not recommending this because I liked it. But the disc is slick. And it seems quite popular. So there. If cliche, ham fisted storytelling is your thing, or if you’re just such an unabashed Clint Eastwood fan you’ll watch anything the man is in then you kind of can’t go wrong here. But seriously, folks. Go and spend your hard earned cash on Fox/MGMs recently released The Good, The Bad and the Ugly instead. Clint is just genius in that. You’ll be doing yourself a favour.

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

'John Adams' Blu-ray Disc Review

Brenden — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 18:16:38 +0000

‘John Adams’ Blu-ray Disc Review http://bit.ly/31vj0s #bluray #hbo (via: @HighDefDiscNews )

Revolutionary Road Blu-ray Disc Review

Brenden — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 12:21:24 +0000

REVOLUTIONARY ROAD (2008, Blu-ray released June 2, 2009 – MSRP $39.99)

Ok. This is far from my favourite movie but there’s something about director Sam Medes’ style and something about Thomas Newton‘s music…maybe it just reminds me of their previous success, American Beauty, a thematically similar but far superior film. That vibe they create, the feeling of this film, the sort of fanciful suburban Americana dreamland punctuated by the pain of reality is strangely attractive. Revolutionary Road has got some powerhouse performances, true. Leo and Kate (and unsung hero of the film, Michael Shannon) all perform their asses off. Roger Deakins shoots some sumptuous suburban images. Newton’s music always hits the right note. But for some reason, the film comes off a bit uneven – like an early draft of a stage play.

The Blu-ray disc of Revolutionary Road however, validates my enthusiasm for the format. I saw this film in the theatre. It was a preview screening, the first run of the print through the projector. And it looked like dirty ass. Like a film that had been making the rep-theatre rounds for years. I felt insulted. Seriously! I did! I felt like I shouldn’t waste my time suffering through this shit when, if I can just hold out for a couple more months, I can see it in my home theatre in pristine HD. And now that I’ve seen what this film can look like, thanks to the Blu-ray, I feel vindicated in my rant. The transfer does Deacons proud. Another victory for the boys and girls over at Paramount‘s home video devision. This thing is flawless.

The disc is packed with special features as well: director commentary with screenwriter, Justin Haythe, deleted scenes with commentary, a couple of featurettes and the theatrical trailer, all in 1080p HD.

GIVE AWAY: To win a copy of the Revolutionary Road Blu-ray, simply name the pair of filmmaking brothers who cinematographer Roger Deakins famously shoots for and list the films they’ve made together. The first person to get the answer right, wins!

Valkyrie Blu-ray Disc Review

Brenden — Sun, 31 May 2009 22:00:15 +0000

Valkyrie (2008, Blu-ray released May 19, 2009 – MSRP $39.99)

I think I’ve got a lot of Tom Cruise baggage. That must be it. I’m not sure if it’s the scientology, the Nicole Kidman-break-up or the uber-fake, aggressively-jolly persona he puts on for the media but damage has been done to my perception of the man. And that damage, of course, carries over to my desire to see him in films.

So, there I am, holding the Valkyrie Blu-ray in my hand, considering whether it might not be better to pass the disc off to someone else for review, when my roommate storms in, “Is that Valkyrie? Oh, sweeeet! Put it on!” And just like that, it was out of my hands.

Clearly I can’t be left to make these movie-watching decisions for myself. Valkyrie is phenomenal and I’m glad I had the chance to see it. Let me be more specific – the Valkyrie Blu-ray presentation is phenomenal. The film itself is quite wonderful, able to wring suspense from a plot whose ultimate conclusion we’re intimately familiar with (The story is based on real events and follows a conspiracy by officers of the SS to kill Hitler. Do they succeed? Uhhh…) What I found striking about the experience was how it was able to completely win me over and make me forget about my preconceptions of film and star. I’m not just talking about the filmmaking chops of director Bryan Singer and his accomplished cast and crew here but raving about the overall quality of the disc. It looks vivid, colourful and full of detail, sounds clean, punchy, dynamic and really assists in bringing the film to life for home video. I’m finding more and more that when a Blu-ray disc is well produced, transfered with care and given the sparkle of something freshly minted I become more immersed in the experience. In fact, I’m finding more often than not that my home video experience is superior to that of my theatrical. And in this case, it was enough to make me forget that I was watching Tom Cruise.

Valkyrie is a strong film on it’s own, despite the awesomeness of the disc. Cruise does a remarkable job, disappearing into the injured soldier turned conspirator role (portraying a man he bears a striking resemblance to) and holds his own against powerhouse performances by the likes of Bill Nighy, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Wilkinson, Terence Stamp, Eddie Izzard and more. Equally remarkable are the commentary tracks, one of which sees director Singer and Cruise entertaining the notion of changing up the United Artists logo, a company now owned by Cruise. The package of extras on the disc is simply outstanding: The aforementioned commentary tracks, a handful of featurettes and sit-down interviews capped off by a brilliant two-hour History Channel-style look at the history of the nazi party and the officer’s conspiracy to remove Hitler from power and save Germany, Europe and the world from his tyranny.

The Blu-ray Blog » Reviews

Complete Grindhouse Collection Blu-ray in October, disc details emerge

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