GEEK DAD

With Green Lantern hitting the big screen this weekend nerd-dads will be in utter bliss. Why not continue feeding their superhero cravings with Warner‘s latest super-boxed set, the fantastic, 8-disc Superman: The Motion Picture Anthology. Packed with 5 classic films (2 versions each of the first, and best, two), 17 cartoons and hours upon hours of docs and commentary tracks, this is unquestionable the finest high-def superhero gift set available.

AMAZON: $89.99

If your dad is a proper nerd, his fascination with fantasy doesn’t end with guys in capes and warp-drive powered starships. He probably loves himself some good old sword and sorcery too! With that in mind, why not hook him up with the first season of the classic, British Robin of Sherwood series, now on Blu-ray and looking better than ever? This ‘modern’, young take on the story of the bandits of Sherwood forest is far more gripping and real than any version before or since, despite the odd episode that relies too deeply on paganism and magic. The 4-disc set carries over all the special features of the DVDs and is worth every penny.

AMAZON: $59.99

CAR NUT

Last weekend was crazy here, in Montreal, what with all the F1 cars buzzing around downtown. We live far out of the core, in the east end of the city and the roar of the cars could be heard clearly, even at that distance. I couldn’t help but think of both Grand Prix and Le Mans, both of which I had just watched on newly released Blu-ray discs from Warner and Paramount, respectively. Both discs sport excellent, vivid transfers and would no doubt be a treat for any car enthusiast.

AMAZON: $17.99, $14.99

GAMBLING MAN

Does the old man like fliks about cool dudes being cool? Well, it doesn’t get much cooler than Steve McQueen and Paul Newman. Pick them up in these fine, new Blu-ray editions of The Cincinnati Kid and The Hustler. Both feature handsome, new HD transfers and a ton of extras. The Hustler goes one better though, packaged in a sweet, hardcover digi-book, packed with photos and film trivia! How do you like that?!

AMAZON: $13.99, $22.99

WEEKEND WARRIOR

Fox/MGM recently released a couple of very fine Blu-ray discs of very fine war films. Both Platoon and Tigerland look and sound better than ever on Blu-ray disc and feature all the extras from previously available DVD editions of the films. Neither presentation is slick or new enough to properly show off dad’s expensive home theatre gear but if he’s the kind of guy who likes a war film, he’ll appreciate these discs.

AMAZON: $15.49, $20.99

SIX SHOOTER

I love a western as much as the next guy. Maybe not as much as my dad does but probably as much as the next guy, anyway. But I seriously don’t get why and how the studios have unleashed so many western catalogue films onto Blu-ray over the last month. I mean, I’m not complaining here. This is some great stuff! But all at once?! It’s western mayhem!!

I have a feeling the onslaught is due to the timing of the release of the Coen brother‘s True Grit remake, which hit shelves last week. It’s a stellar disc of a pretty stellar film. You can’t go wrong with it. Fox’s digibook release of The Comancheros is also pretty sweet. Though Paramount’s Once Upon a Time in the West doesn’t sport any nifty packaging of the sort, it’s a must-own for any fan of the genre, as the classic film has received a gorgeous upgrade to high-def.

AMAZON: Various (Click Blu-ray covers for details)

ULTIMATE FILM FAN

Maybe your dad just loves movies. If he’s like me, he’s not particularly concerned with genre, he just wants to watch a damn fine film. And really, there’s no better films than those of Stanley Kubrick. For the true film fan, this new Kubrick boxed set from Warner is pure bliss.

This 9-film, 10-disc collection includes the director’s entire oeuvre, short of his pre-1960 works (Fear and Desire, still unavailable on home video, Killer’s Kiss and The Killing coming to Criterion Blu-ray in August and Paths of Glory which you can grab on an awesome Criterion Blu right now.) The tenth disc in the set features a couple of docs – one on Kubrick, the other on A Clockwork Orange star Malcolm McDowell. The entire thing is packaged in a gorgeous, thick, hardcover digibook that makes this feel like the most substantial gift a film fan could ever have on their shelves. If you dad is a movie nut, he’s going to love this!

AMAZON: $104.99

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Warner Home Video has announced that, at long last, they’ll be bringing the second season of the animated Justice League television show to Blu-ray this coming July, nearly three years after the release of Season One. The initial word on the street was that the video presentation would be the same “matted” letterbox image from the previously released DVD set, where black bars would be seen on all sides of the screen. Thankfully, the good and wise James Harvey of worldsfinestonline.com pulled some strings with his buddies at Warner and was informed that this release will be presented in full 16:9 widescreen, with the image filling the entire screen. So, all seems good with this one, for the time being. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait until 2014 for the next season set on Blu!

JUSTICE LEAGUE: SEASON TWO
(July 26, 2011 – MSRP $39.99)
Video: 1.78:1 1080p
Audio: “Dolby Surround Stereo” (?)

Special Features:

• Featurette: Justice League Declassified, Phil LaMarr (The voice of Green Lantern) takes you behind the scenes with the show’s creative team.
• Audio Commentary: Commentaries on 3 select episodes with the creators and directors of the series.
• Easter Egg: Not to Savage, a never seen before deleted scene with an introduction by producer Bruce Timm

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ALL STAR SUPERMAN (2011, Blu-ray released February 22, 2011 – MSRP $24.98)

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

Aside from Richard Donner‘s film from the ’70s, All Star Superman is the finest portrayal of the character on film to date. And despite a few shortcomings in its technical presentation, it’s also one hell of a Blu-ray.

“Fueled by hatred and jealousy, Lex Luthor masterminds an elaborate plot to kill the Man of Steel – and it works. Poisoned by solar radiation, Superman is dying. With weeks to live, he fulfills his life’s dreams – especially revealing his true identity to Lois Lane – until Luthor proclaims his ultimate plan to control the world with no alien hero to stop him. Powers fading, Superman engages in a spectacular deadly battle with Luthor that could truly trigger the end of Earth’s Greatest Protector. This startling and gripping DC Universe Animated Original Movie stars the voice talents of James Denton, Anthony LaPaglia, Christina Hendricks and Ed Asner.”

It’s tough to judge the film on its own merits without comparing it to the brilliant 12-issue All Star Superman comic book series by writer Grant Morrison and illustrator Frank Quitely from which it was adapted. At a fleeting 77-minutes, par for the course for direct-to-video animated projects, the filmmakers are tasked with whittling down the juggernaut of a story that appeared on the comic page into a tight, yet still epic film. And they succeeded on most every level. The film version maintains the episodic nature of the comic series, cherry-picking which events to document in animation while preserving the over-arching narrative – a story that manages to be the most touching Superman tale ever written.

All Star Superman can look impressive on Blu-ray but suffers from a presentation with a fair amount of flaws that might disturb those with a critical eye. You’ll see banding, artifacts and aliasing in the image, if you’re sensitive to such things. Those merely watching with an eye toward a slick, high-def image will enjoy the bold colours and detailed linework. It doesn’t look bad at all but it’s far from demo quality. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, on the other hand, is all kinds of awesome, with active lows, crisp, clean highs and active surround channels.

The special feature collection on the All Star Superman Blu-ray disc might just be the finest that Warner and DC have ever assembled. The headline extra is a wonderfully produced 30-minute featurette called “Superman Now” which examines Morrison’s re-imagining of the character, Quitely’s artwork and the journey to realize All Star Superman. But for me, the most incredible feature on the disc has got to be the feature length audio commentary by producer (and DC Comics animation God) Bruce Timm and Morrison. This is a fantastic listen that I’d highly recommend to any fan of the animated programs or the comics. The disc is rounded out with “The Creative Flow: Incubating the Idea with Grant Morrison” featurette, “Virtual Comic: All-Star Superman #1“, a sneak peek at the next DC Comics animated masterpiece, Green Lantern: Emerald Knights, a couple of episodes of Superman: The Animated Series from the ’90s and a bunch of trailers for other DC and Warner discs.

Related posts

• Top 5 New Blu-ray releases for the Week of February 22 (1)
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I probably could’ve finished this Top 5 list on time yesterday, but for some reason I had a hell of a time deciding which disc should end up in the number one slot this week! I know, that’s a ridiculous reason to hold an article but… well, you’re right. That wasn’t the only hold up. I also had a long day in the office that kept me from it. Never a dull moment in the world of journalism.

So, here it is now, this week’s Top 5 list, a day late but hopefully still useful to you in deciding which Blu-ray discs to pick up this week. As always, clicking the Blu-ray package art will zip you over to Amazon where every purchase make through our links helps this site stay on its feet. We appreciate every single click and thank you again for continuing to read The Blu-ray Blog.

1. GET LOW

“Academy Award winner Robert Duvall (1983, Best Actor, Tender Mercies) is Felix Bush, the “Hermit of Caleb County,” a man so haunted by his secrets that he has lived in quiet desolation in the Tennessee backwoods for over 40 years. Realizing that he is near his own mortality, Bush decides to have a “living funeral party,” inviting people to tell their stories about him. Enlisting the help of Frank Quinn (Golden Globe winner Bill Murray, 2004, Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Lost in Translation) and Buddy Robinson (Lucas Black, Legion), Bush goes through a process of self-discovery, allowing him to deal with his past secrets, including ones involving old flame (and new widow) Mattie (Academy Award® winner Sissy Spacek, 1980, Best Actress, Coal Miner’s Daughter). ”

Get Low really came out of nowhere for me. Until seeing a trailer for the film on an earlier Sony Blu-ray disc, I had no idea it existed. It’s the feature film debut of director Aaron Schneider, who previously won an Academy Award for his 2003 short film Two Soldiers, and it’s one hell of an effort. For starters, this thing looks gorgeous. And I guess it should, seeing as how Schneider comes from a background of cinematography. Add to that a brilliant, nuanced script (apparently based on a true story) and a cast that’s beyond reproach and you’ve got a real winner on your hands. One of the best films I’ve seen in ages. And a film that will probably float under the radar, eclipsed by more high-profile releases. What a shame.

Sony affords Get Low a damn-near perfect Blu-ray presentation with rich colours, deep blacks and tons of detail. I can’t get over how beautiful this Blu-ray is. And it sounds just as nice, with a clean, crisp DTS- HD Master Audio 5.1 track that won’t rattle the china but provide a pleasant, well-defined sound stage.

Highly recommended!

SPECIAL FEATURES:

• Commentary with Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Director Aaron Schneider & Producer Dean Zanuck
• The Deep South: Buried Secrets
• Getting Low: Getting Into Character
• A Screenwriter’s Point of View
• Cast & Crew Q&A
• On the Red Carpet

AMAZON: $24.99

2. 3 from Criterion: FISH TANK, SENSO, SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS

Yeah. Three new Criterion Blu-ray discs in one day. What more is there to say? You’re about to break your bank account.

Fish Tank is a modern masterpiece by British director Andrea Arnold (contender for the number one slot this week) and one of the finer films to be released on Blu-ray so far this year. Senso is far from Visconti‘s best film but you’ll want to take in the luscious visuals via this lush Blu-ray transfer. And Sweet Smell of Success is awash in neon-noir city landscapes, painted with biting, smart dialogue from Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis, looking better than ever on Blu.

All three are highly recommended.

READ MORE: Criterion announces February Blu-ray titles: Senso, Sweet Smell of Success, Fish Tank, Still Walking, Amarcord, The Double Life of Véronique

AMAZON: $24.99 each

3. ALL -TAR SUPERMAN

“Fueled by hatred and jealousy, Lex Luthor masterminds an elaborate plot to kill the Man of Steel – and it works. Poisoned by solar radiation, Superman is dying. With weeks to live, he fulfills his life’s dreams – especially revealing his true identity to Lois Lane – until Luthor proclaims his ultimate plan to control the world with no alien hero to stop him. Powers fading, Superman engages in a spectacular deadly battle with Luthor that could truly trigger the end of Earth’s Greatest Protector. This startling and gripping DC Universe Animated Original Movie stars the voice talents of James Denton, Anthony LaPaglia, Christina Hendricks and Ed Asner.”

I’ll have a full review of this disc up shortly. In short, if you’re a fan of Superman or DC Comics superheroes or animation in general you owe it to yourself to pick up a copy of All-Star Superman. Not only is it a brilliant story that gets to the heart of the character but the disc is packed with some of the best features WHV and DC have conjured up for their line of straight-to-video animated specials thus far.

AMAZON: $17.49

4. MEGAMIND

““A smart, funny and original treat,” Michael O’Sullivan, The Washington Post, Megamind puts a whole new hilarious twist on the superhero movie. Packed with high-flying action and non-stop laughs, the smash hit starring Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt, David Cross and Tina Fey will debut in DreamWorks Animation’s Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack which includes the all-new comedy-adventure MEGAMIND: THE BUTTON OF DOOM, plus hours of bonus features and exclusive interactive Blu-ray features including picture-in-picture storyboards, behind the scenes footage, interviews, music videos, the lost scene, a comic book creator, an insider tour of Megamind’s Lair, interactive games, and so much more. ”

Megamind actually doesn’t hit the shops until this Friday, February 25th. We’ll be giving away a copy of the Blu-ray disc in the next couple of days so keep your eyes open!!

AMAZON: $19.99

5. BIRDEMIC: SHOCK AND TERROR

“It is a tender love story. A graphic horror shocker. An urgent ecological warning. And around the world, it became the must-see midnight movie sensation of the year: From writer/producer/director/visionary James Nguyen The Master Of The Romantic ThrillerTM comes the story of a sexy lingerie model (Whitney Moore) and a successful software salesman (Alan Bagh) on a weekend getaway to a quaint Northern California town. But when the entire region is attacked by millions of homicidal birds, their picturesque paradise becomes a winged hell on earth. Can mankind now survive the avian onslaught of BIRDEMIC? Hollywood legend Tippi Hedren of Hitchcock’s THE BIRDS co-stars in the global cult movie phenomenon that Videogum says might end up being the greatest film of all time! ”

I haven’t seen Birdemic for myself but it looks like a barrel of fun. The perfect modern late-night film to share, intoxicated with your best pals. I can’t wait to check this one out!

AMAZON: $16.49

ANIME OF THE WEEK: FLCL: COMPLETE COLLECTION

“When the three powerhouse creators of Eden of the East, Gurren Lagann and Neon Genesis Evangelion bumped heads, they spawned the series that broke all the rules – then broke the mold. Naota is a detached sixth-grader afflicted by the pangs of puberty. He’s fooling around with his brother’s ex-girlfriend when a crazed girl on a motor scooter runs him over, brains him with a bass guitar, and moves into his house. This pink-haired girl, Haruko – who claims she’s an alien – hurls Naota into the middle of a mega-corporation’s secret agenda. Oh, and now giant battling robots shoot from his skull. Mix in mind-bending animation and tunes that echo through your cerebellum to top off the trip that will have you falling hard for FLCL. ”

Outside of Macross and the animation of Studio Ghibli, FLCL is the absolute best that Japanese animation has to offer. It’s wild, imaginative and always stunning to look at. There’s more heart and more creativity in each frame of this short 6-episode series than any other I’ve seen in my last twenty-five years of anime viewing. Sadly, I understand this Blu-ray presentation is another up-conversion from FUNimation and far from the most impressive high-def image we’ve seen on Blu. I’d like to see the results for myself before making on the call on the discs but I’ll stand behind the series itself as one of the best ever.

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:

Related posts

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There are about five-million reason to be excited about this next animated release from Warner and DC, chief among them is that it’s an adaptation of one of the all-time best Superman stories ever told! Aside from the story itself, the aspect of the the upcoming All-Star Superman Blu-ray disc that has got me crapping my pants with excitement is the fact that it includes a commentary track. And it’s not just any old commentary track, oh no. THIS IS A GODDAMN GRANT MORRISON COMMENTARY TRACK!!! You heard me correctly. Morrison, the crazy/brilliant/visionary/under-the-influence Scottish writer responsible for the original graphic novel on which the film is based, is going to talk you all the way through the plot, along with producer Bruce Timm. Now, if only DC could convince him to record a commentary that would clear up what in the hell happened in his Final Crisis and Return of Bruce Wayne books, we’d have something there.

ALL STAR SUPERMAN
(February 22, 2011 – MSRP $24.98)
Video: 1080p
Audio: TBA

SPECIAL FEATURES:

• Sneak Peak at Green Lantern: Emerald Knights, the next DC Universe Animated Original Movie
• Featurette: “Superman Now” – In a moment of inspiration, Grant Morrison was provided an opportunity to revamp the Man of Steel into something modern, something more relevant for today’s audience. This is the story of All-Star Superman – where it all started, and what it came to be
• Two bonus episodes from animated television series handpicked by Bruce Timm
• Featurette: “Incubating the Idea” – A conversation with Grant Morrison
• Audio Commentary: Bruce Timm and Grant Morrison
• All-Star Superman Digital Comic Book
• Standard and high definition versions of the feature film
• Digital copy on disc of the feature film

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I’m thrilled that DC and Warner‘s animation division are taking on Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely‘s All Star Superman! I actually just read the 12-issue series and was blown away by both the story and the art. To see even a hint of it translated into animation is like a dream come true.

The trailer above comes courtesy of MTV, who got the exclusive today. It’s tough to tell with all the compression artifacts marring the image but I think this thing is going to look pretty great, with character designs that carry over some of Quitely’s style, perhaps pushing it slightly into Peter Chung (Aeon Flux) territory. All Star Superman stars James Denton (Desperate Housewives) as the voice of the Man of Steel, Christina Hendricks (Mad Men) as Lois Lane, and Anthony LaPaglia as Lex Luthor (Without a Trace) and should appear on store shelves in January or February 2011.

Following the release of All Star Superman on Blu-ray (and DVD, of course), Bruce Timm and his team will deliver an animated Green Lantern anthology (to compliment next summers film starring Ryan Reynolds, much as they released the Gotham Knights film alongside The Dark Knight in 2008) followed by an adaptation of Frank Miller and David Mazzuchelli‘s brilliant Batman: Year One in the fall. Few details are available yet but in the video interview below, Timm states that the story will be faithful to the classic tale, with art reminiscent of Mazzuchelli’s. I can’t wait!

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Another week, another bank-breaker collection of new Blu-ray releases! Thankfully for my pocketbook, while there may be a lot of titles hitting the shops today, there isn’t a lot I feel the need to grab up. As always, we appreciate any Amazon purchase you make through our links. They help to keep this column and the site alive!

1. THE INFORMANT!

I’m not one of those crazy Steven Soderbergh fans. I’m not one of those art-jerks who’ll drool over everything the man touches (I thought Full Frontal was absolute garbage) but everything he’s touched lately seems to me to be quite brilliant. That goes for Che (which I reviewed a couple of weeks ago) and that certainly goes for his newest release, The Informant! (and yes, that exclamation mark is a part of the title.) I’ll publish a more thorough look at the disc later in the week but let me tell you right now, this is the best thing going today. It’s a cracking, fun little story, told with a ton of style, beautiful photography and the best Marvin Hamlisch score I’ve ever heard. And Matt Damon is not half bad in it either…

Amazon: $24.99

2. THE DAMNED UNITED

I can’t believe how much I really loved this movie. Like I said in my review, I loathe sports and I possess an even greater loathing for films about sports. The fact that I could enjoy it at all makesThe Damned United a pretty special movie, in my books. But ultimately, it’s less about the game than it is about the rise and fall of football club manager, Brian Clough, played brilliantly here by Michael Sheen. Watch the film for his performance, if nothing else.

Read my full review here: The Damned United Blu-ray Disc Review

Amazon: $24.99

3. JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRISIS ON TWO EARTHS

Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths is receiving a critical drubbing! I think I’m the only reviewer out there who has responded positively to the film. I’m not sure what people were expecting from it but as far as I’m concerned, it’s one of the best direct-to-video animated fliks that DC and Warner have released thus far!

Read my full review here: Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths Blu-ray Disc Review

Amazon: $19.99

4. ICHI THE KILLER

I have no idea what this film is going to look like on Blu, but Ichi the Killer is a bat-shit crazy good time and worth the risk. I’m going to place my Amazon order tonight, when I get home from the office. For $16.99 you can’t go wrong!

Amazon: $16.99

5. WARNER DOUBLE FEATURES

Well, the title kind of speaks for itself but let me explain. Warner Home Video has packaged up a bunch of films, some never before available on Blu-ray, into double feature sets – Blu-ray releases featuring two similarly themed or sequel films now available in one affordable case. I haven’t seen them all myself but out of the three sets I’ve watched only the Dirty Harry/Magnum Force featured each film on its own disc (both previously available elsewhere) with tons of extras. Both the Funny Farm/Spies Like Us (two Chevy Chase films!) and Presumed Innocent/Frantic (two Harrison Ford films!) sets are bare-bones, movie only releases, with one BD-50 disc containing both films. Pretty decent deal here for fairly quality editions of pretty great films!

Amazon:

Dirty Harry/Magnum Force – $17.99
Funny Farm/Spies Like Us – $29.99
Presumed Innocent/Frantic – $17.99
Analyze This/Analyze That – $17.99
Grumpy Old Men/Grumpier Old Men – $18.99
Miss Congeniality/Miss Congeniality 2 – $18.99

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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• Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths first look, story breakdown (2)

Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, an intelligent, well performed, well animated direct-to-video feature, is perhaps the crown jewel in the library of DC Comics‘ cartoon movies. It manages to tell a fun little superhero tale packed with action and character in an all-too-brief seventy-five minutes. Yet, as wonderful as it is, it’s almost overshadowed by the sheer bounty of compelling bonus features on the extra-packed Blu-ray disc!

Well, let’s start with a look at that feature film anyway, before jumping into all of those extras. Like I said, Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths is really well done. Sure, it could have been afforded greater depth and have more, well drawn out character moments. But this is meant to be a fun superhero cartoon. And it carries out its task with great aplomb. It provides an alternate Earth filled with evil versions of all of our heroes, allowing for the ultimate showdown of might and minds. As strong as Superman is, Ultraman is just as powerful. And as brilliant a mind as Batman has, Owlman’s evil intellect is every bit its equal. The two teams face off, with our heroes desperately trying to foil a plan that will ultimately destroy all of reality if it succeeds. With killer vocal performances from James Woods, Gina Torres, William Baldwin, Chris Noth and Mark Harmon (whose voice manages to give Superman more of a home-grown farm-boy lilt than ever before!), it’s a super-tight, super-fun hour of superheroing and quite a bit of a good time. I really enjoyed it.

And I think a good portion of that enjoyment came from the look of Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths. The designs look great here and are, for the most part, pretty well animated with characters staying on-model for the majority of the films run-time. I have to admit, there are a few extraordinary action sequences in this thing that knocked my socks off, not to mention one of the slickest, coolest opening credit designs I’ve seen in recent memory. Kudos to directors Sam Liu and Lauren Montgomery as well as Moi Animation Studio, who previously handled the animation duties for the Wonder Woman feature.

Helping the visuals along on the Blu-ray disc is the excellent transfer/encode from Warner. Wow! This disc looks awesome! Another stellar job from WHV. There’s a little bit of banding and aliasing (very similar to WHVs Halo Legends Blu-ray disc, released last week) but nothing that will distract from an otherwise beautiful visual presentation.

The audio, on the other hand, is the ugly stepchild of the Blu-ray disc. I mean, it’s not bad at all, really. It’s just another one of these compressed Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks that Warner seems to think will cut the mustard. It sucks that they believe this old-school DVD quality audio is sufficient when we Blu-ray fans have come to accept lossless tracks as standard. I can, however, see why they would forgo a TrueHD track in this case, when they’re attempting to cram more bonus features onto the disc!

So, let’s talk about those bonus features. First, my lone disappointment. Once again, we’re left without a commentary track. And in this case, there’s also no “making-of” featurette. I think it’s a shame that so many people pour their blood and sweat into these things and don’t get any recognition in the extras included on the disc. Would it kill them to offer up a 15-minute featurette? Instead, we get another lame, self-congratulatory DCU doc, singing the praises of their recent line of comics and trying desperately to convince us that they’re worth reading. Thanks but no thanks. I’ll stick to these fun, non-continuity bound animated adventures!

That being said, the Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths Blu-ray disc offers up a crap load of special features in the awesome department. This release marks the premiere of a new series of DC Comics animated short films which will appear as backup features. And let me tell you, it’s worth purchasing the disc just to get a chance to check out The Spectre short film alone. Produced like a vintage 70′s film, with Lalo Schifrin-style score and yellowed film-stock that has suffered faux-damage, The Spectre sizzles with style and mood and just about manages to best the Justice League film on a lot of counts. The disc also features the live-action pilot episodes for the Aquaman and Wonder Woman TV series’, which manage to look surprisingly decent in their new VC-1 encodes (strange, though, that the WW pilot from the 70′s is 16:9 in favour of its native 4:3). Rounding out the disc are a handful of “First Look” featurettes (including one for the upcoming Batman: Under the Red Hood) and the requisite bonus Bruce Timm Justice League episode picks.

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• Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths first look, story breakdown (2)

It’s Saturday morning. I like to have a coffee (and pie, if it’s available) and watch a few cartoons before starting my day. Sadly, there’s not much on the old tube these days that holds my interest. Thank goodness for this collection of episodes from the first season of The Super Friends!

I’ll be the first to admit that the content here is pretty cheesy. But often so much so, that it’s actually quite funny! The first episode opens with Superman play-wrestling with junior team member, Marvin, a character who could just as easily be hanging out with Scooby Doo as a bunch of super heroes! In fact, the team has their very own Scooby, in the form of Wonder Dog (no relation to Wonder Woman.) Like I said, totally silly stuff.

Silly, yes. But also very, very long. Each one of these episodes clocks in at around 45 minutes! Unreal! As much as I enjoy these shows, the silly stories and lack of characterization tends to lose its charm after the 15-20 minute mark. It’s hard for me to believe that children could sit through episodes of this length way back in 1973, when the series debuted.

Illustrator and character designer Alex Toth’s Batman model sheets

But there’s a lot to love here. Chiefly, the brilliant minimalist character designs of master illustrator, Alex Toth. This stuff is fantastic! The animation team barely manages to stay on model but when they nail the designs, they look great. I really wish Warner had included a featurette about Toth and his work for animation studio Hanna Barbera on the DVD. In fact, any sort of featurette detailing the early years of this groundbreaking series would have been appreciated. Ah well. Maybe the Blu-ray edition that will hopefully be issued in the coming years will be a little more comprehensive. One can only hope!

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Off the top, this is the first release to include DCs new series of animated shorts they call DC Showcase (named after the old comic book that introduced the world to heroes like the Silver Age Flash, Barry Allen!). In this case, the hero in the spotlight is The Spectre – the ghostly apparition from comics of the 40s, with a story written here by fan-fave Steve Niles (30 Days of Night).

Also of note on the disc is the first inclusion of episodes of the live-action adventures of some of DC Comics’ heroes. This Blu-ray disc will see the Wonder Woman pilot (let’s hope for the Linda Carter one and not the dreadful Cathy Lee Crosby, blonde-haired amazon incarnation) and the only existing episode of the ill-fated Aquaman series starring Justin Hartley (Green Arrow on the CW’s Smallville) as the Atlantean hero.

UPDATE – Blu-ray.com is reporting this list of special features for the disc. Note that they scooped the title of the next DC Animated film: Batman Under the Red Hood! Wonder what that one is going to be about?!

Special features include:
• DC Showcase: The Spectre
• A First Look at ‘Batman Under the Red Hood’
  Green Lantern First Look
• Superman/Batman Public Enemies First Look
• Wonder Woman: The Amazon Princess “
• The New World” – Extended Cut
• Bruce Timm’s Top Picks
• A Better World, Parts 1 and 2 (previously on Justice League Unlimited S2 DVD release)
• Twilight, Parts 1 and 2 (previously on Justice League Unlimited S2 DVD release)
• DC TV pilot episodes (live -action)
• Wonder Woman (previously on Wonder Woman S1 DVD release)
• Aquaman (never before released)
• Trailers
• Digital Copy Online (DCON) – no fee, no second disc required

Read all the details in the Press Release below:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WHEN JUSTICE MEETS ITS MATCH,
WORLDS COLLIDE

JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRISIS ON TWO EARTHS

Featuring Mark Harmon, James Woods, William Baldwin, Chris Noth & Gina Torres

2-Disc and BD releases include DC Showcase: The Spectre,
the first in a series of shorts to be included on select DC Universe releases

BURBANK, CA (November 23, 2009) – To save our world and all those like it, SUPERMAN, BATMAN and their caped colleagues must go toe-to-toe with their evil mirror images in Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, the seventh entry in the successful ongoing series of DC UNIVERSE Animated Original PG-13 Movies coming February 23, 2010 from Warner Premiere, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation. The full-length animated film will be distributed by Warner Home Video as a Special Edition 2-disc version on DVD and Blu-Ray™ Hi-Def for $24.98 (SRP) and $29.99 (SRP), respectively, as well as single disc DVD for $19.98 (SRP). The film will also be available On Demand and Download.

Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths is an original story from award-winning animation/comics writer Dwayne McDuffie (Justice League) rooted in DC Comics’ popular canon of “Crisis” stories depicting parallel worlds with uniquely similar heroes and villains. Bruce Timm (Superman Doomsday) is executive producer. Lauren Montgomery (Wonder Woman, Green Lantern: First Flight) and Sam Liu (Superman/Batman: Public Enemies) are co-directors.

In Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, a “good” LEX LUTHOR arrives from an alternate universe to recruit the JUSTICE LEAGUE to help save his Earth from the Crime Syndicate, a gang of villainous characters with virtually identical super powers to the JUSTICE LEAGUE. What ensues is the ultimate battle of good versus evil in a war that threatens both planets and, through a diabolical plan launched by OWLMAN, puts the balance of all existence in peril.

The movie features an all-star voice cast led by Mark Harmon (NCIS) as SUPERMAN, James Woods (Ghosts of Mississippi) as OWLMAN, Chris Noth (Sex and the City, Law & Order) as LEX LUTHOR, William Baldwin (Dirty Sexy Money) as BATMAN, Gina Torres (Serenity, Firefly) as SUPERWOMAN and Bruce Davison (X-Men) as the President.

Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths – 2 Disc Special Edition version will have more than two hours of incredible bonus features, including:

• DC Showcase – The Spectre: The first animated short in the all-new DC Showcase series focuses on a detective story with an ethereal twist, featuring the otherworldly character originally introduced by DC Comics in 1940. The short is written by Steve Niles (30 Days of Night), and the voice cast includes Gary Cole (Entourage) and Alyssa Milano (Charmed).
• Featurette – “The New World”: From Identity Crisis forward, DC Comics raised the stakes with talent writers, editors and artists pushing the boundaries of what it means to be a modern day Super Hero. This documentary covers the riveting and often harrowing tale of New York Times bestselling author Brad Meltzer’s “Identity Crisis,” and why this story struck the right chord with the comic book audience.  The story is a personal one for the creator, as well as the DC Comics executives’ fortunate enough to have been a part of this mature comic book publication.  While revealing the strategy and sentiments behind this comic book, the documentary film goes a step further to explore the continuing and recent publications of “Infinite Crisis” and “Final Crisis,” while crafted with the narration of “The Dark Knight” Executive Producer Michael Uslan.  The tension is high, the story is personal, and the stakes have been raised!
• Extended Sneak Peek at the next DC UNIVERSE Animated Original PG-13 Movie.
• Digital Copy Download
• Widescreen (1.78:1)
• Two Episodes of Justice League Unlimited hand-picked by animation legend Bruce Timm

Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths Blu-Ray versions will have more than three hours of bonus materials, including all the great extras from the 2-disc Special Edition and two additional episodes from Justice League Unlimited, both personally selected by fan-favorite Bruce Timm, plus television pilot episodes from the DC live-action shows: Wonder Woman, and Aquaman.
 
“Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths is an outstanding representation of the DC Universe series of groundbreaking animated films coming from creative forces within DC Comics, Warner Premiere, Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Home Video,” said Matt Bierman, Senior Vice President Production, Warner Premiere. “It is a testament to the team effort between those four divisions that brings forth a feature-length animated original PG-13 film bursting with great storytelling, memorable characters and impressive animation. This is truly a blockbuster animated film.”

“We’re very excited to present an original story from renowned writer Dwayne McDuffie that takes the JUSTICE LEAGUE mythology and spins it on its ear with parallel worlds echoed in so many classic DC ‘Crisis’ tales,” said Gregory Noveck, Senior VP Creative Affairs, DC Comics. “This is a thinking man’s hero movie with a set of villains determined to succeed and one focused on complete intergalactic annihilation – so just as the stakes are that much higher, so is the intensity of the action with these legendary characters.”

“DC UNIVERSE films continue to stretch the creative boundaries of comics-to-film presentations, and Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths offers fans another vision of these iconic characters brought forth by outstanding animation talent – led by executive producer Bruce Timm – and an inspired voice cast featuring the stellar talents of Mark Harmon, Chris Noth, William Baldwin, Gina Torres and James Woods,” said Amit Desai, WHV Vice President of Family, Animation & Partner Brand Marketing.

“The co-direction of Lauren Montgomery and Sam Liu merges the best of the last three DC UNIVERSE films with a fine balance of intelligence, emotion and more action than even two Earths can handle,” said Sam Register, Executive Vice President, Warner Bros. Animation.

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