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Top New Blu-ray releases for the Week of February 7

Brenden — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:15:35 +0000

Not the strongest week of Blu-ray releases but there are some real gems here. Be sure to scroll all the way down to check the discs I didn’t highlight – MGM have another four catalogue releases that will most likely look pretty decent, Kino has released the original A Star is Born, Spider-man’s newest villain leads the cast in Anonymous, amongst many others.

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: LA JETÉE/SANS SOLEIL

One of the most influential, radical science-fiction films ever made and a mind-bending free-form travelogue: La Jetée and Sans Soleil couldn’t seem more different—but they’re the twin pillars of an unparalleled and uncompromising career in cinema. A filmmaker, poet, novelist, photographer, editor, and now videographer and digital multimedia artist, Chris Marker has been challenging moviegoers, philosophers, and himself for years with his investigations of time, memory, and the rapid advancement of life on this planet. These two films—a tale of time travel told in still images and a journey to Africa and Japan—remain his best-loved and most widely seen.

The sole Criterion release this week is also the best new Blu-ray available this week. This disc might be perceived as a straight-ahead, plain-vanilla upgrade from an already available DVD but the fact that any of Chris Markers’ films are now available domestically in high-def is cause for celebration. Both La Jetée and Sans Soleil have been furnished with the high-definition treatment and both look better than they ever have before. The 28-minute long, 1962 film La Jetée, the clear inspiration for Terry Gilliam‘s 12 Monkeys, sports more detail than ever before and looks far more film-like with improved contrast and a nice sheen of grain present. Sans Soleil looks even better, with far more vivid colours and bolder contrast than the 1983 film was afforded in the now five-year old DVD transfer. Audio is presented in French and English mono tracks.

Recommended!

Special Features:

Restored high-definition digital transfers, approved by director Chris Marker, with uncompressed monaural soundtracks
Two interviews with filmmaker Jean-Pierre Gorin
Chris on Chris, a video piece on Marker by filmmaker and critic Chris Darke
Two excerpts from the French television series Court-circuit (le magazine): a look at David Bowie’s music video for the song “Jump They Say,” inspired by La Jetée, and an analysis of Hitchcock’s Vertigo and its influence on Marker
• Junkopia, a six-minute film by Marker about the Emeryville Mudflats
• PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by Marker scholar Catherine Lupton, an interview with Marker, notes on the films and filmmaking by Marker, and more

AMAZON: $27.99

LADY AND THE TRAMP

Fall in love with Walt Disney‘s Beloved Classic, “Lady And The Tramp” – now unleashed in glorious high definition for the first time ever on Blu-ray(TM)! Experience like never before the thrilling adventures of Lady, a lovingly pampered cocker spaniel, and Tramp, a freewheeling mutt with a heart of gold. This heartwarming tale now charms a new generation of families and fans with its exquisite animation, unforgettable songs and immersive bonus that reveals the extraordinary making-of process behind one of the greatest love stories of all time. This is the night to share a special bella notte with your family and introduce them to the film Janet Maslin of the New York Times News Service hails as “one of Disney’s most enduring classics” – now more beautiful than ever through the magic of Blu-ray(TM) high definition.

The next in the exceptional series of classic Disney films on Blu, fans of animation and classic films will want to grab up a copy of Lady and the Tramp. It sports a pitch perfect transfer, a new multi-channel as well as original sound mix and a ton of special features. There’s also another one of those “Disney Second Screen” apps that I love so much. I’m hoping to get my hands on this bad boy sometime soon.

AMAZON: $22.99

LOVE STORY

Love means never having to say you’re sorry. Everyone loves “Love Story“! One of the most romantic movies ever made also remains one of the most enduringly popular. This heartfelt 1970 tale of the love of a lifetime – the most successful Paramount movie up to that time – received seven Academy Award nominations (including Best Picture) and won one for Francis Lai‘s magnificent score. As filming was underway on “Love Story”, the filmmakers knew they had something special – so special that Erich Segal was simultaneously shaping his best-selling novel from his own screenplay. Stars Ryan O’Neal and Ali McGraw each received Academy Award nominations and became overnight movie sensations for their poignant portrayals of a young couple who cross social barriers, marry, and ultimately face the greatest crisis of all.

I’ve been avoiding Arthur Hiller‘s Love Story for 38 years now. Well, to be fair, it’s probably a lot fewer years than that, as I’m sure I only grew aware of the film around about my high school years. All that to say, it’s a film I really had no desire to see – an overly melancholic, sappy sounding drama from the early ’70s, starring a couple of actors who I’ve never found particularly compelling. Urgh. Don’t we continue to make craploads of those insipid things every year, to this day? I’m pretty sure I just saw an ad for one starring Rachel McAdams and the guy from G.I. Joe. Nevertheless, the fact that Paramount has just issued the film on Blu-ray is excuse enough to finally bite the bullet and give it a chance.

I think the thing that I enjoyed most about the film is the look of it, Boston in 1970, the clothes, furniture and cars. It’s a beautiful window into that time period, scant few years before I was born. The handheld camera-work gives it a visceral feel, allowing the film to more easily transport the audience into the world onscreen. I didn’t hate Ryan O’Neal and Ali McGraw. There’s a combative nature to their relationship that’s almost refreshing, even after all these years. They do connect, which makes the final moments of the drama all the more poignant. Love Story certainly isn’t a bad film. It’s just unfortunately manipulative and exists for the sole purpose of delivering its suckerpunch in the final act, which seems to me to undermine the previous hour’s worth of story.

Thankfully, Love Story looks great on Blu-ray, rich with film grain and sporting a ton of detail. This is a completely film-like presentation that easily proves to be some of the finer work Paramount has afforded one of their catalogue releases. Fans will be very pleased. Audio is front heavy, as is to be expected but presented in a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track.

Special features are limited but nice, led by an exceptional, very informative commentary track by director Hiller. Less impressive but a decent watch all the same is the 15-minute long featruette, ‘Love Story: A Classic Remembered‘. The disc is rounded out with the theatrical trailer.
AMAZON: $11.99

THE HOUR

Romola Garai, Dominic West and Ben Whishaw star in “The Hour”, a thrilling six-part drama set in 1950s London when the BBC is about to launch an entirely new way of presenting the news. The dynamic Bel (Garai) is chosen to produce the new program, to be called “The Hour”, with handsome and well connected Hector (West) set to become the anchor, much to the annoyance of Freddie (Whishaw), a brilliant and outspoken journalist, whose passion continually lands him in trouble. Over the six episodes, the interplay of intense ambitions between our rising news team play out against the backdrop of a mysterious murder and Freddie’s controversial and dangerous investigation.

It appears that you folks in the US got this 2-disc set of the BBC series The Hour back in September. Well, we here, up in Canadia just got our hands on this bad boy this week, along with revised (and improved, if you ask me) package art! I enjoy the 6-episode series well enough but find the spy plot ultimately watered down, which drains the tension from the climax of the narrative. I love the style of the series, though, and would enjoy watching an entire follow-up season focused on the characters and their struggles inside the world of the emerging television business without an espionage plot shoehorned in. Mad Men doesn’t need James Bond to ramp up the tension!

This BBC Blu-ray sets looks fantastic, as they all seem to do. As par for the course, the presentation is detailed and film-like but is encoded at 1080i, not that you’ll notice. Audio is lossless stereo and is clean and clear throughout. There are two featurettes included in the set, that run a total of around half-an-hour in length – ‘Behind the Scenes‘ (10:09) and ‘Creating The Hour‘ (20:26).

AMAZON: CDN$ 39.98

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL

In celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Andrew Lloyd Webber‘s “The Phantom of the Opera“, Cameron Mackintosh produced a unique, spectacular staging of the musical on a scale which had never been seen before. Inspired by the original staging by Hal Prince and Gillian Lynne, this lavish, fully-staged production set in the sumptuous Victorian splendor of London’s legendary Royal Albert Hall features a cast and orchestra of over 200, plus some very special guest appearances.

It’s not quite the Universal Monsters version of the story that I fell in love with as a child, but Andrew Lloyd Webber‘s musical version of the Phantom of the Opera does hold some limited appeal to monster fans like me. And this new Blu-ray presentation of the 25th Anniversary concert of the popular show is bound to please not only devout fans of the musical but also the most critical of home video fanatic.

DOWNTON ABBEY: SEASON 2

Season 2 of the Emmy Award-winning Downton Abbey returns as The Great War rages across Europe, and not even the serene Yorkshire countryside is free from its effects. The men and women of Downton are doing their part both on the front lines and the home front, but the intensity of war only serves to inflame the more familiar passions—love, loss, blackmail, and betrayal.

I’m kicking myself for not getting in on the ground floor of the Downton Abbey hysteria. I had every opportunity to check out the first season on Blu-ray but poo-pooed it, assuming it was just another UK drama about people of privilege at the turn of the last century. Guess I called that one wrong. The second season of the hit series is collected here on 3-discs with 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio tracks and a bunch of extras.

AMAZON: $24.99

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN – PART 1

In the highly anticipated fourth installment of, “The Twilight Saga“, a marriage, honeymoon and the birth of a child bring unforeseen and shocking developments for Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward (Robert Pattinson) and those they love, including new complications with young werewolf Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner).

Ah, Twilight. Here we are again, faced with the umpteenth sequel to the popular saga of teen-Vampire-lust. It’s been a few years now and I still haven’t seen a single entry in this franchise and it looks like that might be how things shake out for the rest of my time on this green rock. I’m not sad. I think my vampire time is better spent with Bela and Christopher Lee. But for those in love with Bella and Edward, you’ll want to be sure to grab up Breaking Dawn, Part 1 on Blu when it hits shops this Saturday.

No, for real, it’s being released on Saturday. I dunno. Don’t ask me.

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:

The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall Blu-ray Disc Review

Brenden — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:52:15 +0000

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL (2011, Blu-ray released February 7, 2012 – MSRP $39.98)

THE FILM:	★★★☆☆
VIDEO:	★★★★½
AUDIO:	★★★★☆
EXTRAS:	★★☆☆☆
BLU-RAY:	★★★½☆

In celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “The Phantom of the Opera”, Cameron Mackintosh produced a unique, spectacular staging of the musical on a scale which had never been seen before. Inspired by the original staging by Hal Prince and Gillian Lynne, this lavish, fully-staged production set in the sumptuous Victorian splendor of London’s legendary Royal Albert Hall features a cast and orchestra of over 200, plus some very special guest appearances.

I’ll admit that I got a little swept away by Phantom-mania back in the ’80s, when I was in high school. It’s the musical that tricked me into getting involved with “the theatre.” Those of you not old enough to have been caught up at the time (or old enough to have known better, back in the day) won’t recall the hysteria surrounding the production and the popularity of the cast recordings (that 2-disc set was one of my family’s first CD purchases.) And by that token, might not appreciate why this 25th Anniversary concert recording is rather significant.

The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall Blu-ray scratches that itch that many of us were hoping would be taken care of by Joel Schumacher‘s sadly-ineffective 2004 feature film adaptation. It provides a record of a landmark show, well cast this time around and exceptionally well sung, that fans can return to any time they wish to recall memories of skulking around in the shadowy catacombs under the Paris Opera House or the haunting and sometimes far-too-’80s songs from the show they love. The one caveat, I would point out with this production, is that the very talented Ramin Karimloo, who plays the part of the Phantom, isn’t able to restrain his performance in front of the unforgiving HD cameras. I imagine his take on the character must work well when you’re watching it from quite a distance away, seated up in the rafters of the Hall, but it lacks the sense of nuance or realism that would allow for suspension of disbelief in this merciless recorded medium. His twitching fingers and over-dramatic movements never allow the audience to forget they’re watching a performer putting on a show. If I’d been in the director’s chair, I would’ve sat Karimloo down with hours of Chaney on film to teach him how to gesture dramatically without screaming to the world, “I’m acting!”

The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall looks amazing on Blu-ray. And it should, as it was shot as recently as a few months ago on modern HD cameras. Detail is fantastic, colour is spot on and contrast is impressive, as you would imagine. The only drawback of the presentation is that the cameras don’t always perfectly resolve the image from the video screens that provide the backdrop set pieces of the show. It’s a minor issue and, I imagine, a rather technical one regarding the interplay of recording speeds on the cams and refresh rates on the screens not always lining up perfectly. You might not even notice it.

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 on the disc is mostly fantastic, but doesn’t always use the center channel as you’d hope, sometimes dropping dialogue completely. This might be a fault of the live recording because the anomalies also seem to occur in the Dolby Digital 2.0 mix but to a lesser degree. Either way, make certain when you start playing the show that you’ve got the audio track you want to listen to, as the disc tends to default to the lossy DD track, which is mostly likely not your preference.

Special features are, unfortunately, quite limited on the The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall Blu-ray Disc. There’s only really a single bonus goodie here – the 17-minute ‘behind the scenes’ doc called Getting Past the Point of No Return. It’s actually pretty decent, if not relatively brief (watch two short snippets embedded above.) But with the show itself running over two-and-a-half hours long, I’m happy not to have too much additional video eating away at its bandwidth. The best possible scenario would’ve been the addition of a second disc featuring interviews and docs about the show, the music, this particular production and the history of the Phantom. A fan can dream. This disc is rounded out with a trailer for a Blu-ray release of Lloyd Webber’s Phantom sequel, Love Never Dies.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Getting Past the Point of No Return behind-the-scenes featurette starring the cast and crew

Universal’s 100th Anniversary Blu-ray releases include restored Dracula, Frankenstein, Jaws, All Quiet on the Western Front, The Birds and more!

Brenden — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 20:15:04 +0000

This has been a stunning week of Blu-ray news (most of which I’ll get to posting in due time), all released surrounding the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The news that walloped me the hardest is that 2012 will be the year that Universal will finally offer up select titles from it’s beloved collection of monster films in new, restored Blu-ray releases!! That’s right, the gods of monsters and the gods of HD have, at long last, seen fit to allow me to own the original 1930s Dracula and Frankenstein films in glorious 1080p!

I should clarify here – Universal has not officially announced the release of those films on Blu…yet! But they have made clear that they’re restoring them and eleven others at great expense (“…three to six months each and cost $250,000 to $600,000 per title” according to Universal’s Technical Operations Head Michael Daruty) and that we can expect a Universal Monsters Blu-ray boxed set, along with a Hitchcock set before the end of the year. And though a great number of the films to be restored have yet to be officially announced for release on Blu-ray, I’d say it’s a pretty safe bet we’ll see them all before the year is out. In fact, early dates have already leaked for Pillow Talk and Jaws! The complete list of films announced for restoration is as follows:

All Quiet on the Western Front (1930 – available on Blu-ray February 14, 2012)
Dracula (1931 – directed by Tod Browning)
Dracula (1931 – Spanish language version directed by George Melford)
Frankenstein (1931)
The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
Abbott and Costello’s Buck Privates (1941)
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962 – available on Blu-ray January 31, 2012)
The Birds (1963)
Pillow Talk (1959 available on Blu-ray May 1, 2012))
The Sting (1973)
Jaws (1975- available on Blu-ray August 14, 2012)
Out of Africa (1985 – restored version available on Blu-ray March 6, 2012)
Schindler’s List (1993)

From the press release:

Universal Studios Home Entertainment will kick off the celebration in January with a special 50th anniversary release of To Kill a Mockingbird, debuting on Blu-ray for the first time ever. Throughout the year Universal will pay tribute to other influential films in the Universal library with special events and Blu-ray releases of such iconic classics as Jaws and E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, which celebrates its 30th anniversary.

Universal will reveal an updated animated logo tied to the centennial. The animated logo will make its first appearance in front of Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax at its premiere in February and for that film’s U.S. theatrical release on March 2nd. (The new static version of this logo was unveiled today and is featured below.) Other activities surrounding the studio’s 100th anniversary include a vibrant social media campaign, special events, theme park activities, promotions and many surprises to engage fans throughout the yearlong celebration.

“This is a proud moment for all of us who’ve had the privilege of working at Universal Pictures,” said Ron Meyer, Universal Studios President and COO. “Our centennial is designed to bring special memories back to longtime movie lovers and fans and to engage new audiences with our extraordinary library of films for the first time. Our goal, 100 years later, is to preserve, restore and continue the iconic legacy of this studio for generations to come.”

Fans and film enthusiasts can start celebrating online today at the official Universal Centennial website, a one-stop destination dedicated to Universal’s 100 years. The site, as well as a number of social media platforms, will bring the centennial to life online. Universal will be sharing archival content on its brand new Tumblr page; fans of Universal classics on Facebook will find exclusives and special opportunities across their favorite pages; followers of @UniversalPics on Twitter can find the activities using the hashtag #Universal100; Foursquare users who check in at iconic Universal locations such as the studio and theme parks will be able to unlock special behind-the-scenes tips and content; and for those who are followers of fashion, Universal’s Pinterest account will be drawing inspiration from favorite films for everyone’s Pinboards, starting with 10 inaugural titles of pop-culture classics such as The Breakfast Club, Scarface, Sixteen Candles, Bridget Jones’ Diary and Bridesmaids.

These online initiatives will roll out throughout various times of the year and will tie back to the Universal Centennial official site.

In the spring select fans will have the opportunity to attend a special gala anniversary celebration on the Universal lot featuring many of the filmmakers and artists who shaped the studio’s history. In addition, the studio will spotlight the 100th anniversary throughout various worldwide film festivals and other featured events, panels and activities.

On April 30, 1912, Universal Film Manufacturing Company filed its certificate of incorporation with the state of New York. In 1915 Carl Laemmle officially opened Universal City, the largest film production facility in the world. Throughout Universal’s 100 years the studio has served as a home for many of the most talented filmmakers of all time (such as Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg, Robert Zemeckis, Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard, Peter Jackson, Spike Lee, John Hughes and Judd Apatow) and created films that have touched the hearts of millions and fueled culture’s fascination with cinema. To share the profound legacy of its artists, the studio will highlight their careers with touching personal stories from filmmakers, talent, crews, employees and fans.

Universal’s key centennial activities included throughout the anniversary year are as follows:

Major Film Restoration Commitment
Universal will restore 13 films over the course of the centennial year. The restoration effort includes the following films: All Quiet on the Western Front, The Birds, Buck Privates, Dracula (1931), Dracula Spanish (1931), Frankenstein, Jaws, Schindler’s List, Out of Africa, Pillow Talk, Bride of Frankenstein, The Sting and To Kill a Mockingbird.

Unveiling of New Logo
Universal will reveal an updated animated logo at the February premiere of the upcoming feature Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax and at that film’s U.S. theatrical debut on March 2, 2012. The updated logo will be used on all Universal Pictures films going forward and will be integrated into all aspects of the company’s business as well.

Home Entertainment
Universal Home Entertainment will be introducing a limited edition 100th Anniversary Collector’s Series featuring some of the aforementioned film restorations on Blu-ray in collectible, book-style packaging showcasing rare movie memorabilia and brand new 10-minute video featurettes. In addition, special collections will be released throughout the year, culminating in the highly anticipated Blu-ray releases of Universal’s Classic Monster and Alfred Hitchcock series. A selection of movies that have shaped Universal’s legacy will also be released in commemorative packaging, many of them on Blu-ray for the first time ever.

Theme Park Celebrations
Universal’s Parks and Resorts will help highlight the campaign with centennial-specific content and merchandise throughout both the Orlando and Hollywood locations. The Orlando resort will soon announce a specially themed entertainment experience that will celebrate Universal’s heritage. At the iconic Hollywood park the world-famous Studio Tour features expert guides that will take guests on a tour through 100 years of moviemaking history on the Universal Studios production backlot. Tours are conducted daily, visiting TV and movie sets ranging from the early Universal Studios monster film classics to current productions.

Website and Social Media Campaign
Universal will be engaging fans across multiple social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Tumblr and Pinterest. At the center of all online initiatives lies a rich, robust website dedicated to all things related to the yearlong celebration of Universal’s 100th Anniversary.“

Via: Dread Central and Blu-ray.com

Top New Blu-ray releases for the Week of November 1

Brenden — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 23:40:56 +0000

Once again, my weekly report on the new Blu-ray releases is being delivered a touch late. You can chalk this recent tardiness up to a tough batch of reviews and the fact that I’m on vacation. Yes, that’s right, I’m busting out reviews on my vacation. That’s how much I love you!

In addition to the selections I’ve highlighted for you, be sure to scroll all the way down to the bottom of the post for additional excellent titles like Spielberg’s Hook, Clooney’s Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and the Blu-ray debut PBS favourite Brideshead Revisited.

Blu-ray disc of the week: THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (1925/1929)

Lon Chaney‘s magisterial performance as Erik, the disfigured “phantom” who lives in the catacombs and dungeons beneath the Paris Opera, has become an icon of modern culture. Twice remade and subsequently adapted into one of the most successful musicals in theatrical history, this 1925 super-production is a landmark of the silent era, often regarded as the first great horror film.

This Blu-Ray is newly-mastered from by far the best 35mm film material ever available for a video edition. It includes two complete high-definition transfers of the 1929 reissue, three specially-commissioned musical scores, a standard-definition presentation of the surprisingly different 1925 edit and many other extras. This is as stunning and faithful a rendering of the silent classic as has ever been seen. “

There’s just so much to say about the new Phantom of the Opera disc from Image. This is one of the Blu-ray discs I’ve been looking forward to most of all this year and on a lot of levels it doesn’t disappoint. It features three versions of the film – one in 1080p, running at 24fps, one in 1080i running at 20fps and a final version in standard def. Let me just start by saying that I’ve never seen the film looking sharper and more detailed than in the HD presentations on this disc. From that standpoint, these are outstanding transfers, the 1080p/24fps being slightly superior across the board. Honestly, I found the clarity to be stunning. But for all the wonder of these new presentations there are a host of issues to report.

Now, you have to understand here that the producer of the disc, David Shepard, has announced that there are problems with this initial pressing of the Blu-ray disc, so it’s tough to criticize the Blu-ray without taking that into account. The problem is that, aside from the announcement that a stereo score was mistakenly mastered in mono, we don’t know which issues will be addressed in Phantom’s second pressing. So, please take these criticisms lightly, as they might simply be errors on this pressing, which Shepard claims should be “rarer than an upside-down airmail stamp“, that the label intends to fix moving forward. With that in mind, here’s a quick rundown of my issues with what I’ve seen.

Yes, there’s a stereo score in mono. But it still sounds pretty solid, despite the lack of separation. It’s unfortunate but it’s not an issue that jumps out and grabs you. Problems with the image, on the other hand, are obvious, even to those with a less-than-discenring eye. The first thing I noticed is that the tinting of the image is a bit out of control. Not only does it often run too hot, contrast boosted to the point of eating into image detail, but it compromises the stability of the black bars that form the ‘pillar-boxes’ on the sides of the screen. That black should be pure. Black as pitch. But when the image is tinted – the deep red tinting being the most obvious – that black shifts in tone – in the case of the red tine, the black bars become black/red. It’s clear that the production facility applied the tint to the entire anamorphic image instead of just the 1.21 aspect ratio content. That’s just sloppy work. Other than that, the 24fps/1080p version looks like a million bucks. Great stuff.

The interlaced version, running at 1080i, doesn’t offer as much clarity though it’s apparently a transfer from the same 35 mm source. That’s all right. The real issue comes in the form of the strange way the film speed has been handled. According to Shepard, the production facility didn’t simply slow down the 24fps transfer but created it anew from the source at much greater cost. It’s curious then that frames often freeze on screen for a moment. It’s a jarring effect that happens too often to be a random glitch. If you ask me, this is a critical issue with this pressing that should be resolved. While we’re on the subject of timing, the Gaylord Carter score on the 24fps version of the film and the Gabriel Thibaudeau score on the 20fps seem to be out of synch. Maybe it’s just me but that also seems like something to be resolved. (UPDATE: Shepard reports that the timing of the scores are issues that are being resolved.)

My final gripe about this disc (sorry for the laundry list of issues – I just really want this one to be perfect and a lot of these problems just seem like issues of sloppiness that can be addressed) is the appalling menu. Navigating The Phantom of the Opera Blu-ray is like being transported back to the frustrating early days of DVD. The various versions of the film are presented on the menu screen, organized by score composer. That would be all right, I guess, if the initial selections didn’t omit the 1974 Gaylord Carter score and the commentary option. In order to reach those audio tracks one must click into the “parent” audio option – for instance to watch with the Carter score, you’ve got to click on the “Alloy Orchestra Score” option, which then opens a window offering to play the feature, a selection of bookmarked scenes and then finally, the option to turn the Carter score “On” or “Off”. And don’t get me started on the fact that there’s no mention of which score allows you to watch the HD version of the film, taken from the 1929 35 mm print and which is the very different 1925 version, presented here in standard definition from an old “Show at Home” 16 mm print. If you’re looking for that info, you better have the Blu-ray case handy. Aside from all that, it’s all just very clunky and difficult to move back and forth between items. Just terrible work.

With all of these issues plaguing this pressing of the disc, I’m sure you can’t help but wonder why it’s my Blu-ray Pick of the Week. Well, there’s a lot of reasons to pick The Phantom, really. First off, I just love this film. It’s one of the first Universal Monster films ever produced and The Phantom is now the very first one of those characters to debut on Blu. That’s reason enough for me. I guess my affection for it should be reason enough for you too? But there’s so much more to love here. Like I said, the 1080p/24fps transfer from 35 mm is a revelation in just about every way. It’s just incredible to see this classic looking so vivid in HD. The inclusion of so many wonderful scores is also a real treat (I have to admit being partial to Gabriel Thibaudeau’s work, after experiencing it live at the Fantasia Festival this past summer.) The special features on the disc put it over the top for me. Jon Mirsalis‘ commentary track is a definite highlight, packed with details about the production, various versions of the film and the state of the surviving print sources as well as an odd mention of a DVD version of Phantom from another publisher, which Mirsalis just happened to supply the score for. The Thibaudeau interview from 2004 is a brief but welcome addition to the disc, as is the gallery, program reproduction, script and trailer.

This is a must-buy for fans of the film and of the Universal Monsters. Whether you grab it up now (if you can find it) and keep an eye open for an exchange program or have patience and wait for the second pressing is the only issue at hand.

Special Features:

All-new HD restoration of the film, with the Bal Masque sequence in two-strip Technicolor and other scenes hand tinted
1925 and 1929 versions
New score by The Alloy Orchestra
Gaylord Carter’s famous 1974 score released for the very first time in stereo
Gabriel Thibaudeau’s 1990 score
New audio commentary by Dr. Jon Mirsalis
Gabriel Thibaudeau Interview
Photo Gallery
Phantom Script
Phantom Souvenir Program Reproduction
Trailer

AMAZON: $23.99

SCROOGED

High-spirited high jinks on Christmas Eve put Frank Cross (Bill Murray) in a ghostly time warp in this hilarious take-off of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” Cross, who has made the meteoric rise from the depths of the mailroom to TV network president, is mean, nasty, uncaring, unforgiving and has a sadistic sense of humor – perfect qualities for a modern-day Scrooge. Before the night is over, he’ll be visited by a maniacal New York cab driver from the past, a present-day fairy who’s into pratfalls and, finally, a ghoulish seven-foot-headless messenger from the future.

If you don’t love Scrooged, we can’t be friends. Seriously, this is one of those Christmas movies that’s on my must-watch list every year. It might be a predictable take on Dickens‘ A Christmas Carol but the casting and the comedy spice things up enough to make it timeless. Bill Murray is brilliant in the lead role, in one of his finer comedic performances of the ’80s (and that’s saying something.) Carol Kane is every bit his equal, though her screen time as the looney, masochistic Ghost of Christmas Present is criminally limited. David Johansen‘s taxi-driving Ghost of Christmas Past is also a standout. And who can forget the decaying, walking ghost-corpse of John Forsythe – the Jacob Marley of the story – filled with holes and disgusting, dangling bits of flesh. Yeah, Scrooged is good, old-fashioned Holiday times!

I’m almost in disbelief at how solid Scrooged looks in its Blu-ray debut. This is probably the finest work I’ve seen on a catalogue transfer from Paramount to date. Can we expect this level of work on all forthcoming catalogue titles from the studio? One can only hope. There’s detail a plenty, colours are rock solid and the whole thing looks far more film-like than I was expecting. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is also a winner, sporting surprisingly active surrounds and thunderous bass, while maintaining clean, clear dialogue and a dynamic representation of this early, yet iconic Danny Elfman score.

The only crime of which to speak on this exceptional release is the lack of supplemental material. I mean, I’ll take a good transfer over a commentary track any day, but it stinks to not have director Richard Donner (Superman, Lethal Weapon) chime in on the film in any capacity here. It’s really a missed opportunity. The only extra to be found on the disc is the original theatrical trailer.

AMAZON: $16.99

CARS 2

From the creators of “Cars”, “Up” and “Toy Story 3″ comes a new Pixar classic for the entire family. Star racecar Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) and the incomparable tow truck Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) take their friendship to exciting new places when they head overseas to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix to determine the world’s fastest car. But the road to the championship is filled with plenty of potholes, detours, and hilarious surprises when Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage! Experience all the fast-paced fun with an “all-car” cast – plus enjoy the hilarious, never-before-seen short film “Air Mater.” It’s pedal-to-the-metal excitement from start to finish.

I haven’t seen Cars 2 but honestly, how bad can it be? Really bad, if critical reviews and my friends are to be believed. But hey, kids seem to dig it, so what do we adults know? As this is another digital-to-digital transfer from Pixar and Disney, the Blu-ray disc should be demo quality. I have no reservations in recommending the disc, sight unseen, on the basis of its technical merits. But I’m not going to speak for the film itself, in this case.

AMAZON: $26.99

Also available: CARS DIRECTOR’S EDITION

AMAZON: $79.99

SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN

From the director of The Joy Luck Club, and based on the best-selling novel, comes a timeless portrait of female friendship. Centuries ago, two “sworn sisters” are isolated by their families, but stay connected through a secret language written in the folds of a white silk fan. Now in modern-day Shanghai, their descendents must draw inspiration from the past as they struggle to maintain their own eternal bond in the face of life’s complications.

I had the opportunity to watch a DVD screener of Wayne Wang‘s Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. It’s a film I can appreciate but didn’t necessarily enjoy. I’ve always felt Wang had a truly great film in him but I’ve yet to connect with any of his work. In particular, I had high hopes for his collaborations with writer Paul Auster back in the ’90s, but again, there’s just something in the way he puts a film together that keeps me at arms length. The same can be said for his latest, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan.

It’s a gorgeous, often sumptuous film that ping-pongs between the early 19th century, the ’90s and the present day, telling parallel stories of a pair of women bound to each other through myriad hardships. I feel like the work leaves me cold as a result of Wang’s camera not lingering long enough in the right spaces and the performers moving between an uptight, classical style that limits them and a contemporary style where they could flourish, if they weren’t saddled with a language they’re not entirely comfortable with (the English dialogue between the two friends in modern day Shanghai is often too cardboard to elicit any pathos.) I was really pulling for this film, hoping it would deliver but it, sadly, falls short of the mark.

As I said above, I screened a DVD of the film, provided by Fox, so I’m not able to comment on the quality of the Blu-ray disc itself. I’ll update the post when I get a look at it.

AMAZON: $24.99

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE: GIFT SET

George Bailey has so many problems he is thinking about ending it all – and it’s Christmas! As the angels discuss George, we see his life in flashback. As George is about to jump from a bridge, he ends up rescuing his guardian angel, Clarence. Clarence then shows George what his town would have looked like if it hadn’t been for all of his good deeds over the years. Will Clarence be able to convince George to return to his family and forget suicide.

DId you pick up Paramount‘s It’s a Wonderful Life 2-disc Blu-ray set a couple of years back? If so, you’ve already got the disc content of this gift pack. If not, this might just be the set for you if you can grab it up at a good price. This is, without question, the finest presentation this classic holiday film has ever seen. And now it’s available in a double-disc set in a bulkier package with a collectable ornament inside.

Disc one is the original black and white version of the film while disc two is the garish colorized abomination that I refuse to ever, ever watch. The transfer of the original version is more attractive and film-accurate than ever before on home video (well, if you don’t count the previous identical Blu-ray release) but is far from perfect. There’s been a fair amount of digital tampering here but not of the variety that most will notice or be bothered with. Those with a keen eye for film-like HD transfers will notice the telltale signs of DNR, with waxy complexions and shifty grain. But like I said, there isn’t a better looking version of the film on the market. The lossy Dolby Digital 1.0 soundtrack is fine but should be presented in a more robust lossless track at this point in the life of the format. Not swapping this compressed track out for a newer lossless one is a real missed opportunity on this re-release.

There aren’t a ton of bonus goodies here but “The Making of ‘It’s A Wonderful Life‘” 20-minute featurette, a made-for-tv tribute from 1990 hosted by Tom Bosley is better than nothing. You can also consider the colorized version an extra, if you like, as it’s not the ideal presentation of the feature. There’s also a trailer and an included 8-page commemorative booklet that doesn’t fit into the Blu-ray case.

AMAZON: $27.99

Only in Canada: BEGINNERS

Golden Globe® nominee* Ewan McGregor (Star Wars I, II, III ), Academy Award® nominee† Christopher Plummer (Inside Man), and Mélanie Laurent (Inglourious Basterds) star in Beginners, an uplifting comedy about how funny and transformative life can be. When graphic designer Oliver (McGregor) meets free-spirited Anna (Laurent) shortly after his father (Plummer) has passed away, Oliver realizes just how much of a beginner he is when it comes to long-lasting romantic love. Memories of his father, who, following the death of his wife of 45 years, came out of the closet at age 75 to live a full, energized, and wonderfully tumultuous gay life, encourage Oliver to open himself up to the potential of a true relationship. Inspired by writer/director Mike Mills’ own father, it’s an original love story that critics cheer is “smart, poignant and often hilarious!” (Karen Durbin, Elle)

Mike Mills’ Beginners is a watch-twice film for me. It’s one of the special ones. It’s one of the movies that has a number of elements at play during its runtime, some of which rub me the wrong way until it wraps up and I get a better feeling for how the whole thing fits together. It’s at that point that my feeling about the whole endeavour shifts and I just want to watch the film over again, to fully appreciate it. Mills work is pitch perfect here, inspired by his own life filtered through the inspiration of the films of Jørgen Leth and Errol Morris, NPR’s This American Life and author Milan Kundera, among others. I initially found the collage sequences in the film to be pretentious and unnecessarily prosaic in nature but by the end of the film, I had warmed to them and the art of the overall work. Performances are out of this world, as is to be expected with thespians the likes of McGregor, Plummer and Laurent (though I might add that McGregor’s American accent is, at times, quite forced and somewhat distracting.) Kasper Tuxen‘s cinematography is beyond reproach, looking fantastic in every frame, shot on the RED camera.

Speaking of fantastic visuals, Beginners looks amazing on Blu-ray. I can honestly say, I was taken aback by the crystal clear digital transfer. Detail is out of this world, colour is rock solid and blacks are deep. Fantastic! The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is also just about pitch perfect, though there’s not a lot of need for the kind of dynamism you’ll find on the big Hollywood action films.

I reviewed the Canadian version of Beginners from Alliance which appears to mimic the US version from Unniversal in every way, right down the studio’s signature menu system and logos. The only difference is in the pre-menu branding and the Alliance logo on the package. Extras on both discs include a 15-minute making-of featurette, an illustrated/animated promo which runs around a minute in length and a brilliant, very informative director’s commentary track that’s definitely worth a listen.

The US edition of the Blu-ray disc will be released on November 15th.

AMAZON: CDN$ 31.99

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:

1925 Phantom of the Opera Blu-ray package art and details

Brenden — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 13:03:11 +0000

When the news hit a couple of weeks ago that there was going to be a Blu-ray edition of Lon Chaney‘s classic 1925/1929 film Phantom of the Opera, I think I went a little nuts. I posted all the details I could scrounge from all the forums and websites that were discussing the release. I even went so far as to talk about the version of the film I had just screened at the Fantasia Festival here in Montreal – a pretty nice 35 mm print projected with a score performed by a 30-piece orchestra, conducted by its composer, Gabriel Thibaudeau. It was shortly after that post went live that I returned to my old Image DVD edition of the film and realized it was he who composed and conducted the score for that disc. So, that soundtrack, present on the new Blu-ray, is not new work then. However, with the reveal of all the proper details of the disc, we now have a better picture of what the release will be like. And that includes what it will look like, as the package art has now also been revealed. I honestly can’t wait to get my hands on this one. I fear that it might be the only Universal Monster film to ever exist on Blu-ray at this rate.

PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (1925)
(November 1, 2011 – MSRP $39.98)
Video: 1.33:1 1080p
Audio: PCM Stereo

Special Features:

All-new HD restoration of the film, with the Bal Masque sequence in two-strip Technicolor and other scenes hand tinted
1925 and 1929 versions
New score by The Alloy Orchestra
Gaylord Carter’s famous 1974 score released for the very first time in stereo
Gabriel Thibaudeau’s 1990 score
New audio commentary by Dr. Jon Mirsalis
Gabriel Thibaudeau Interview
Photo Gallery
Phantom Script
Phantom Souvenir Program Reproduction
Trailer

1925 Phantom of the Opera coming to Blu-ray

Brenden — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 23:51:07 +0000

November 1 will be a landmark day for we fans of the Universal Monsters. It will mark the debut of the very first of the classic films to be released on Blu-ray. The Robert Julian (among uncredited others) directed Phantom of the Opera, starring the “Man of a Thousand Faces”, Lon Chaney, in the title role, will arrive on Blu sporting two brand new transfers of the film, distributed by Image Entertainment. Details have yet to be officially released but producer David Shepard has revealed some juicy tidbits on the nitrateville.com forums:

This will be Blu-Ray, mastered at Movietone aperture from much better 35mm material than we have ever used before. There will be two complete runs of the 1929 version: one at 24 fps with a new score by the Alloy Orchestra and an optional score on theatre pipe organ by Gaylord Carter, previously issued in monaural but now in stereo from the original master stereo recording; the second run at 20 fps with orchestra/soprano score by Gabriel Thibadeau and an optional new audio essay by Jon Mirsalis. Both runs will include the Technicolor sequence mastered from our 35mm YCM labs negative and hand colored scenes on the opera roof and in the scene of “intolerable heat.” The program will also include a standard definition transfer of the original 1925 edit from a tinted 16mm print in the usual deplorable quality but with a superb new score by Frederick Hodges. Extras will include (as still images) set construction and production stills, publicity stills, original advertising art, frames from a stencil-colored French release, and the complete script.

The new edition does contain some of the same stuff (as the Image Laserdisc): the script (now reset), stills (there are more), the Gaylord Carter score (now in stereo) all improved; then, of course, there is the movie: new HD transfers at two speeds from far superior material to our previous source with sharpness and subtlety of middle tones which left me amazed, two brand new scores, an audio essay, an interview with the composer, and more.

No, the Blackhawk intro titles (from the Image Laserdisc) will not be included.

I wouldn’t want to write my own review but I suspect that everyone…will be very impressed.“

David mentions that the Image disc will be Region A locked. The same material will be published in the UK by Park Circus and be locked to Region B. He adds that the Image package art is “wonderful”, though they’ve yet to release it to the public.

It should be noted that this won’t be the one and only version of the film to hit Blu in North America. Dennis Doros of Milestone Films announced in the same forum that his company, responsible for one of the most complete and feature-rich DVD editions of the film (now, sadly, out-of-print) will be releasing their own Blu-ray disc sometime next year. He notes, “There’s a few more surprises, hopefully, and reason to have several copies.” I’m interested to see how this all pans out, as Shepard’s discs don’t cover all potential ground with the various versions of the film and available extras. Notably, the Milestone BD should include the Scott McQueen commentary track from their OOP DVD – enough reason for me to own a second copy on Blu.

Phantom of the Opera (Fantasia Festival 2011 Poster Art) by Donald Caron

But back to the Image disc, available November 1st. I had the pleasure of catching one of the Gala performances of The Phantom of the Opera Blu-ray that closed out the Fantasia Festival in Montreal this year. A beautiful 35mm print courtesy of Cinémathèque Québécoise was screened with live accompaniment from a 30-piece orchestra. The music was composed and conducted by Gabriel Thibaudeau – the very score that will be featured on the new Blu-ray disc from Image! I have to say, I thought it was right on the money. It was almost perfect. Only a couple of small missteps (one vocal cue that dragged beyond the picture and synthetic sounds that could’ve used some additional tweaking.) For a preview of what you’ll hear on the Blu, watch the video interview with Thibaudeau (sadly, all in French without subs) embedded below. Here’s hoping Image has licensed the Donald Caron poster painting from the fest (above) for their package art. It’s pretty stunning, don’t you think?

The Phantom of the Opera Blu-ray is available for pre-order on Amazon.com right now for only $27.99.

Top New Blu-ray releases for the Week of August 2

Brenden — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 03:48:12 +0000

GAK! It’s almost Wednesday and I’m just getting around to publishing the list of new Blu-ray releases. There’s no real stand-out disc this week but there are a lot of very watchable films and some really great catalogue releases. Of note, and not in the list of Top discs this week, are individual releases of the other two “Man with No Name” Sergio Leone films (Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More) and the three Spy Kids movies. Good times.

1. RIO

Feel the rhythm…hear the beat…and let your spirit soar with this 4-Disc Edition of “Rio” – with more music, more dancing and more fun for the whole family! This high-flying animated comedy from the makers of “Ice Age” features an all-star cast that includes the voice talents of Anne Hathaway, Jesse Eisenberg, George Lopez and Jamie Foxx. Blu (Eisenberg) is a rare domesticated macaw who believes he’s the last of his kind. But when his owner learns about Jewel (Hathaway), Blu’s female counterpart in Rio de Janeiro, they set out on the adventure of a lifetime. Even though he’s never learned to fly, Blu befriends a group of wise-cracking, smooth-talking city birds who help him find the courage to spread his wings and follow his destiny.

If you didn’t know better, you could easily be fooled into thinking Rio was the newest CGI animated Pixar release, what with it’s strong sense of design and reasonably funny (even to adults), smart script. But this charming little fish-out-of-water tale comes to us courtesy of Fox and they’ve done a bang-up job here. While the story itself is terribly predictable, the gags are fresh and fun and, along with a bright cast who really deliver (seriously, Eisenberg could be the new everyman of voice actors and don’t get me started on the juice that Tracey Morgan brings to the party), keep Rio as entertaining as a night at Carnival. Speaking of which, could the creators of the film have chosen a better location to highlight? The city comes alive in a somewhat idealized, colourful rendition of Rio’s most famous time of year, highlighting the grand spectacle of the floats, costumes and parades of Carnival to great effect. Bossa Nova sounds play a big part in the film (they should, with Sergio Mendes on board as Executive Music Producer) and often call to mind the famous songs and sounds of the celebration captured in Marcel Camus‘ Black Orpheus. This is a great looking, extremely entertaining family film.

Rio not only looks spectacular in it’s design but also in it’s digital-to-digital Blu-ray transfer. This is a reference quality disc, near perfection, that you can proudly use to show off your new HD screen. Prepare to be blinded by the most radiant colours you’ve ever seen from a Blu-ray disc. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 equals the image presentation, with a soundtrack that can rival the best of them. Bonus features are plentiful but provide less insight into the filmmaking process than fans will ultimately desire. The 10-minute “The Real Rio“, a look around the locations that inspired the film, and 13-minute “Sounds of Brazil“, interviews with Mendes and the crew regarding the music of Rio, are certainly worth checking out, though, even if you normally give extras a pass.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Explore the World of Rio – Beach, Jungle, City, Stadium
Blu Shows the Way – Introduction
Boom-Boom Tish Tish: The Sounds of Rio featurette
The Making of Hot Wings featurette
Saving the Species: One Voice at a Time featurette
The Real Rio featurette
“Welcome to Rio” Music Video
Deleted Scene: “Fruit Stand”
Postcards from Rio featurette
Carnival Dance O Rama – Intro, Blu, Jewel, Luiz, Monkeys, Nico and Pedro, Raphael, Samba Line
Rio de JAM-eiro Jukebox
Taio Cruz – “Telling the World” Music Video
Angry Birds Rio – Trailer
Angry Birds Rio – Nigel Mash Up
Angry Birds Rio – Instructional Video
Live Lookup Powered By IMDB

AMAZON: $25.99

2. CONAN THE BARBARIAN and CONAN THE DESTROYER

CROM!! Just in time to promote the release of the new Conan the Barbarian film, Universal is releasing the original pair of Conan films from the ’80s, both starring Arnold Schwarzenegger in one of his best and most appropriate roles. I haven’t seen either disc (that’s right, still no screener love on the Universal front) but my love for John Milius‘ brilliant, original Conan the Barbarian will see me upgrading to the Blu-ray, which carries over all the previously available special features. I may even pick up the sub-standard, PG-rated Conan the Destroyer, which I’ve avoided watching since my initial letdown with the film way back when it was released. Yes, I’m that old…

AMAZON: $20.24 each

3. THE NAME OF THE ROSE

“The Name of the Rose” is a gothic medieval mystery thriller set in a 14th-century Italian monastery. Franciscan monk William of Baskerville (Sean Connery) and a young novice (Christian Slater) arrive for a conference to find that several monks have been murdered in mysterious circumstances. To solve the crimes, William must rise up against the Church authority and fight the shadowy conspiracy of monastery monks using only his wit and intelligence.

I hate to say it but the only element of The Name of the Rose that stuck with me from my pre-teen viewing of the film is the sex scene – a very young Christian Slater being stripped of his novice’s robes and getting it on with some random village girl, who can barely rub two intelligible syllables together, but who knows her way around a naked body. I guess fixating on the nudie bits is to be expected at that age. To be fair, though, I recall clearly enjoying the mystery and the general gothic dreariness of the mysterious thirteenth-century abbey that provides the setting of the 1986 film. There’s so much more to The Name of the Rose than meets the eye. It’s Sherlock Holmes by way of The Da Vinci Code (Umberto Eco wrote Rose long before Dan Brown had conceived of Code but you get the point), wrapped in some of the grimiest, most authentic-looking production design this side of a Ridley Scott film. Director Jean-Jacques Annaud keeps things dark, both in his shooting style and in adapting the tone of the book. The script is dense, layered with historical fact, literary allusions and theological philosophizing but not to the extent that it compromises the thrill of following along in William of Baskerville’s investigations. Great stuff!

As I said, The Name of the Rose is a dark, dreary film and it shows in this honest, film-like transfer of Warner‘s new Blu-ray disc. You’ll never demo the power of your new HDTV to pals using this bad boy but it really looks great, considering how it was shot. Moody, soft images don’t exactly pop off the screen in 1080p but they do look like film and appear untouched by digital nastiness. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is solid but, without any of the bombast of modern soundtracks, doesn’t offer any ‘wow’ factor.

Extras aren’t as plentiful as a full-on Special Edition might provide, but there’s some nice stuff to be found on the disc. Annaud offers two commentary tracks here, one in English, the other in French both loaded with facts and production info. There’s also a German television “making-of” that runs almost 45-minutes in length. The disc is rounded out with a “Photo Video Journey” and the theatrical trailer.

AMAZON: $13.99

4. SLEEPERS

The judicial system is supposed to protect them. But when a youthful prank in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen spins out of control, the punishment doesn’t fit the crime. Sentenced to the Wilkinson School for Boys, four pals are mistreated at will by a cadre of sadistic guards. Now, 15 years later, they have an unexpected opportunity to use that system – for revenge. Friendship. Loyalty. Retribution. The powerful themes and startling events of the controversial bestseller come to the screen in the electrifying thriller “Sleepers“, written for the screen and directed by Barry Levinson (“Rain Man”, “Disclosure”). Kevin Bacon, Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, Bruno Kirby, Jason Patric and Brad Pitt headline the ensemble of the compelling movie that “reminds us what superb acting is all about” (Pat Collins, WWOR-TV). From its telltale opening lines to its stunning courtroom climax, “Sleepers” is spellbinding entertainment. With a vengeance.

Oh man, I had forgotten what a great movie Sleepers is until watching it again on this new Blu-ray disc. This might just be my favourite Levinson film. The story, adapted from the real-life inspired novel by Lorenzo Carcaterra, is a harrowing one of friendship that’s stronger than evil, time or the US judicial system. It moves from from the ’60s, when the four youths at the centre of the tale are incarcerated in a home for boys where they’re raped and tortured over a year and a half, all the way to the ’80s, where it turns into something of a courtroom drama. Both halves are equally compelling, with excellent performances given from all the cast, both young and old. Sleepers is two and half hours well spent.

Warner packs the film onto a single layer disc that can barely contain it. The encode literally couldn’t be any more economic, sporting a fine transfer that’s rich and film-like, that gobbles up every spare bit and byte it can grab. Contrast seems to waver at times but skin tones are accurate and colours vivid. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 sound track is clean and clear with a nice dynamic representation of John Williams‘ very uncommon (for Williams) but largely effective score. As the feature takes up most of the disc space, the only bonus goodie on the Blu-ray is a trailer, presented in standard-def no less!

AMAZON: $14.99

5. STAKE LAND

America is a lost nation. When an epidemic of vampirism strikes, humans find themselves on the run from vicious, feral beasts. Cities are tombs and survivors cling together in rural pockets, fearful of nightfall. When his family is slaughtered, young Martin (“Gossip Girl’s” Connor Paolo) is taken under the wing of a grizzled, wayward hunter (“In the Cut’s” Nick Damici) whose new prey are the undead. Simply known as Mister, the vampire stalker takes Martin on a journey through the locked-down towns of America’s hearland, searching for a better place while taking down any bloodsuckers that cross their path. Along the way they recruit fellow travelers, including a nun (Kelly McGillis) who is caught in a crisis of faith when her followers turn into ravenous beasts. This ragtag family unit cautiously moves north, avoiding major thoroughfares that have been seized by The Brethren, a fundamentalist militia headed by Jebedia Loven (Tony award-winning actor Michael Cerveris) that interprets the plague as the Lord’s work.

I wasn’t expecting this little gem! Stake Land, a modest vampire-apocalypse film on a tight budget, sure is one hell of a ride. Granted, the vampires here are treated more along the lines of your traditional, mindless, hungry zombie. And the action is somewhat predictable and repetitive. But there’s a unique balance of character, action and tone that keeps it all from feeling too rote. In particular, I found the score by composer Jeff Grace to be a non-traditional choice – often soft and graceful, where most survival-horror films would crank a Fender strat with overdrive. The quiet moments really make you feel like the film is in the hands of an accomplished, self assured director with a vision, instead of the many modern grindhouse splatter auteurs usually responsible for this sort of direct to home video fare. This one might appear a pale imitation of Zombieland on the surface, but it’s only the similarity of title and setup (elder-guardian/younger-pupil protagonists versus the undead) that that these two films share with one another. There’s little to laugh at in Stake Land but there are plenty of fangs and scares to hold your interest through its modest runtime.

Stake Land looks surprisingly slick on Blu-ray considering its low-budget origins. This detailed, vibrant presentation is clear evidence of what the RED camera is capable of in the right hands, even without much a budget to speak of. Blacks are solid and colours seem accurate across the board. The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track is well-balanced but powerful, with clean and clear dialogue, thumping lows and active surround channels.

The disc is packed with special features that’ll take you quite a few hours to comb through. There are a pair of audio commentaries – one focused on the creative with the writer/director Jim Mickle, writer/star Nick Damici, co-star Connor Paolo, and producers Larry Fessenden and Brent Kunkle and one dealing with more technical aspects of the production with Mickle, producers Peter Phok and Adam Folk, cinematographer Ryan Samul, composer Jeff Grace, and sound designer Graham Reznick. Both are worth a listen for those keen on the film or film production. Those looking for a more jovial, easy listen are recommended to hit up the cast track. It’s a little more fun. If commentary tracks aren’t your thing, there’s an hour-long “making-of” doc and a ton of production diaries to give you peek into the secrets of the production. There are also seven short films on the disc called “Character Prequels” that offer an extended look at the people and plot of the film. The disc is rounded out with the theatrical trailer.

NOTE: I reviewed the eOne Films edition of Stake Land. The Dark Sky Films edition in the US is most likely identical.

AMAZON: CDN$23.12, US $13.49

6. EASTBOUND & DOWN: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASONand THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON

Former Major League pitcher Kenny Powers (Danny McBride) used to have it all: fame, endorsements and a lucrative contract. Now, after hard living took its toll on his fastball, Kenny has found himself crashing with his brother’s family and teaching gym class at a North Carolina middle school he once attended. Wherever he goes, Kenny wreaks havoc with his boorish behavior and even makes a pre-emptive romantic strike on his former high school squeeze, now a teacher engaged to the school principal. Out of baseball, and discarded by the game he abused so well, can Kenny succeed in his plot to triumphantly return to the big leagues?

Argh! This is frustrating. I was sent a review copy of the Eastbound & Down: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray set this past week and have been hustling to get my hands on the first ever since, to no avail. As a result, I’ve yet to see a single episode. But our own Chris Tucker (the Blu-ray reviewer not the actor) assures me that it belongs in the list of Top Blu-ray discs this week. In fact, he claims it should be in the Number One slot! I don’t know about the show itself, but being an HBO Blu-ray disc set, I have no doubt about the quality of the presentation of the episodes. Like every single one of the studio’s releases, this one will no doubt look and sound great. Bonus features on the Second Season set include “Invitation to the Set“, “Big Red Cockfighting“, deleted scenes, outtakes and audio commentaries.

UPDATE: Eastbound & Down: The Complete First Season now in hand! Let the viewing and reviewing begin!!

AMAZON: $26.99, $21.49

7. THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN and RETURN OF THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN

Spectacular gun battles, epic-sized heroes and an all-star cast that includes Academy Award winners Yul Brynner and James Coburn, together with Steve McQueen, Eli Wallach and Charles Bronson, make The Magnificent Seven a legend among westerns. Spawning three sequels and a successful television series, and featuring Elmer Bernstein‘s Oscar-nominated score, this stunning remake of The Seven Samurai is “a hard-pounding adventure” (Newsweek) and “an enduringly popular” (Leonard Maltin) cinematic classic. Merciless Calvera (Wallach) and his band of ruthless outlaws are terrorizing a poor Mexican village, and even the bravest lawmen can’t stop them. Desperate, the locals hire Chris Adams (Brynner) and six other gunfighters to defend them. With time running out before Calvera’s next raid, the heroic seven must prepare the villagers for battle and help them find the courage to take back their town or die trying!

Just look at that cast – Yul Brynner, James Coburn, Steve McQueen, Eli Wallach and Charles Bronson. The Magnificent Seven, a western remake of Akira Kurosawa‘s Seven Samurai, is an unadulterated classic of the genre and has appeared already on Blu-ray in the 4-disc The Magnificent Seven Collection released last May. If you were able to spy a copy, you’ll recall that most of the films looked pretty great without much digital tampering. Sadly, there also isn’t any hint of restoration performed on the films. You’ll note the odd bit scratch and fleck here and there but there’s nothing offensive. It’s just a shame that the first film, the original, hasn’t had some work put into it, considering its standing amongst westerns and in film history. Audio is presented in impressive DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks and will surprise you in their clarity and depth.

Fox and MGM are making the first two Magnificent Seven films available outside of the boxed set today, for the very first time. The discs echo the versions in the boxed set, with The Magnificent Seven including extras such as a commentary track by producer Walter Mirisch, assistant director Robert Relyea, and actors James Coburn and Eli Wallach, a 45-minute “making-of” doc, the short docs “The Linen Book: Lost Images from The Magnificent Seven ” and “Elmer Bernstein and the Magnificent Seven” clocking in at around 15-minutes each, a couple of trailers and stills gallery. Return of the Magnificent Seven features only the theatrical trailer.

AMAZON: $12.99 each

8. FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF: BUELLER…BUELLER…EDITION

“Bueller… Bueller…?” Sorry, not here! Instead, high-schooler Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick), his girlfriend Sloane (Mia Sara), and his best bud Cameron (Alan Ruck) are off on the spontaneous romp through Chicago known as “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” You’ll also enjoy righteous bonus materials that give you an insider’s peek at this hilarious comedy hit from John Hughes (“Planes, Trains & Automobiles”, “Sixteen Candles”). So, barf up a lung, forge a “sick note” from the parents, and tag along on the funniest adventure to ever sweep through the Windy City. What are you still doing here? Save Ferris.

Well, I’m not quite too sure about this one. I mean, I love love love Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Who Doesn’t?! It’s one of the John Hughes classics from ’80s. It might be THE Hughes classic. The film most people think of when you say John Hughes (In my family, that film would actually be Sixteen Candles, but that’s another story all together.) But I don’t quite get this new Blu-ray release of the film. You see, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off has been on Blu for over two years now and, aside from the new package-sleeve on this updated “Bueller…Bueller…Edition” of the disc (a sleeve that opens up to reveal a map of locations relevant to Ferris’ hijinks), I can’t see any difference. These things are the same, as far as I can tell. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

You see, both the original pressing and this new release share the same very fine transfer and surprisingly robust Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio track. They also share the same collection of special features that falls short of perfection. I’m gathering that this new disc is being released to mark the films 25th Anniversary and as such, I feel it’s a shame that further special features weren’t added. In particular, I really wish there was a commentary track on this thing. I know we’ll never have a Hughes track (the director passed away two years ago this week) but one with the cast would be fun.

But I’m picking nits here. This is a good, solid disc that every fan should have in their collection. If you don’t already own the previously released disc, this one is a safe bet.

AMAZON: CDN$ 15.25

ALSO AVAILABLE: BETTER OFF DEAD

“I WANT MY TWO DOLLARS!!” I haven’t seen this film since I was a kid but I used to LOVE it. Bring on the Blu-ray!!

AMAZON: $16.99

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:

Jurassic Park Ultimate Trilogy Blu-ray set coming in October

Brenden — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 23:57:26 +0000

Will you look at that? We (and Bill Hunt of The Digital Bits) were right – the Jurassic Park Trilogy is indeed headed for store shelves this October. Universal has now officially announced the boxed set, along with a special Limited Edition Gift Set which includes a “custom T-rex dinosaur statue”. The discs will feature all the extras from the previous DVDs, so feel free to ditch them and make the upgrade to Blu. In addition, there will be digital copies of all three films and a couple of hours of bonus stuff newly created for this high-def release.

JURASSIC PARK ULTIMATE TRILOGY
(October 25, 2011 – MSRP $79.98, Limited Edition Gift Set $119.98)
Video: 1.85:1 1080p
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Return to Jurassic Park” – this six-part documentary features all-new interviews with the many of the cast members from all three films, the filmmakers and Steven Spielberg.
- Dawn of a New Era
- Making Pre-history
- The Next Step in Evolution
- Finding The Lost World
- Something Survived
- The Third Adventure
The Making of Jurassic Park
The Making of The Lost World: Jurassic Park
The Making of Jurassic Park III
Steven Spielberg Directs Jurassic Park
Early Pre-Production Meetings
The World of Jurassic Park
The Magic of Industrial Light & Magic
Location Scouting
Phil Tippett Animatics: Raptors In The Kitchen
The Jurassic Park Phenomenon: A Discussion with Author Michael Crichton
Industrial Light & Magic and Jurassic Park: Before and After The Visual Effects
Industrial Light & Magic and The Lost World: Jurassic Park Before & After
The Industrial Light & Magic Press Reel
A Visit to Industrial Light & Magic
Hurricane in Kauai Featurette
Dinosaur Turntables
The Dinosaurs of Jurassic Park III
Montana: Finding New Dinosaurs
Animatics: T-Rex Attack
The Special Effects of Jurassic Park III
The Sounds of Jurassic Park III
The Art of Jurassic Park III
Tour of Stan Winston Studio
Feature Commentary with Special Effects Team
Production Archives: Storyboards, Models, Photographs, Design Sketches and Conceptual Drawings
Deleted Scenes
Theatrical Trailers
And MORE!

Jurassic Park Trilogy and Jaws being prepared for Blu-ray

Brenden — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 16:10:53 +0000

Big news for Spielberg fans! While there hasn’t been a peep on the Indiana Jones trilogy making its way to Blu-ray as yet, there’s finally been confirmation that both Jaws and the Jurassic Park Trilogy are on their way to our format of choice. In an interview with AICN, the director confirmed that work is underway on the Jaws Blu:

I’ve already seen some of it. I don’t have a date yet, but there’s a Blu-ray absolutely in the works.

Bill Hunt from The Digital Bits has revealed that his sources at Universal confirm the work on the disc but that it most likely won’t hit shelves until 2012. Those same sources have, however, confirmed that the Jurassic Park Trilogy will be released later this year. Expect to see the multi-disc set in stores in time for the holiday shopping season (late-October/early-November.)

(Artwork not official)

The Big Lebowski Limited Edition Blu-ray detailed

Brenden — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 02:04:07 +0000

It looks like we had that August 16th release date correct! Universal has officially announced that date and the details of their upcoming The Big Lebowski Blu-ray. This limited edition release will feature a brand spanking new transfer of the film, a 28-page book and brand new special features, along with all the old extras from the previously available 2-disc Anniversary DVD. Sounds pretty cool, man. Details below…

THE BIG LEBOWSKI: LIMITED EDITION
(August 16, 2011 – MSRP $29.98)
Video: 1.85:1 1080p
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

Special Features:

Scene Companion: A picture in picture mode that features cast and crew interviews, behind-the-scenes footage and more during key scenes.
Mark It Dude: On-screen counter that keeps track of all the “F-Bombs”, “Dudes” and “Dude-isms” in the film.
The Music of The Big Lebowski: Instantly identifies the songs heard while watching the film, and allows the creation of custom playlists.
Worthy Adversaries- What’s My Line Trivia: Trivia that tests your Lebowski knowledge by finishing lines of dialogue during the film. Play as Walter or The Dude or in two-player mode against friends.
U-CONTROL
pocket BLU
BD-LIVE
Mobile-To-Go
uHEAR

Additional Special Features:

Jeff Bridges Photo Book: Exclusive shots taken on the set of The Big Lebowski by Jeff Bridges himself.
The Dude’s Life: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi and John Turturro take a look back at their performances and their delivery of the Coen Brothers’ dialogue that became classic movie lines.
The Dude Abides- The Big Lebowski Ten Years Later: A conversation with the cast about the film’s cult classic status.
Flying Carpets and Bowling Pin Dreams- The Dream Sequences of the Dude: Featurette on the making of the surreal sequences in the film.
The Making of The Big Lebowski
The Lebowski Fest- An Achiever’s Story: An in-depth look at the popular Lebowski Festival, formed by the legion of fans in honor of the film.
An Introduction: Featuring Mortimer Young.
Photo Gallery
Interactive Map

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