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“THE MATRIX: 10TH ANNIVERSARY BLU-RAY BOOK”
“BEVERLY HILLS 90210: THE SEVENTH SEASON”
Blu-ray widescreen and DVD widescreen, 2008, R for some scenes of sexuality and nudity
Best extra: Fans of the book will enjoy the 45-minutes of deleted and extended scenes.
BASED ON GERMAN law professor and Judge Bernhard Schlink's acclaimed novel about a teenage boy's passionate affair with a woman whom he discovers years later was an SS guard, "The Reader" is a powerful and unique look at the Holocaust. Kate Winslet, who won the Academy Award for her work, does an incredible job. Her success wouldn't have been possible without David Kross and Ralph Fiennes, who play the film's protagonist as both a young man and an adult.
The Blu-ray features a stunning transfer with deep blacks, rich colors, and excellent detail surpassing the DVD version. The uncompressed audio is welcomed, even though the film is completely dialogue-driven.
Extras are not as extensive as one would hope. But, there are five worthwhile featurettes running close to 60-minutes. It includes an interview with Kross, who speaks candidly about the graphic sex scenes (he had just turned 18). And, there’s a funny and down to earth conversation with Winslet, while she waits during a long makeup session. Unfortunately, all the extras are presented in standard-def.
One of the film’s back stories includes how Nicole Kidman was originally cast in Winslet's role. Director Stephen Daldry shot a number of scenes not featuring Kidman and even shut down the production to wait for her to finish “Australia.” Then it was announced Kidman was pregnant. Destiny took over; Winslet got the role after originally turning it down because of scheduling conflict. She just happened to be Daldry's first choice.
The film was also shot by two cinematographers. Legendary Roger Deakins, the photographer for nearly every Coen Brothers film including "No Country for Old Men," shot everything prior to Winselt joining the movie. When production started-up again, Deakins was shooting "Doubt" and was replaced by Chris Menges ("Notes on a Scandal") who filmed all the scenes with Winslet.
For some crazy reason, only the DVD was released this week. The Blu-ray shows up on April 28.
— Josh Boone
Blu-ray widescreen and DVD widescreen 2009, R for violence, gore and language
Best extra: The Splinter Creature featurette
IT’S EASY TO forget how refreshing a good, solid B-horror monster flick can be. A creepy creature that’s not overexposed, decent acting, well-done visual and audio effects and quick, exciting camera work make “Splinter” an entertaining diversion. The plot is so predictable that any mention of it might spoil the fun, and while you’d think that would make the film a bore, it doesn’t.
The DVD is loaded with effects, but seven of the 10 featurettes are less than 90-seconds long, covering things like set construction, the weather or digital filming. As if that’s not lame enough, there’s actually a spot with the lead actress showing how to use a vinyl file folder and scissors to make a “splinter pumpkin.” At least the Splinter Creature featurette is engaging, covering everything from the old-school effects to teaching a gymnast how to zip around like a creature. Skip both commentaries, which are filled with big-headed ramblings that detract from the film’s simple appeal.
The DVD version was used for this review.
— Tiphaine Czahor
Blu-ray full-screen, 1953, unrated, dark themes, violence
Best extra: The remastered hi-def picture
EVEN IF THE HANDFUL of extras on this Criterion title weren’t picked up from the restored DVD of 2005, the new hi-def transfer would get top billing.
The interplay of shadow and light is integral to this stark morality play directed by the great Henri-Georges Clouzot (“Diabolique”). Four men with little to lose are hired to drive two truckloads of nitroglycerin to an oil fire in South America. (William Friedkin remade it as “Sorcerer” in 1977.)
That said, the transfer is hit and miss. At its best, it offers a true grain and natural contrasts. Subtleties in skin tones and details in wide shots are revelations. But in some spots, the print shows its age, and in a few night sequences, there’s a wavy pattern at the margins. Regardless, the picture easily bests earlier versions.
Give high marks to the uncompressed soundtrack, too. Not only does the score resonate, the false starts that punctuate the long silences play hell with your nerves.
Among the features, the best is “Censored.” Put off by its anti-America tilt, allusions to homosexuality and the left leanings of Clouzot and star Yves Montand – not good in America in 1955 – censors cut the film by 50 minutes before it played on these shores.
— Craig Shapiro
Blu-ray widescreen and DVD widescreen, 2008, PG-13 for intense sequences of stylized violence and action, some sexual content and brief nudity
Best extra: Commentary with director Frank Miller and producer Deborah Del Prete.
COMIC BOOK FILMS are good box office and good repeated viewing for the most part. “Sin City,” “The Dark Knight,” “Iron Man,” the Spider-man and X-Men films top the list. Still, it stands to reason that some of these comic-to-film translations just don’t cut it – and topping that list would be “The Spirit.”
The marquee brag here is that it comes from the creator of “Sin City” and “300,” Frank Miller, who also directs. But Miller also put the spin on “Daredevil” and “Electra.” They didn’t quite make the keeper-shelf either. Here he tries to blend the ‘40s noir of Will Eisner’s classic comic with “Sin City” flash. Despite all the glitzy black and white and occasional brilliant primary color, “The Spirit” views like too many characters in search of a story.
Commentary and featurettes relate the detailed road cast and crew took to make the film, from the “Green World” of special effects to a never-humble Miller talking about his influences in a “Miller on Miller” interview. (That worked better on “Sin City,” which was REALLY something and was also co-directed by Robert Rodriguez. We could have used Rodriguez’s touch on “The Spirit.”)
Because I love both Eisner and Miller, I really wanted to like this.
We didn’t get the Blu-ray for review, but we’ll bet it looks and sounds just fine. A two-disc DVD includes a digital copy on disc two. But … do you really want to pay for either presentation? “The Spirit” is a rental at best.
— Mike Reynolds
Blu-ray widescreen, 1995, not rated, suitable for family
Best extra: “Lasting Impressions” features interviews from cast and crew who share their memories of filming. We also hear from fans around the world.
A&E’s “PRIDE & PREJUDICE” changed historical mini-series on TV. The Emmy-winning broadcast created a world of new fans for Jane Austin’s characters, the steadfast Elizabeth Bennet (Jennifer Ehle) and the stoic Mr. Darcy (Colin Firth). Available now in Blu-ray, the perfect adaptation is ready for a new legion of fans.
The six-episode miniseries has been painstakingly restored, frame by frame, to provide a brilliant picture. The English countryside, interiors, costumes are beautifully detailed. Color is lush and skin tones are flawless, without any trace of high-def over-production. Austin’s crackling dialogue is crystal clear; you won’t miss a word. This is an example of Blu-ray technology at its best.
The story seems simple enough. Mrs. Bennet (Alison Steadman) is trying to find husbands for her five daughters. The daughters have their own requirements. Elizabeth, for example, is unwilling to settle for rich, she’ll have love and respect or no marriage at all. Jane (Susannah Harker) is willing to marry, but uncertain as to who would make a suitable mate. Mary (Lucy Briers) will marry whoever makes Mama happy and the youngest (Polly Maberly and Julia Sawalha) are keen to meet young gentlemen – and you just know that’s going to make trouble. Mr. Bennet (Benjamin Whitrow) aspires to nothing more than peace. Comedy, tragedy, romance – and honesty – bring readers and viewers back to Austin’s tale, generation after generation.
Additional extras on this two-disc masterwork include “An Impromptu Walkabout with Adrian Lukis and Lucy Briers,” the actors who played Wickham and Mary Bennet; “Pride and Prejudice: A Turning Point for Period Drama,” where screenwriter Andrew Davies talks about adapting the book, and a look at the restoration work done to bring the series to Blu-ray.
Highly recommended!
— Mike Reynolds
Blu-ray widescreen, 1999, 2003, R for sci-fi violence and brief language
Best extra: A picture-in-picture commentary with behind-scenes footage matching the action on screen.
GET OUT YOUR wallets, “Matrix” disciples: The Wachowski Brothers are passing the collection plate around. Again. And, I mean again.
Six months after the “The Matrix: Trilogy” premiered on Blu-ray and two years after the collection debuted on the defunct HD DVD format, Warner Bros. finally releases the original sci-fi classic by itself. To say the wait has been worth it is an understatement.
The picture and sound are stunning, mimicking the previous hi-def editions with rich blacks and corrected colors for the greenish world of the Matrix, matching the theatrical experience.
This book edition includes 37 pages of trivia, photographs, actor bios and essays. One excerpt from the introduction quotes producer Joel Silver and how he knew “The Matrix” was going to be something special. “I like to think ‘The Matrix’ will redefine the action genre – it really is very spectacular,” he says.
The picture-in-picture commentary includes video clips of interviews with stars Keanu Reeves (Neo), Laurence Fishburne (Morpheus), Carrie-Anne Moss (Trinity) and crew members, and production footage synchronized with the action on screen. It’s a fabulous educational experience.
You’ll discover Trinity’s first jump between buildings was originally a jump onto a moving train. What was the roadblock? They couldn’t find a usable train in Sydney, Australia, and desperately wanted to avoid another million dollar-plus FX sequence, says Silver.
But that’s just the beginning. The Wachowkis from Chicago wanted numerous commentaries that argued the philosophical and critical points of view. Both tracks are not only informative, they’re a blast. Two additional tracks are featured with the cast, crew and composer Don Davis.
There’s also nearly three hours of music, tons of documentaries (in standard-def), TV spots, trailers, storyboards, concept art and a digital copy for your PC, Mac or portable player.
How to sum it up? How about a quote from Morpheus? “Unfortunately no one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself.”
— Bill Kelley III
DVD widescreen, 2008, MA-TV for violence and language
Best extra: "The Fate of a Dynasty," a time-line look at Saddam Hussein's rise to power and apocalyptic fall, with input by primary cast members and director Jim O'Hanlon.
”HOUSE OF SADDAM” starts in 1979 at his daughter's birthday party. Saddam's boss, the president of Iraq has been invited. In very short order, he is persuaded by Saddam and his advisers that it would be a very good idea to retire and turn the reigns of power over to Saddam Hussein. It seems that the soon to be former president is suffering some sort of health crisis. If he wants to stay healthy, he'd better retire...now! A scarily convincing Igal Naor gives us a character that would be equally at home in that other HBO series "The Sopranos." The war with Iran, the invasion of Kuwait and the subsequent Gulf War, the no-fly zones and weapons inspectors, and the final "regime change", all serve to frame out a tale of treachery and murder.
Shohreh Aghdashloo, (Oscar nominee for "House of Sand and Fog"), plays Saddam's wife Sajida, who's loyalty is tested when he decides to take on another wife. Oh, and that part of about having her brother killed might have also caused a bit of strife.
The HBO/BBC miniseries is divided into four episodes on two discs. Some of the more sensitive may be put off by the amount of violence in the tale, but so much of the "House of Saddam" was built on murder and torture, it would be dishonest to leave it out.
— Mike Reynolds
Blu-ray widescreen, 2006, R for sexuality, nudity and language
Best extra: A commentary with actor Zach Braff and director Tony Goldwyn, though plagued by gaps of silence, is more focused and informative than the second track where Braff and Goldwyn are joined by a half-dozen more cast members for a non-stop party filled with laughs and little else.
ZACH BRAFF, FRESH off the success of "Garden State," chose to act in this better than average romantic drama about a marriage, fidelity, and growing up. Although it's a good film, I can't recommend an upgrade to hi-def if you already own the DVD. While the picture quality is good and better than the DVD, it’s an unspectacular transfer that won't do much to wow you – unless you have a huge home theater with a front projection system. The uncompressed audio track is welcome but it’s a very, very subdued track as the film is entirely driven by dialogue and the occasional pop song.
All of the extras have been carried over from the DVD release and are in standard-def. The 30-minute featurette, "The Last Kiss: Getting Together," is an irritating back-slapper where everyone talks about how brilliant everyone else is. Other featurettes, all under five minutes, provide more interviews with the cast and crew discussing their favorite scenes in the film, a gag reel, and a selection of deleted and extended scenes.
If you own the DVD, skip this release. If you've never seen "The Last Kiss" or you've waited to pick it up, give the Blu-ray a try.
— Josh Boone
Blu-ray widescreen, 2002, R for strong violence, sexuality, some violence and drug use
Best extra: There's virtually nothing here except two short standard def featurettes lifted from the DVD. The better of the two focuses on the "American Idol" style audition all the rappers went through in order to spar with Eminem in the film's rap battles.
CURTIS HANSON FOLLOWED up his acclaimed "Wonder Boys" by teaming-up with the controversial Eminem. It’s a gritty, old-fashioned tale of a young rapper living in the wasteland of Detroit with his white trash mom (Kim Basinger) and loser pals who learns to wield his talent and rise above the conditions and insecurities holding him down. You've seen this story before but Hanson brings authenticity to Detroit's rap world and gets a winning performance out of Eminem. Watching his character evolve from a nervous underdog vomiting before open mic night to a climactic rap battle where he stands tall and cuts down the best of the local talent is sure to make you cheer.
"8 Mile" arrives on Blu-ray with an excellent hi-def image with lots of detail, deep blacks, and a healthy dose of film grain. The uncompressed audio delivers where it needs to, namely with the music (which there's a lot of). Though there isn't a lot of surrounds used here, the music sounds fantastic and that's what really counts with a title like this.
Extras are negligible. Two short standard-def featurettes lifted from the DVD are here. It would have been nice to have a commentary with Hanson and Eminem so we could have gotten more info on how the film came together and what it was like to make it.
Still for fans of the film, the Blu-ray has strong audio and video. Recommended.
— Josh Boone
DVD widescreen, 1983, unrated, themes, beheading by guillotine
Best extra: “The Polish ‘Revolution’” interviews with director Andrzej Wajda and film critic Jerzy Plazewski
TALK ABOUT BAD timing. Just as Andrzej Wajda was adapting a 1931 play about the ideological clash between post-French Revolution leaders Georges Danton and Maximilien Robespierre, solidarity collapsed in the director’s native Poland.
Long recognized for works founded on national identity, he had planned to shoot location footage in France and make the rest of the movie in Poland. Wajda left his homeland and didn’t return until 1989. “The years of martial law were the worst, most hopeless years of my life,” he says in the feature “The Polish ‘Revolution.’” Working in France, submerging himself in “Danton,” being able to “operate” again helped.
In the same feature, Wajda recalls meeting Gerard Depardieu, who plays the earthy, man of the people Danton. Already an established star, he was appearing in an avant garde play with two of Wajda’s actors who also had left Poland when Solidarity fell.
“He said, ‘If you will explain to me what the French Revolution was all about’ – I appreciated the joke – ‘I’ll do the role,’ ” Wajda says. Signing Depardieu, he adds, “opened pockets.”
Criterion has done an admirable job in remastering this sweeping, passionate story. The picture is clean and defined throughout, particularly in the interior shots and close-ups. Wajda’s earth tones are rich and deep.
While the two-disc set isn’t overflowing with extras, the features “Revolution” and “Wajda’s ‘Danton’” complement each other nicely. The latter, which opens with a protest song as the crew builds a guillotine, is a 42-minute behind-scenes documentary that will give viewers a real feel for the director’s M.O.
Basically, says one crew member, he “creates as he goes. From one minute to the next, he always has an idea.”
— Craig Shapiro
Blu-ray widescreen and DVD widescreen, 2008, R for language
Best extra: A handful of deleted scenes are the sole extra here.
THIS QUIRKY SUNDANCE drama stars "American Beauty's" Wes Bentley as a guy who writes suicide notes for a living and becomes involved with one of his late client's sisters (Winona Ryder). Ray Romano co-stars and adds some much-needed comic relief to this dark film.
"The Last Word" comes to Blu-ray with a very fine and natural looking transfer. This is a low-budget, character driven film so the visuals aren't going to wow anyone but detail is strong and colors are warm. Lossless audio is always welcome but, other than score and dialogue, there's little here to make your home theater happy. Surrounds are virtually nonexistant.
Performances are strong and the story is compelling. If this sounds like your thing, it’s good for a rental.
— Josh Boone
DVD widescreen, 2008, rated R for strong violence, terror, language and brief nudity
Best extra: None of consequence.
THERE'S A FINE LINE between a film that delivers genuine scares, and one that's torture porn masquerading as social commentary. "Shuttle" doesn't just cross that line, it dances on it. The setup: after a long delay at the airport following a trip to Mexico, twenty-something women, Melanie and Jools, desperate for a ride, board one of the last shuttles of the evening.
Big mistake. Also along for the ride are two partying guys and an older married man. This could be "Speed" reimagined as a horror film, with several times the blood and half the wit.
The idea of being kidnapped in a familiar situation and held against one's will has been an effective springboard for many horror thrillers. Here, however, the body count and actions of the villain don’t scare as much as shock. The second half is especially gruesome, while a third-act confession struggles to give the film relevance. Yes, there are a few genuine chills, surprises and reverses here. But at the expense of all the senseless violence, it's a journey you may think twice about taking.
A handful of extras feature deleted scenes, casting session tapes and a short behind-scenes featurette.
— Carl Hott
“BEVERLY HILLS 90210: THE SEVENTH SEASON”
DVD full-screen, 1996-97, not rated
Best extra: Nada, none on this seven-disc set.
THE GANG THAT started out as high schoolers in the early 1990s is almost grown up in the seventh season of "Beverly Hills 90210" as college graduation looms and the drama exponentially grows.
The 31 episodes of this season highlight mental illnesses, an unplanned pregnancy, the loss of virginity, natural disasters and rekindling old flames.
Some of the beginning characters, Steve (Ian Ziering), Kelly (Jennie Garth), Donna (Tori Spelling), David (Brian Austin Green) and Brandon (Jason Priestley) are still going strong, but others who have been around a couple seasons, like Clare (Kathleen Robertson) and Val (Tiffani-Amber Thiessen), help turn up the heat in Beverly Hills.
Unfortunately, once again, Paramount has failed to include any extras. There are only three seasons left, so let’s hope before the grand finale, we get some updated bonus features.
— Toni Guagenti
DVD full-screen, 1947, G for the whole family
“THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER”
DVD full-screen, 1990, G for the whole family
“THREE LITTLE PIGS”
DVD full-screen, 1933, G for the whole family
Best extra: None
THIS TRIO OF DVDs mines Disney’s cartoon short subjects vault and the results are hardly artistic masterworks except in the eyes of company accountants. That’s not to say the cartoons contained here aren’t masterworks, some of them are milestones in Disney’s artistic development. The title of each disc serves as the subject in some tenuous way.
Consider the “Three Little Pigs.” The animators injected the characters with personality, a first for Disney. The short also yielded a huge hit in the midst of the Depression, “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?” Or try “The Brave Little Tailor,” from “Mickey and the Beanstalk.” It was a comeback vehicle for Mickey Mouse, whose star had faded as Donald Duck’s had risen, and is filled with vintage Disney charm. Unfortunately, newer efforts to use the characters fall flat.
And it’s this dichotomy, older animation and cloying story lines versus newer, more sophisticated work that proves the most startling when watching these discs. Also, some viewers may object to the lack of extras on the disc, proof that this is a cash grab.
Still, it’s Disney. And the cartoons are perfect for the young and young at heart. And if you’ve never seen “Lambert the Sheepish Lion” you’re missing a great Disney cartoon.
— Larry Printz
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