It’s director vs. studio in ‘This Means War’

 

“THIS MEANS WAR”

Blu-ray widescreen, DVD widescreen and digital copy in one package; 2012; PG-13 for sexual content including references, some action violence and language

Best extra: Commentary with director McG who talks about what scenes worked in the movie, what didn’t, and about how awesome Reese Witherspoon’s legs are

IN MCG’S COMMENTARY, toward the end, he lets the listener know he was trying to make a movie that was original, not redundant. Unfortunately, he didn’t succeed.

That doesn’t mean the movie lacks a couple of funny scenes, or that Reese Witherspoon and Chris Pine (“Star Trek”) and Tom Hardy (“The Dark Knight Rises”), her two CIA-agent love interests, know nothing about acting; it just means the script runs all over the place and you end feeling like you’ve seen it before.

Regardless, McG knows how to make good looking films that sound great (“Charlie’s Angels,” “Charles Angels: Full Throttle,” “Terminator Salvation”) even if 20th Century Fox messed with the HD quality post-production. In fact, McG’s commentary is truthful when it comes to what he liked about the movie, the script the acting, and what he didn’t like about things like noise reduction, remixed sound in certain scenes or hue adjustment. It’s refreshing to hear a director critique his own movie. Still, it’s a big-production that won’t disappoint in the visual department (especially with the three top actors) or in the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, from whirring helicopters to smash-‘em-up car chases.

As for the other high-definition bonuses, they’re run-of-the-mill. They include “Bachelorette Party” which picks up where the movie left off (for only four minutes) with Lauren (Witherspoon) and best-gal-pal, Trish (Chelsea Handler), discussing the need for a bachelorette party before Witherspoon marries the CIA agent she picks; six deleted scenes with optional McG commentary; three alternate endings with optional McG commentary; an alternate opening concept using pre-visualization with McG commentary; an uncensored gag reel; and theatrical trailer.

― Toni Guagenti
 

Romance fuels apocalyptic ‘Perfect Sense’

 

“PERFECT SENSE”

Blu-ray widescreen and DVD widescreen, 2011, R for language, nudity and sex

Best extra: Only extra is a so-called high-def “featurette”

MICHAEL, A HANDSOME chef (Ewan McGregor), and Susan, a beautiful epidemiologist (Eva Green), meet cute and fall in love in a big city. But that’s where the clichés and predictability end in this unusual and scarily compelling film. Susan is investigating what looks like a bizarre, worldwide epidemic that manifests itself when victims become profoundly depressed for a brief period. When they recover from that, their sense of smell disappears – permanently.

More and more people become infected, including Susan and Michael. His career is understandably affected, as is the entire food industry, when people stop going to restaurants. Over time, however, they all find ways to adapt; the food becomes more extreme, so that its qualities (spiciness, sweetness) can be experienced by its extreme difference. Patrons return to the restaurant. But soon another phase of the disease appears. Different types of temporary emotional symptoms occur, followed by the permanent loss of other senses, with increasingly devastating consequences. This is an intelligent and terrifying look at one of the ways a mega-virus could affect the population, as perceived via the microcosm of two totally likeable characters.

“Perfect Sense” looks fine in high-def, with plenty of depth, clear details and natural-looking skin tones. Archival footage is used effectively and provides a news show look to suggest the global nature of the epidemic. The soundtrack is excellent, with all sorts of naturalistic effects, making it all the more shocking when people begin to lose their hearing. The dialogue is always discernible and you don’t want to miss any of it.

The one so-called featurette does not deserve its name. It is, at best, two-minutes of a promo with a couple of sound bites from the director and actors.

— Peggy Earle

 

Don’t miss ‘Sherlock: Season Two’

 

“SHERLOCK: SEASON TWO”

Blu-ray widescreen and DVD widescreen, 2012, not rated, contains mild action violence, gore and sexual content

Best extra: “Sherlock Uncovered” explores the three episode season with co-creators/writers Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, producer Sue Vertue, and actors Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, who play Holmes and Watson (19 minutes, HD)

LET’S START by saying I hope you watched Season One of this dynamic series produced by the BBC and broadcast on PBS in America. It’s available, unedited, in marvelous Blu-ray or DVD format and can also be viewed online. So, mystery-thriller fans, go and do that. Right now!

OK – up to speed? Good. So now you know “Sherlock” is a brilliant update of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories about consulting detective Sherlock Holmes and his companion in mystery, Dr. John Watson, played by the equally brilliant team of Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. This new-take brings the pair into the 21st century, the age of the Internet, cell phones and high-tech surveillance. Season One’s “A Study in Pink,” “The Blind Baker,” and “The Great Game,” ended with a jaw-dropping cliffhanger between the boys and that Napoleon of Crime, Professor Moriarty. Played by Andrew Scott, Moriarty is a gleefully obsessed, homicidal maniac. I haven’t shuddered this much since the introduction of Hannibal Lector.

Don’t worry about knowing all the twists and turns of Doyle’s original work, although there’s fun to be had if you are. The cinematic episodes, the chemistry between Cumberbatch and Freeman, and the support cast – notably Una Stubbs as a charming Mrs. Hudson, Mark Gatiss as the beleaguered Mycroft Holmes, and Rupert Graves as hard working Detective Inspector Lestrade – keep us engaged. Hardcore fans should get a grin from Watson’s blog entries, which are takeoffs on Doyle’s original story titles, such as “The Geek Interpreter “and “The Speckled Blonde.”

Then there’s the dialogue. When Holmes’ asks Watson to “punch me in the face,” the doctor hesitates. When Holmes insists, Watson replies, “I always hear ‘punch me in the face’ when you’re speaking, but it’s usually subtext.”

Season Two opens to the “The Great Game” climax, where Moriarty promises a third party: “So if you have what you say you have, I'll make you rich. If you don't, I'll make you into shoes.”

Moriarty hasn’t eaten anyone that we know of yet, but he is the spider behind the ongoing tensions in Season Two, which opens with “A Scandal in Belgravia.” It’s another play on a Doyle title, “A Scandal in Bohemia,” which introduces femme fatale Irene Adler. Keep your fan handy; Lara Pulver heats up the screen and everyone else in the room as The Woman.

“Generally, Sherlock knows he’s the cleverest person in the room and so, when he meets Irene, he kind of thinks he … might not be the cleverest person in the room and that’s upsetting,” Freeman tells us in the “Sherlock Uncovered” feature.

No one expected “Sherlock” to become the international BAFTA and Peabody award-winning, Emmy nominated favorite that it did, according to the feature. After such accolades, it was difficult to maintain that level of creative quality, producer Sue Vertue says. To follow up, co-creator/writer Steven Moffat said, “Let’s do the three big things ... The Hound, The Woman and The Professor.”

“It’s love, horror and thriller,” Cumberbactch explains, referring to the three new episodes in Season Two, “Scandal,” “The Hounds of Baskerville,” and “The Reichenbach Fall.” “Holmes faces one of his deadliest enemies in the shape of love and it comes in the form of Irene Adler”

Each 90 minute installment is produced like a movie and, honestly, both “Scandal in Belgravia” and “The Reichenbach Fall” are better than any mystery seen on the big screen in a long time. Each episode, Season One included, engages both the mind and the heart. And each seems longer than its 90-minute format because it requires the audience to pay full attention. You won’t want to miss a second; you might blink through a clue or the onscreen play of Holmes’ thought process.

Season Two looks great on Blu-ray – and keep in mind you’re getting ALL of Season Two, not the edited versions shown in America. Cinematography is uniformly gorgeous with natural skin tones, beautiful location shots and stunning interiors. Detail reigns in every moment. Black levels and contrast goes flat from time to time, but that’s because it was filmed on high-grade video rather than film. There are no complaints about the picture.

Sound is a different matter. With outstanding writing, acting and picture we expect – and deserve – better sound. Trailers and menu audio come across clearly, but drops as soon as we launch the episode. It’s worse than DVD quality and that is exceptionally disappointing. Surround sound is actually noticeable in “The Hounds of Baskerville,” where action frequently takes place outside, and with the hounds’ snarling effects. Otherwise, it’s as if Moriarty snuffed the track.

Features include two commentaries; one for “Scandal,” the other for “Hounds,” that includes Moffat and fellow co-creator/writer, Mark Gatiss. Vertue, Cumberbatch and Pulver also join in for “Scandal,” creating a chorus of voices and information. Pulver and actor Russell Tovey are there for “Hounds.” Still, the most fun to be had is from the 19 minute “Sherlock Unlocked,” where cast and crew get to voice their opinions on the three episodes as well as their “Sherlock” experiences.

There’s no doubt that Doyle’s characters are enjoying a unique comeback with the BBC “Sherlock” and the Warner Bros. films starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, another excellent re-imaging of the Victorian age sleuths. In America, CBS hopes to cash in on the Holmes/Watson renaissance with “Elementary” this fall. This series also brings the pair into modern day but is set in New York City with Johnny Lee Miller as Holmes and Lucy Liu as Watson. The female Watson is supposed to be the new twist (no pun intended) on the series, but that’s already been done – successfully – by Vincent D’Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe in “Law & Order: Criminal Intent.” My guess is that Liu would have been better cast as Holmes, but we’ll see what happens.

Meanwhile, treat yourself to “Sherlock” – like the rest of us – again and again.

— Mike Reynolds
 

Hammer Horror returns – with Daniel Radcliffe – in ‘The Woman in Black’

 

“THE WOMAN IN BLACK”

Blu-ray widescreen, DVD widescreen and UltraViolet digital copy, 2012, PG-13 for thematic material and violence/disturbing images

Best extra: Engaging commentary with director James Watkins and screenwriter Jane Goldman (“Kick Ass,” “X-Men: First Class”)

DIRECTOR JAMES WATKINS knows how to create a chilling, traditional ghost story movie. Based on the book by Susan Hill, the story follows a young lawyer, Arthur Kipps, played by Daniel Radcliffe in his first film role after the “Harry Potter” series. Kipps is working through his own tragedy when he’s sent to Eel Marsh House to sort out a dead client’s papers.

No one tells him about the curse until he’s hip deep in the nightmare. That’s when Kipps takes on his lawyer/investigator skills and sets himself to act for those who can no longer do it for themselves.

And that’s the basis of a classic ghost story: The no-holds-barred fight against good and evil. You won’t find any slashers or gore here, just some truly jump-out-of-your-seat haunts and a killer that can reach beyond the grave.

The high-def video is both ghastly and glorious. The haunted house is first rate, loaded with overwrought Victorian clutter, shadows and cobwebs. The color palette is a mix of green-gray-brown, but every detail stands out, from stubbled chins and twisted vines to the handwriting on old parchment. There’s a gruesome lot of old fashioned, wind-up toys and, when HD zeroes in, we can see they’re made from stuffed, dead animals. (How’d you like to fall asleep with those things capering around your bed?) Much of the action takes place at night, but black levels are deep and well-defined.

Interiors were created at Pinewood Studios, while exteriors were shot throughout Great Britain, all edited together seamlessly to create the ultimate chilling atmosphere. In commentary, Watkins explains: “The house is real. All of this dressing we brought in. It’s actually a beautiful, immaculate lawn … and our team came in and trashed it.”

The uncompressed soundtrack is flawless and well suited to its perfect picture. Requisite ghostly noises – screams, a music box, and a heavy, rhythmic pounding – mix with natural sounds and clear, front speaker dialogue. I’ve seen a lot of good ghost stories and can say “The Woman in Black” has genuinely memorable sound moments.

In addition to a lively, informative commentary with Watkins and screenwriter Jane Goldman (“Kick Ass,” “X-Men: First Class”), extras include a making-of and an interview with Radcliffe, with very little crossover. All make for an enhanced viewing experience. We get particulars like the child who plays Kipps’ son (Misha Handley) is actually Radcliffe’s godson. Watkins says the two already had such a good rapport, the boy was an easy pick.

Both Watkins and Goldman are excited that the film is produced by Hammer Film Productions, the 1934 birthplace of British gothic films starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. What better endorsement can you ask for?

— Mike Reynolds

HD documentary provides what ‘Red Tails’ lacks – story!

Norfolk native Nate Parker as Capt. Marty “Easy” Julian

 

“RED TAILS”

Blu-ray widescreen and DVD widescreen, 2012, PG-13 for some sequences of war violence and language

Best extra: The 60-minute high-def documentary “Double Victory: The Tuskegee Airmen at War” featuring interviews with the actual pilots and narrated by Cuba Gooding Jr.

ALABAMA FOOTBALL coach Nick Saban swears by “Red Tails.” The night before the National Championship Game against LSU, the head coach loaded up his team for a night at the movies. His motive was simple: Pump up his team with a special screening of “Red Tails,” the inspirational story of the Tuskegee Airmen, young African-American aviators who trained in Alabama and broke the racial barrier in segregated squadrons, scoring countless victories over Europe during World War II.

The next evening, Alabama smothered LSU 21-0.

Getting “Red Tails” to the silver screen was an uphill battle for executive producer George Lucas. Every Hollywood studio snubbed it, especially when he pitched a new adaptation with a predominantly African-American cast. Actors Terrence Howard as Col. A.J. Bullard and Cuba Gooding Jr. as Major Emanuelle Stance would take the star roles. Norfolk native Nate Parker (“The Great Debaters”), former state wrestling champion from Great Bridge High School, would play Capt. Marty “Easy” Julian, along with Method Man from the rap group Wu-Tang Clan, and British actor David Oyelowo as cocky ace, Joe “Lightning” Little.

Veteran TV director Anthony Hemingway was chosen to direct. He has worked on nearly every series in Hollywood including: “Fringe,” “True Blood,” “ER,” “The Wire,” “Criminal Minds,” “Treme,” “Falling Skies,” “CSI: NY” and “The Closer.” “Red Tails” was Hemingway’s theatrical directorial debut.

So Lucas decided to finance the project himself, spending more than $90 million. But lukewarm reviews and subpar ticket sells put “Red Tails” tens of millions short of breaking even. Lucas and company are hopeful that brisk Blu-ray and DVD sells and rentals could bump it into the black.

“Red Tails” has been Lucas’ labor a love for over two decades. He originally bought the rights in the 1990s, and tinkered with the script until he eventually handed the writing over to John Ridley. Unfortunately, the story – loaded with clichés and phony accents – does what Nazis couldn’t do and “Red Tails” falls apart mid-air despite its excellent actors and aerial dog fights. Lucas’ story-telling ability has degraded since “Star Wars” first appeared in 1977.

State-of-the-art special effects from Industrial Light & Magic are the real stars of this old fashioned war epic, putting us right inside the cockpits of the P-51 Mustangs of the 332nd Fighter Group. “I love P-51s. When I was young that was the hottest airplane,” Lucas says during one of the high-def featurettes. “I can’t believe a 19-year-old would fly these things and then go into battle.”

Intense dogfights, blasting Nazi fighters out of the sky, are first-rate. “With digital technology we can actually do a real dogfight the way it should be done. We can follow it and make it dramatic,” says Lucas. The real Tuskegee Airmen destroyed or damaged more than 400 German planes and more than 1,000 targets on the ground and sea.

Filmed in digital high-def, film grain is non-existent and the colors are rich and deep. But, for some reason the black levels are muddy at times, an issue with Lucas’ recent “Star War” episodes, “Attack of the Clones” and “Revenge of the Sith,” also filmed in digital. On the audio front, it’s nothing short of spectacular. There are eight channels of blazing bullets and roaring engines as the DTS HD uncompressed soundtrack sets the standard for audio superiority.

The comprehensive documentary details the start of the Tuskegee Airmen, originally a campaign promise from President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and placed into action on March 22, 1940. “I really didn’t care whether it was a segregated unit or non-segregated, I wanted to fly,” says veteran WWII pilot Lt. Col. William H. Holloman III, 332nd Fighter Group. “Red Tails” and the documentary uncover the extraordinary events surrounding the mission to escort B-17 bombers to Berlin, and how the squadrons were to protect them at all costs. Once they neared the capital, the young pilots found Nazi jets patrolling the skies.

Everyone associated with “Red Tails” had the best intentions, but the script at times is so dreadful, it nearly puts the movie into a tailspin. The documentary alone is what keeps this Blu-ray in my collection.

— Bill Kelley III

Life imitates art imitates life in ‘Certified Copy’

 

“CERTIFIED COPY: THE CRITERION COLLECTION”

Blu-ray widescreen and DVD widescreen, 2010, unrated

Best extra: 2012 interview with director Abbas Kiarostami in HD

THE ACCLAIMED IRANIAN director Abbas Kiarostami sets this psychological puzzle of a film in Tuscany and casts as his leads the French actress Juliette Binoche (who won the best actress award at Cannes) and an English opera singer, William Shimell, who had never acted before. The story is about copies, in art as in life, in which an antique shop owner (Binoche) meets the English author (Shimell) of a book about copies of famous works of art. When she offers to show him an especially interesting copy of a painting in a little Tuscan town, they begin what seems to be a new relationship. Once they’re in the town, however, a café owner mistakes the two as a married couple … and suddenly they seem to become that couple, with a 15-year history, complete with plenty of misunderstanding and unhappiness. Kiarostami leaves it to his viewers to separate the real from the copy.

This Blu-ray transfer looks excellent. Skin tones are natural, details are precise and colors are perfectly balanced. The sound quality is also very fine, with dialogue clear and sound effects all modulated properly. The actors speak English, French and Italian, and the English subtitles are very well-written.

Extras on the disc include a comprehensive making-of documentary; a 1977 film by Kiarostami (his second feature), called “The Report”; and a booklet with an essay by film critic Godfrey Cheshire. Most helpful, in terms of the making “Certified Copy” more accessible, is the recent interview with Kiarostami. In it, he states the film’s premise: “When we’re in love, we see everything as an original … we inflate the value. However, access to the original is beyond most of us; therefore, we should appreciate the copy.” He also states that “love is the result of misunderstanding … it comes to end when we truly understand each other.”

He discusses the origin of the film project and credits Binoche, who visited him in Tehran, as encouraging him to make it (and to cast herself in the lead) after he told her the story as though it had happened to him. Did it? He won’t say. He does say he used Binoche as a “mental model” for the lead character when he was writing the screenplay.

— Peggy Earle
 

Studio Ghibli presents another animated masterpiece ‘The Secret World of Arrietty’

 

“THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY”

Blu-ray widescreen and DVD widescreen, 2010, rated G for everyone

Best extra: Original Japanese storyboards, which show the origins of the movie’s soft, flowing Impressionist look in high-def

THERE ARE NO smart-aleck sidekicks, no dance numbers and no product placement in “The Secret World of Arrietty.” For any child raised on the frenetic laugh-track fare of Disney and Nickelodeon, this gentle, quiet, lovingly detailed animated movie will either be a revelation or a sleeping pill.

Produced by Japan’s esteemed Studio Ghibli, written by modern master Hayao Miyazaki and directed by animator Hiromasa Yonebayashi, “Arrietty” is based on an old children’s classic, “The Borrowers,” about a family of tiny humans who survive by “borrowing” odds and ends from a full-size human household. There are moments of delightful action – Arrietty and her father raiding the kitchen like tiny paratroopers – and bits of lovely detail in everything from the borrowers’ home to the pesky cat’s expressions. Beautifully calibrated colors glow on Blu-ray. The look of the movie and its tone is soft, gentle, and almost elegiac as Arrietty makes a human friend, but then sets off with her family into the larger world. The original Japanese track and the English-dubbed are extremely active and crystal clear on their uncompressed soundtracks.

The very limited extras point to the gap between carefully calibrated and marketed Disney productions and Studio Ghibli ones. Aside from some original ads and trailers and the storyboards – interesting for art fans, but sorely lacking any sort of commentary – the extras are highly processed and charmless, revolving around the movie’s forgettable music. There’s a video of a Celtic harpist performing the (Japanese language) title song, which is bad; then a music video and a making-of-the-video special with Bridgit Mendler, the Disney protégé who sings a truly awful song and provides the American release’s voice of Arrietty, which is even worse. Movie fans should be grateful Disney is the American distributor of Studio Ghibli’s work, which deserves a huge audience – but, unfortunately, that bit of American-style cross-marketing is the price American viewers pay.

My advice: Skip the extras and just enjoy the movie.

— Caroline Luzzatto

 

 

 

Super Powers vs. Real Life – ‘Chronicle’ takes us to the mat

 

“CHRONICLE”

Blu-ray widescreen, DVD widescreen and digital copy, 2012, Theatrical cut rated PG-13 for scenes of action violence, gore, language and mature themes

Best extra: Extended director’s cut in HD on Blu-ray

SUPER POWERS – are they a blessing or a curse? That’s the question first time director Josh Trank and scriptwriter Max Landis (son of John Landis) ask in the sleeper hit “Chronicle,” where three teens gain the power of telekinesis and flight.

There are no capes or costumes, and the ultimate baddie is someone we’ve either had the misfortune to know or see on TV news. Dane DeHaan, Michael B. Jordan (“Red Tails”) and Alex Russell play characters with three distinctly different personalities. They first use their new found abilities to play pranks, moving cars around in parking lots, learning to fly, and performing magic tricks. But even with super powers, real life must be reckoned with ... and as viewers know, Real Life can be a chainsaw-hacking nightmare.

“Chronicle” is presented in found-footage format, like “Cloverfield” and the “Paranormal Activity” franchise. DeHaan’s Andrew films scenes from his life; these images are laced together to create the story. His is a horribly dysfunctional family, where his alcoholic father beats him viciously. The beatings are only witnessed by Andrew’s camera, since Dad makes sure he’s alone with his son. It’s easy to see how Andrew might watch this footage to reassure himself that Dad went above and beyond the average disciplinary action and – possibly – to make sure he wasn’t to blame for Dad’s personal hell. In a family where truth is warped to serve another, it’s hard to hold onto reality.

Obviously, found-footage isn’t the kind of film that makes Blu-ray shine so the picture has plenty of grain and static. Still, because the movie was shot on a high-def digital camera, images are sharper, more detailed and have better color than what we’d find on a standard home video camera.

Likewise, the uncompressed DTS-HD surround track is superior to home-recording, too. We get a multi-speaker experience that makes the most of speed-flashes when the guys dart from place to place, lightning, party sounds and a heart wrenching finale with explosions, gunfire, and helicopters zooming alongside the super-powerful.

Extras are few. There’s no commentary or making-of, but the Blu-ray offers both the theatrical and the director’s cut, which is 13 minutes longer. The director’s cut provides more characterization, showing how the powers affect the boys, bringing out their best and worst behaviors. Those scenes aren’t always easy to watch, nor are they meant to be. In this case, I preferred the theatrical cut, which is stronger, tighter and delivers the same impact without the sense of time-drag.

Additional extras also include a deleted scene (exclusive to Blu-ray) and test shots of two stunts.

Director, writer and actors shine here and, like superheroes, are destined for big time studio projects. “Chronicle” is definitely the movie where you can say you first saw them.

— Mike Reynolds

 

 

AMC tries its hand at Westerns in ‘Hell on Wheels’

“HELL ON WHEELS: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON”

Blu-ray widescreen and DVD widescreen, 2011, not rated but contains violence, sexual encounters, language and adult situations

Best extra: “Making of Featurettes,” seven short pieces that walk you through the nitty gritty of what makes this show so appealing, including a look at the guns, wardrobe, the train and dirty medicine, in high-definition

IF YOU CONSIDER yourself a history buff or fascinated about the building of the Transcontinental Railroad or how America rebuilt itself after a bloody Civil War, then “Hell on Wheels” is your kind of show. It starts off with a bang when the lead character shoots a soldier in a church confessional and rides high for 10 episodes.

Anson Mount does an incredible job of portraying former Confederate soldier Cullen Bohannon, a mysterious man with blood on his hands and revenge in his heart. In the first episode, he sets out to avenge the death of his wife and his son. His bloodlust takes him to Hell on Wheels, a town where former slaves are helping to lay track for the Transcontinental Railroad. It’s a dirty place, based on a real town back in 1865. The ruthless business man laying the railroad and taking the government’s money to do so is also based on the real-life Thomas Durant (Colm Meaney). Every time Meaney’s character yells, “Mr. Bohannon,” it’s as if the characters have jumped out of the TV as living, breathing people.

Other characters get their chance to shine as well, including former slave, Elam (Common), who develops a complex relationship with Bohannon, Lily (Dominique McElligott), a widow of the West, and The Swede (Christopher Heyerdahl), a Norwegian whip-cracker who doesn’t like Bohannon at all.

When you mix the intriguing writing, the well-played characters and the location scenes, you get a well-rounded, suspenseful show that AMC has renewed for a second season.

AMC has also put together a superb collection of bonus features, although a couple of episode commentaries would have been nice. The high-definition mix includes several behind-scene featurettes that explain how this show became reality – literally from a muddy field to a working town in about three weeks. What’s also awesome is hearing from the people responsible: costume designers, producers, lighting technicians, set designers and the director.

Some of the highlights include a look at making a working locomotive from Styrofoam and other odd material (the cast was surprised it worked); muddying the clothes to make them looked lived in, especially since the railroad crew barely took showers or had time to clean themselves for days, sometimes months, on end, and a look at the real-life Durant.

In “Recreating the Past: The Making of ‘Hell on Wheels,’” you get a lot of information about the show in only 17 minutes, including director/executive producer David Von Ancken’s take on life during post-Civil War America, and how he and production designer John Blackie want to portray it.

The seven making-of featurettes have some overlap with “Recreating the Past,” as do brief character featurettes on the main characters, but still, the new information is well worth a watch. Eddie Spears, who plays Joseph Black Moon, a Native American-turned Christian, has a wonderful take on his character’s motivation and why he plays him as he does.

For those interested in a train-crash scene, a roughly 3-minute looks takes you from planning the crash to the actual bang-up. The three-disc set also provides background on all 10 episodes, including the pilot.

Add the trailer and more than 24 minutes of behind-scenes footage that runs without interruption, and “Hell on Wheels: The Complete First Season” brings hours of high-intensity drama, beautiful scenery, and a soundtrack to blow your speakers away.

— Toni Guagenti
 

 

Bertolucci’s ‘1900’ explores Italian history

 

“1900: COLLECTOR’S EDITION”

Blu-ray widescreen, 1976, unrated but contains graphic violence, nudity, sex, you name it

Best extra: “Bernardo Bertolucci: Reflections on Cinema,” a 2002 TV documentary featured on a DVD

IN A WAY, the more-than-five hours that constitute Bernardo Bertolucci’s (“The Last Emperor”) epic film provide an overview of the history of Italy in the 20th century. As in classic literature, the story is told via the microcosm of the lives of its two main characters, both of whom are born on the same estate on the same day: January 1, 1900. Alberto (whose grown-up character is played by Robert De Niro) is the son of the landowner (Burt Lancaster). Olmo (Gerard Depardieu) is the son of one of the peasants (Sterling Hayden) who toil on the land. Respectively, they come to embody the prevailing political powers of Italy: Fascism and Communism. The huge international cast also includes Donald Sutherland, Dominique Sanda, Alida Valli and Stefania Sandrelli.

The Blu-ray transfer looks stunning, spread over two-discs. Colors are naturalistic, with beautiful saturation especially in outdoor scenes that recall Old Master landscape paintings. Skin tones are true and the period details have a believable integrity. Cinematography by Vittorio Storaro is splendid and is shown throughout to great advantage. The HD audio is also impressive, with typically well-dubbed dialogue in a choice of Italian, English or French, though I can’t imagine why anyone would want to see something so Italian to its core in anything but Italian. The score, composed by Ennio Morricone (“The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”) is appropriately orchestral, with sound effects and incidental music providing just the right counterpoint.

The only extra appears on a third disc. Made for Italian television, it is a very interesting and comprehensive film about Bertolucci’s career, chock-full of interviews and archival behind-scenes footage going back to his earliest films. In a recent interview, Bertolucci declares that he “makes films to create order from chaos.” He discusses his poet father and his early attempts to follow in those footsteps, until he saw “Fellini’s ‘La Dolce Vita,’ which made me fall in love with cinema.” He revisits the reactions to his most infamous film, “Last Tango in Paris,” which was banned in Italy. Bertolucci was convicted of obscenity and given a 2-month suspended jail sentence, as well as having been prohibited from voting in Italian elections for five years(!). He says that “1900” is a “film about the dialectics between two classes,” and refers to its production as “the greatest adventure of my life.”

— Peggy Earle