Ten Commandments (Blu-ray Review)
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Loading ...A good companion film to the superior 1956 masterpiece sports a decent Blu-ray release from Echo Bridge.
I'm not a king. I'm a shepherd.
A good story is worth telling more than once. A great story is worth telling with regularity. A timeless story lives in perpetuity in many forms. One
such timeless tale is the Bible's Old Testament story of Moses, which includes the freeing of slaves from Egypt following 400 years of bondage and God's
delivery of the stone tablets containing the Ten Commandments to Moses. The story has been told in its written form through the ages, and...
Video
The Ten Commandments features a fair but generally underwhelming Blu-ray presentation. The 1080p/1.78:1-framed transfer nearly dazzles
in spots, disappoints in others, and proves serviceably good in most instances. The picture can be either razor-sharp or modestly soft. Generally, it falls
into a middle ground where fine detailing is adequate. Facial textures fare well enough and clothing -- both the slaves' tattered garb and the Egyptians'
cleaner, more regal costumes -- usuall
Audio
The Ten Commandments arrives on Blu-ray with a myriad of soundtracks, none of which are fantastic, none of which are awful. There seems to
be no rhyme or reason why Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 2.0, and LPCM 2.0 presentations had to all be included. One might reasonably
think that the LPCM and a pick
'em between the 5.1 offerings would have sufficed. Nevertheless, a sampling of all four throughout the movie yielded little perceptible difference outside
of surround
Supplements
The Ten Commandments contains two extras. The Making of 'The Ten Commandments' (1080p, 22:50) features narrator Omar Sharif
guiding viewers throughout he making of the film. Included is behind the scenes footage, clips from the film, and cast and crew interviews which cover
the film's story, its themes, the making of the movie, comparisons to DeMille's film, historical influences, digital effects, set design, costumes, and more.
Also included is The Ten
Commandments
Final Words
The Ten Commandments is a decent enough movie considering it's something of a faux-epic, a made-for-television "spectacular" that certainly
fares better than many of its TV contemporaries in terms of sheer quality and story. Still, it pales next to the DeMille/Heston classic, no surprise, but this
Ten Commandments is a
watchable movie in its own right, even through uneven acting, modest and relatively phony digital effects, and a lesser pace and technical prowess. It
goes...
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Ten Commandments (Blu-ray Review)
Queen: Days of Our Lives (Blu-ray Review)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...They were the champions.
The seventies are often thought of, rightly or wrongly, as being a cultural wasteland in terms of rock and pop music,
especially after the halcyon days of the sixties, which saw an incredible variety of artists manage to claw and scratch
their way into the mainstream. In fact the sheer volume of iconic acts which debuted in the sixties probably meant that
any comparison with the following decade was almost sure to leave that decade suffering by comparison no matter how
great its music m...
Video
Queen: Days of Our Lives is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Eagle Vision Entertainment with an AVC encoded 720p transfer in 1.78:1.
Because this documentary relies so heavily on archival footage, the video quality here is understandably less than spectacular a lot of the time.
Some of this footage has never been previously seen, and its obviously culled from old 16mm (and apparently even 8mm in a few instances)
source elements. The results are ragged, grainy, extremely fuzzy a
Audio
Queen: Days of Our Lives features a lossless LPCM 2.0 audio track that suffices extremely well for both the musical elements as well as
the spoken confessionals. The documentary itself is rather briskly edited, so no really full performance segments are included. There are tons of
great little snippets of the band in concert and in some nascent music videos, but only the supplemental material (which also includes a lossless
LPCM 2.0 audio track) provide unedited musical performan
Supplements
- Additional Videos include:
Seven Seas of Rhye (720p; 2:28)
Killer Queen (720p; 2:45)
Somebody to Love (720p;4:56)
We Are the Champions (720p; 3:13)
Crazy Little Thing Called Love (720p; 2:45)
Under Pressure (720p; 3:43)
Radio Ga Ga (720p; 4:48) - Additional Scenes (720p; 59:08) contains a glut of extra material covering all different phases of the band.
Archival and contemporaFinal Words
Queen: Days of Our Lives is a great time capsule assortment of archival video interspersed with contemporary interview segments. The
band made the big time right at the cusp of the music video age and a lot of their nascent music videos, as well as some of their actual
music videos, are included here, not to mention some fantastic and rare concert footage and archival interview footage. Dramatically, this piece
isnt quite the revelation it wants to be, only because the ba...Read full review: Blu-ray.com
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Queen: Days of Our Lives (Blu-ray Review)Big Year (Blu-ray Review)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...One for the birds.
The allure of birding--I learned today that "birdwatching" apparently has negative connotations--isn't hard to grasp. You're outdoors with a
purpose. You're communing with nature, appreciating the beauty and variety of birds. There's also a "collect-them-all" element involved, a thrill in
tracking down elusive species and crossing them off a birding bucket list. It's a hobby for some, a way of life for others, and--for the record--I have a
real respect for dedicated birders. I say t...Video
The Big Year flaps onto Blu-ray with a 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer that's always better than merely acceptable, but rarely--if ever--stunning.
The movie was shot on 35mm and has a rather heavy grain structure, which is mostly untouched here, although some scenes look to have been given a
light DNR dousing. There are times when the picture takes on a slightly filtered look, and the occasional halo-ish borders on certain hard
outlines--like branches in the woods--suggest that aAudio
In four words: good, but not great. But you could've guessed as much. Family comedies aren't exactly known for ear-assaulting, room-shaking sound
design. 20th Century Fox has given The Big Year the usual lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, and the mix does what it needs to
do with little flourish. What matters most here is that dialogue is clean, perfectly balanced, and easily understandable at all times. And it is. Everything
else is just a bonus. The mix is rooted upSupplements
- The Big Migration (1080p, 18:28): The only feature of substance on the disc is this making-of special, which follows the crew as they
trek across North America. - Deleted Scenes (1080p, 17:37)
- Gag Reel (1080p, 5:58)
- Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 1:47)
- Sneak Peak (1080p, 4:50): Trailers for In Time and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
Final Words
So, The Big Year was big flop at the box office, and I'm guessing it'll suffer a similar fate on Blu-ray. A comedy about birdwatching isn't the most
exciting premise, so the film would be a hard sell even if it were good. And it's not. It isn't bad bad, but there's little to recommend
here; it's not funny, the story is uninteresting on screen, and at every turn the filmmakers have played it safe. Birders, especially, will be disappointed
that the joys of their hobby ar...Read full review: Blu-ray.com
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Big Year (Blu-ray Review)Big Year (Blu-ray Review)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...One for the birds.
The allure of birding--I learned today that "birdwatching" apparently has negative connotations--isn't hard to grasp. You're outdoors with a
purpose. You're communing with nature, appreciating the beauty and variety of birds. There's also a "collect-them-all" element involved, a thrill in
tracking down elusive species and crossing them off a birding bucket list. It's a hobby for some, a way of life for others, and--for the record--I have a
real respect for dedicated birders. I say t...Video
The Big Year flaps onto Blu-ray with a 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer that's always better than merely acceptable, but rarely--if ever--stunning.
The movie was shot on 35mm and has a rather heavy grain structure, which is mostly untouched here, although some scenes look to have been given a
light DNR dousing. There are times when the picture takes on a slightly filtered look, and the occasional halo-ish borders on certain hard
outlines--like branches in the woods--suggest that aAudio
In four words: good, but not great. But you could've guessed as much. Family comedies aren't exactly known for ear-assaulting, room-shaking sound
design. 20th Century Fox has given The Big Year the usual lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, and the mix does what it needs to
do with little flourish. What matters most here is that dialogue is clean, perfectly balanced, and easily understandable at all times. And it is. Everything
else is just a bonus. The mix is rooted upSupplements
- The Big Migration (1080p, 18:28): The only feature of substance on the disc is this making-of special, which follows the crew as they
trek across North America. - Deleted Scenes (1080p, 17:37)
- Gag Reel (1080p, 5:58)
- Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 1:47)
- Sneak Peak (1080p, 4:50): Trailers for In Time and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
Final Words
So, The Big Year was big flop at the box office, and I'm guessing it'll suffer a similar fate on Blu-ray. A comedy about birdwatching isn't the most
exciting premise, so the film would be a hard sell even if it were good. And it's not. It isn't bad bad, but there's little to recommend
here; it's not funny, the story is uninteresting on screen, and at every turn the filmmakers have played it safe. Birders, especially, will be disappointed
that the joys of their hobby ar...Read full review: Blu-ray.com
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Big Year (Blu-ray Review)CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Grave Danger (Blu-ray Review)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Who are you? If You're a 'CSI' fan you're someone who will want to check out this release.
In TV parlance, "Grave Danger" might be described as an "event." Here's a season finale episode (season five, to be exact), a two-parter, even, of a
smash hit TV show directed by none other than Quentin Tarantino, the Writer/Director behind several films perhaps a few may recognize, for instance
Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, andVideo
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Grave Danger's 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer isn't an absolute show-stopper, but it's a solid, nice-looking
presentation.
The episode was shoot on film; grain retention is evident throughout, and even the episode's predominately dark backdrops play with a pleasing filmic
texture. Speaking of, black crush is sometimes cause for concern, but never do blacks go in the opposite direction, artificially brightening to a shade of
gray. Fine detail is goAudio
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Grave Danger features a good and involved DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The presentation features
strong ambience, whether the light background din of the city at night at the first crime scene or the general sounds of the CSI offices. Music delivery is
smooth, playing with good clarity, fine spacing, a noticeable surround element, and a positive, balanced low end. The Who's theme song sounds even
better; it's lively, completely surrounds theSupplements
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Grave Danger contains only one supplement, CSI: Tarantino Style (1080p, 17:36). This quality extra
features cast and crew recounting Tarantino's work, while the famed director discusses brining his unique style to the episode. It also looks at shooting
in and around the tomb, offers up some raw on-set footage, examines the need to spread the episode into a two-parter, and more. A DVD copy of the
episode is also
included.Final Words
It's difficult to judge an episode like this in a vacuum, released as it has been separate from the whole, attempting to see it from two sides of the coin, on
one side the veteran fans and the other newcomers. "CSI" certainly has its following, but the name plastered on the Blu-ray
box is going to draw in a lot more fans who have next to no knowledge of "CSI" outside of whatever commercials they've seen during breaks in football
games on CBS. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Grave Dang...Read full review: Blu-ray.com
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CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Grave Danger (Blu-ray Review)Proof (Blu-ray Review)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Excellent performances shape a fine film.
Am I crazy?
It proved tempting through the early moments of watching Proof to begin the review with a cheap series of puns, something along the lines
of
"Proof's proof of excellence lies in how well it either proves, disproves, or never truly proves authorship of the story's central proof, a proof
that may
not
be provable either by the
sane or the insane, a proof that provably exists in a composition book, but that is not a proof in the pu...Video
Proof may represent the best video transfer from Echo Bridge yet. The studio's 1080p Blu-ray release is largely satisfying with nary a blemish to
be seen. There are a few random spots and a slight softness to select shots, but this is otherwise a top-grade presentation. Grain retention yields a
quality film-like texture and helps accentuate fine details. Facial textures are fine, clothing textures naturally intricate, and leaves, grasses, concrete,
and odds and ends around the hAudio
Proof might appear to be a talk-heavy Drama, and it is, yet the soundtrack still manages to offer something beyond straight dialogue and
accentuating music. Echo Bridge's DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack offers a balanced and clear experience. Though falling rain at the beginning
seems to live primarily in the front speakers, there are many surround elements to be heard. Music has a wonderfully airy, clear, and light feel to it; it
seems to hover through the soundstage to greatSupplements
Proof contains no supplements.
Final Words
Proof is a beautiful film about the complex universal language of mathematics and the equally complex workings of the human mind. The film
says much on human relationships, sanity, and family. It's beautifully staged, evenly executed, and brilliantly performed. It's one of the best amongst
the somewhat under-the-radar pictures of the 2000s, and it's rather shocking that Paltrow didn't receive a Best Actress nomination for her work.
Though it is again free of extras, this might b...Read full review: Blu-ray.com
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Proof (Blu-ray Review)Intruder (Director’s Cut) (Blu-ray Review)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Scott Spiegel's "Intruder" (1989) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Synapse Films. The supplemental features on the disc include the film's original theatrical trailer; making of featurette; extended scenes; outtakes; audition highlights; stills gallery; audio commentary with writer/director Scott Spiegel and producer Lawrence Bender; and more. In English, without optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free. ...
Video
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Scott Spiegel's Intruder arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Synapse Films.
Synapse Films continue to impress with the attention and care they give to various cult films. Last year they produced a marvelous Blu-ray release of Radley Matzger's The Image, which is without a doubt the most competent treatment a
Audio
There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. For the record, Synapse Films have not included optional English subtitles for the main feature.
The audio appears to have been optimized very well. When the killer observes and later on approaches his victims, the sound design (music and supporting effects) has clearly benefited from the loseless treatment. Clarity, in particular, is very good. The dialog is also crisp, clean, stable, and easy to fo
Supplements
- Trailer - the original theatrical trailer for Intruder. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, 1080p).
- The Big Migration (1080p, 18:28): The only feature of substance on the disc is this making-of special, which follows the crew as they
- Slashed Prices: The Making of "Intruder" - in this wonderful featurette various cast and crew members recall their contribution to Intruder. Director Scott Spiegel and producer Lawrence Bender also discuss the film's production history. In English, not subtitled. (39 min, 1080p).
- Extended "Murder" Se
Final Words
Scott Spiegel's Intruder is a groovy low-budget slasher flick which has been given the royal treatment by the folks at Synapse Films. This is the fourth Blu-ray release I have seen from them (my favorite is Radley Matzger's The Image) and at this point I have to place them amongst the very best cult labels in the U.S. Clearly, they are very passionate about their work. Let's hope that they will also be able...
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Intruder (Director's Cut) (Blu-ray Review)Fernando Di Leo Crime Collection (Caliber 9 / The Italian Connection / The Boss / Rulers Of The City (Blu-ray Review)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Don't Mess with Milan.
Filmmaker Fernando Di Leo was a well-regarded helmer who specialized in severe crime stories pulled from the bowels of Italy -- tales of grizzled men hunting other grizzled men, burning through numerous power plays, assassinations, and monetary disruptions. They were films of pure Italian personality, monitoring political turbulence while bashing around baddies, creating a roughhouse Euro genre with realism that would come to influence American directors looking to add some bitterness to their o...
Video
Arriving with AVC encoded image (1.84:1 aspect ratio) presentations, RaroVideo has done a remarkable job fitting Di Leo for his Blu-ray debut. These cult films look almost as fresh as the day they debuted, boasting a bright color palette with vibrant hues. The primaries are especially triumphant, punching through with bold reds, yellows, and blues, with Caliber 9 perhaps the most direct in terms of color saturation. The image is very clean, with minimal frame jumps (The Boss is the roughest
Audio
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mixes on the Blu-ray set carry the thick aural sensation of the pictures quite well. With heavy dubbing and studio construction of environments, the discs manage the clotted force with a confident frontal push, urging dialogue exchanges out in front, sustaining the heated conflicts with intelligible interactions and clean accents. Theres some mild distortion during more furious scenes of conflict, but its rare to find anything swallowed by the mix. Scoring is bold when
Supplements
- Included with the set is a 20-page booklet containing a 2001 interview with Di Leo.
- Caliber 9 (29:41, SD) is a 2004 documentary on the making of the picture, collecting interviews with writers and production members to discuss the nuance of the adaptation process and the filmmakers influences. Of note here Di Leo himself, who articulates his passion for the project and his work with the cast, including Bouc
Final Words
Its quite a ride through Di Leos id, with all the bullets, babes, and brawn exhausting to watch. These four pictures, while bumpy, are wonderfully unpredictable and enchantingly lurid, isolating the filmmakers tastes and gifts through revelatory Blu-ray presentations that restore Di Leos lush, bruised vision to cinematic glory. ...
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Fernando Di Leo Crime Collection (Caliber 9 / The Italian Connection / The Boss / Rulers Of The City (Blu-ray Review)Happy, Happy (Sykt lykkelig) (Blu-ray Review)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Sad, Funny
Happy, Happy, winner of the world cinema grand jury prize at last years Sundance, opens with four extremely droll Norwegian guys in
suits and ties standing in front of a blue velvet curtain, singing a gospel song in English. What the hell have I gotten myself into? you may ask, but
give the film time. Eventually, we realize that this acapella quartet--which appears periodically to sing other tunes--has nothing whatsoever to do with
the plot, but functions instead as a kind...Video
Happy, Happy was a fairly low-budget production, and it was shot on 16mm instead of 35mm or digital. The smaller negative size automatically
translates into a slightly softer, grainier image than most films--and theres really not much that can be done about that--but as far as 16mm movies go,
this one is actually quite nicely resolved on Blu-ray, with a 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer that looks true-to-source. Although the picture can be a bit
mushy-looking during longer shots, closeupAudio
Magnolia Home Entertainment has given Happy, Happy the usual lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, and as youd expect from
this kind of small-scale family drama/comedy, the sound design is decidedly low-key. The emphasis here is strongly on the films dialogue, which is
cleanly reproduced--no muffling, peaking, or crackling--and always at the forefront of the mix. The audio mainly stays hunkered down in the front
channels, but the surround speakers do get occasional actiSupplements
- U.S. Trailer (1080p, 2:05)
- International Trailer (1080p, 2:04)
- Also from Magnolia Home Entertainment (1080p, 9:07)
Final Words
Its no mystery to see why Happy, Happy was a Sundance favorite--its a near-perfect balance of affecting and funny, awkward and weird. Its a
very small film--with its limited, isolated setting, its practically a chamber drama--and this makes it all the more enjoyably intimate. Fans of
Scandinavian cinema take note. Recommended....Read full review: Blu-ray.com
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Happy, Happy (Sykt lykkelig) (Blu-ray Review)Malcolm X (Digibook) (Includes 1972 Documentary "Malcolm X") (Blu-ray Review)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ..."We didn't land on Plymouth Rock. Plymouth Rock landed on us!"
Brothers and sisters. I'm here to tell you that I charge the white man. I charge the white man with being the greatest murderer on earth. I charge the white man with being the greatest kidnapper on earth. There is no place in this world that that man can go and say he created peace and harmony. Everywhere he's gone, he's created havoc. Everywhere he's gone, he's created destruction... He can't deny the charges. You can't deny the charges. We're the living proof of those charges. You and I are...
Video
The Blu-ray edition of Malcolm X features an excellent 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer, true to director Spike Lee and cinematographer Ernest Dickerson's intentions. There are a few issues -- slight edge halos are visible from time to time, minor crush creeps in, and film grain, though intact and unobtrusive, spikes a bit on occasion -- but none of it is ever severe or troubling enough to disappoint or distract from the experience. When the film begins, though, casual viewers may pause. During
Audio
Warner's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is also faithful to the film's original sound design, even though that means the soundfield isn't as immersive or convincing as the sort that would grace Malcolm X if it were being made today. That said, very little comes up short. Dialogue is clean, clear and intelligible, with only a handful of lines being dragged beneath the more chaotic scenes and, as is more often the case, Terence Blanchard's LFE-bolstered score. Prioritization is stil
Supplements
- Malcolm X, 1972 Documentary (SD, 92 minutes): Serving as a companion piece of sorts to Alex Haley and Malcolm X's "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" (published in 1965 in the months following Malcolm X's death), director Arnold Perl's 1972 documentary is a terrific addition to this release. Yes, it's presented in standard definition on its own DVD disc, and yes, an HD version would have been ideal. But that shouldn't prevent anyone from sin
Final Words
Malcolm X was a larger-than-life figure and Spike Lee's Malcolm X is a larger-than-life film. And, like the man himself, it isn't at all what you expect it to be. Even when you think you have it pegged, it shifts, adapts and evolves, becoming something richer, more rewarding and more fascinating. Washington's performance is magnificent as well, and it's almost impossible to look away every time he steps on screen. Warner's Blu-ray release is impossible to look away from too. With a terrif...
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Malcolm X (Digibook) (Includes 1972 Documentary "Malcolm X") (Blu-ray Review)
Caliber 9
(4.67 out of 5)