Forbidden Planet (Blu-ray Review)
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Loading ...Genesis may be "Planet Forbidden," but "Forbidden Planet" is the genesis of the greatest Sci-Fi films of the past half
century.
I wash my hands of all responsibility.
Forbidden Planet travels to the furthest reaches of space to discover what it is that lies within the deepest
recesses of every man's soul. A classic Science Fiction film in every regard and a shining beacon of what the genre is all
about at its most fundamental level, Forbidden Planet uses outer space, distant worlds, and advanced
technologies as both metaphor and magnifying glass to interpret and more closely examin...
Video
Warner Brothers does right by Forbidden Planet, gracing the film with a strong, sometimes breathtaking, and
always filmic 1080p, 2.41:1-framed transfer. From even the opening title sequence -- the film's signature yellow and
rounded credits --
viewers will be impressed with the quality of the image. The text is crisp, sharp, and wonderfully colored, setting a
fantastic tone and raising expectations that are at least met and sometimes surpassed throughout the remainder of the
f...
Audio
Forbidden Planet's Blu-ray release features a DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Listeners shouldn't expect
some modern-day whiz-bang surround-sound extravaganza; Forbidden Planet's track is reserved but steady and
satisfying in a classic movie sense. A few sound effects play as somewhat harsher than what listeners might be used to
with more modern soundtracks, but Warner's competent DTS track handles Forbidden Planet's aging material
very well. Surrounds are hard...
Supplements
Forbidden Planet grants viewers plenty of extra features, chief among them the feature-length film The
Invisible Boy (B&W, 480p, 1.78:1, Dolby Digital 2.0, 1:29:29), a 1957 picture featuring Robby the Robot and
listed as a
"sequel" of sorts to Forbidden Planet. Also of note is the inclusion of an episode of the television program
"The
Thin Man" entitled Robot Client (B&W, 480p, 1.78:1, Dolby Digital 2.0, 25:35). Originally aired on February
28, 1958, t...
Final Words
The 1950s saw several extraordinary Science Fiction pictures that have come to define the genre not
through loud action and shiny spaceships but rather through the more contemplative elements that use outer space,
distant
worlds, advanced technologies, and amazing otherworldly beings to take a tough, unforgiving, and honest look into the
very essence of mankind. The Day the Earth Stood Still is one
example, and
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Forbidden Planet (Blu-ray Review)
Hatchet (Blu-ray Review)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Blood, blood, blood, blood, blood, blood, blood.
Haven't you seen enough boobs?
Hatchet is billed as "old school American Horror." If by that fans are led to expect plenty of bare-chested
girls, an unforgivingly dark atmosphere, and a typical array of characters killed off one-by-one by a deranged and
deformed psychopath living off the land (and the good folks) around the outlying swamps of New Orleans, then yup,
Hatchet delivers some old-school genre fun. If it really just sounds like a typical hack-and...
Video
Hatchet scares up a nice-looking 1080p transfer for its debut Blu-ray release. The picture's unforgivingly dark
through most of its runtime with only a brief respite to introduce its main characters early on in the film. As such,
blacks are crucial to the presentation, and they impress far more often than not. They're deep and dark and don't
devour too many important details in the frame. Several scenes in the film are so dark the screen may as well be
completely black; the da...
Audio
Hatchet tears into Blu-ray with a potent and exhilarating Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack that's a match
for the film's fast pace and excessively grisly visuals. The track yields a strong assortment of surround sound
information; whether capturing the ambience of Louisiana's swampy backwaters, heavy rain and booming distant
thunder, or Horror movie-centric odds and ends that effectively place the listener in the midst of the bloodshed,
Hatchet's lossless soundtrack pr...
Supplements
Anchor Bay slices out several quality extras for this Blu-ray release of Hatchet. Two commentary tracks
headline the package. The first features Writer/Director/Co-Producer Adam Green and Actor Kane Hodder. This is a
new
commentary recorded for the special edition Blu-ray release and features a very happy-to-be-here Kane Hodder, who
wasn't able
to
attend the recording of the original track. This commentary focuses less on the making of the film and more on the
details of...
Final Words
Make no mistake, Hatchet doesn't have an original bone in its body. But by the time the movie's over, most of
the character's won't even have bodies in which to hold their bones, original or otherwise, so at least Hatchet
has that much going for it. Hatchet is very good for what it is, but it's not a movie that's going to redefine a
genre or anything like that. In that sense, it's no Halloween, <......
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Hatchet (Blu-ray Review)
Gladiator: Sapphire Edition (Extended and Theatrical Cut) (Remastered) (Blu-ray Review)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...The same great audio, extras, and movie: now with vastly improved picture quality.
Unleash hell.
It was a time unparalleled in human history. One of the great Empires of modern
civilization ruled much of the globe, and despite a landscape littered with primitive
technology and a knowledge base far less impressive than that of today, the same ideas,
emotions, deceptions, loves, and hates influenced every decision, every waking hour, every
breath, every moment of life and, ultimately, death. With such lesser knowledge and lesser
understanding came h...
Video
Better late than never. After much ado about Paramount's first Blu-ray release of Gladiator -- one littered
with
unsightly edge enhancement and digital scrubbing that left the image flat (not to mention with arrows and fireballs
that magically disappeared mid-flight); absent a natural grain structure; and
generally unattractive beside many other Blu-rays, including some of Paramount's other first-class offerings like ...
Audio
Though
not
the most earth-shattering, record-breaking, eardrum-busting mix out there, Gladiator's DTS-HD MA 5.1
lossless soundtrack is well above
average
across the board. The opening battle sequence sets the stage nicely. Arrows that fly through the soundstage during
the picture's intense opening action sequence are accompanied by a continuous whoosh as they fly through the air
towards their
targets. Explosions pack a good wallop, and the general mayhem of the battle, ...
Supplements
Gladiator arrives on Blu-ray as a two-disc "Sapphire Series" special edition. Disc one
sports
a pair of commentary tracks, one for each cut of the film. The extended cut track features
Director
Ridley Scott and Actor Russell Crowe in a solid and straightforward effort that begins with a
discussion revolving around the sets and shooting locations and moves on to cover the
characters and their motivations, the performances, the rigors of the shoot, shooting the action
scenes...
Final Words
Gladiator presents a rather simply story -- one man's quest for revenge -- but adds
plenty of combat,
several intriguing political layers, and a romantic subtext along the way. Revenge is a tale as old
as time, a staple of fiction -- and history -- that seems to bring with it an everlasting allure that,
in the right hands, and with the right script, and the right backdrop, makes for some of the best
movies out there. Gladiator is no exception. A Best Picture winner and......
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Gladiator: Sapphire Edition (Extended and Theatrical Cut) (Remastered) (Blu-ray Review)
A Dirty Carnival (Biyeolhan geori - First Press Limited Edition) (Blu-ray Review)
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Screened at the Chicago International Film Festival, Yu Ha's "A Dirty Carnival" (2006) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Korean distributors CJ Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include two audio commentaries; behind the scenes featurette; multiple making of featurettes; deleted and extended scenes with optional commentary by director Yu Ha; interviews; footage from the film's premiere; and theatrical trailers. In Korean, with optional English and Korean subtitles for the main...
Video
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.29:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Yu Ha's A Dirty Carnival arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Korean distributors CJ Entertainment.
This is a pleasing high-definition transfer with a couple of minor issues. Generally speaking, A Dirty Carnival looks fresh, with most of the daylight scenes being notably sharp. Mild edge-enhancement, however, occasionally pops up here and there, and I also noticed some random contras...
Audio
There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: Korean DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. For the record, CJ Entertainment have provided optional English and Korean subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.
When it comes to solid audio treatments, CJ Entertainment may well be one of the most consistent Asian distributors currently releasing on Blu-ray, as I am yet to test a disc they have produced that does not have a top-notch loseless audio track...
Supplements
Note: I would like to apologize to our readers for not being able to comment on the supplemental features included on this Blu-ray disc. Unfortunately, they are all listed in Korean and not subtitled in English. Even the names of the participants in the audio commentaries are listed in Korean only. However, all of them are playable on North American PS3s and SAs. The supplemental features are: two audio commentaries, behind the scenes featurette, multiple making of featurettes, deleted an...
Final Words
Yu Ha's A Dirty Carnival is a moody, very stylish Korean gangster film that should appeal to a wide variety of viewers. If you crave something fresh, not another rehash of overused genre cliches, make sure to see it. The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of Korean distributors CJ Entertainment, looks and sounds good. It is also Region-Free. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. ......
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A Dirty Carnival (Biyeolhan geori - First Press Limited Edition) (Blu-ray Review)
Tommy (Blu-ray Review)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...I've got 'Tommy;' who'll bring the baked beans, the pinball machine, and the hallucinogens?
That deaf, dumb, and blind kid sure plays a mean pinball.
A boy is traumatized when he witnesses his father's death. He grows into a young man thought to be deaf, dumb,
and
blind, but when he discovers his talents at the controls of a pinball machine, he becomes a national treasure and
develops a cultish following. Talk about just pulling random story elements out of a hat. That story -- originally
realized as a Rock
Opera by The Who and released as their 1969 clas...
Video
Tommy debuts on Blu-ray with a strongly-realized 1080p transfer framed in the picture's original 1.85:1 aspect
ratio. Though it offers an ever-so-slightly faded appearance that's in-line with the usual look of 1970s pictures,
Tommy never wants for superior color reproduction. Most hues appear accurately rendered, though bright reds
do tend to look slightly exaggerated and stand out against the rest of the palette. Still, the image sports a wonderfully
film-like texture t...
Audio
Tommy's Blu-ray debut features two soundtracks: a "Quintaphonic" 5.0 mix and a more traditional DTS-HD
MA
5.1 presentation. For listeners unfamiliar with a Quintaphonic track, Sony has included an informative and detailed
writeup found on a two-sided leaflet located inside the Blu-ray case. The details are better left to the included
information, but what listeners need to know is that the Quintaphonic track retains the basic front left, center, front
right, back left, and bac...
Supplements
Supplements for Tommy include MovieIQ Connectivity; BD-Live functionality; and 1080p trailers for "The Pillars of the Earth", It Might Get Loud, and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus....
Final Words
Love it, hate it, or give it the old shoulder-shrug, viewers of any take cannot deny either the uniqueness of the picture or
the debate
that's sure to rage after a viewing of Tommy. Even 35 years after its release, Tommy still resonates as
a divisive,
structurally confused, but energetic and unique picture that plays with themes that are both easy to spot and buried too
far beneath the surface and too far beyond the music and trippy visuals to fully comprehend after one,......
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Tommy (Blu-ray Review)
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (The Rich Mahogany Edition) (Best Buy Exclusive) (Blu-ray Review)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...'Brick, where did you get a hand grenade?' 'I don't know.'
'Diversity' means that times are changing.
Will Ferrell (Blades of Glory) and his fellow
"Frat Pack"-ers haven't quite reached the same level of excellence as Comedy's top crop --
including Bill Murray, John Candy, James Belushi, and Chevy Chase -- that graced screens in the 1980s, but
Anchorman brings the gang a step closer to solidifying themselves as one of the genre's elite grou...
Video
Paramount brings this Best Buy exclusive release of Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy to Blu-ray with a
steady and generally strong 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer. This high definition image yields impressive detailing across
the board, whether in the newscasters' tweed jackets, odds and ends around the station, or close-ups of human faces.
Colors are rich and vibrant -- perhaps a bit unnaturally so -- jumping off the screen with regularity in support of the
film's 1970s-insp...
Audio
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy broadcasts onto Blu-ray with a technically sound but structurally
basic DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Typical of a Comedy high definition audio presentation, Anchorman
lacks much surround information -- it's mostly comprised of a few basic directional elements and distinctive effects -- but
Paramount's track handles all that's asked of it well enough. Music is pleasantly smooth and satisfying as it lingers
primarily across the fr...
Supplements
Paramount's "Rich Mahogany Edition" two-disc Blu-ray release of Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy is
bursting at the seams with extra content. Disc one -- which features both the 94-minute theatrical cut and the
longer
97 minute extended cut of the film -- begins with an audio commentary track with Director/Writer Adam McKay;
Actor/Writer
Will
Ferrell; Musicians Lou Rawls and Kyle Gass; Entertainer Andy Richter; and Actors Paul Rudd, David Koechner, and
Christina Appleg...
Final Words
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy is a new Comedy classic that revels in the taboo humor of sexism;
the movie's packed with innuendo, crude jokes, and political incorrectness run amok, but it all works thanks to an
exceptionally strong cast who all fall into character and stay there for the duration. One of the funniest movies of the
decade and one that's heavily influenced the Comedy genre since its release in 2004, Anchorman is a must-see
Comedy that gets everything ......
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Blair Witch Project (Best Buy exclusive until 10/05/2010) (Blu-ray Review)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...One of the most influential horror movies of the past couple of decades makes its Blu-ray review.
Were you caught up in the great film hype of 1999? If you were paying attention, and perhaps even if you werent, chances are you couldnt easily escape the press mania surrounding The Blair Witch Project, an indie horror film clad as a faux unfinished documentary which was supposedly among the scariest films ever made. I read about the film for what seemed like months and months, but never was able to see it in theaters. Maybe thats what made the difference for me, for I must ...
Video
Was there ever a film less likely to benefit from a Blu-ray upgrade than The Blair Witch Project? I certainly can't think of one. This film obviously is "recreating" an amateur attempt at making a documentary, and so we're greeted with a variety of what looks to be at best 16mm footage, all with attendant grain, fuzziness and overall softness, and at times appallingly bad color. (Several black and white segments are also included in the film). The Blu-ray's AVC encoded 1080p image, in...
Audio
Similarly, there's very little if any "high def" audio presentation here, despite a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mix. This is a film with the bulk of the audio supposedly coming from the built in microphones on the handheld cameras the trio brings with them on their mystical trek, and so an overly compressed soundfield has been part and parcel of the Blair Witch experience from the beginning. Dialogue is for the most part very clear, and there are some very inventive sound effects w...
Supplements
All of the extras from the previously released SD-DVD have been ported over to this Blu-ray release. They include:
- A pretty low key Commentary by Sanchez and Myrick;
- Four Alternate Endings, which are summarized quite handily by their titles: Standing in the Corner (Backwards) (SD; 2:05); Standing in the Corner (Frontwards) (SD; 1:41); Hanging (SD; 2:01); and Levitating (SD; 2:00);
- Curse of the Blair Witch (SD; 44:0...
Final Words
If you're a fan of The Blair Witch Project, you'll probably want to pick up this bargain priced Blu-ray no matter what some dunderheaded reviewer might say. If you've never seen the film, you'll probably fall into one of two camps if you choose to check out this newest iteration of it. Either you'll be enthralled and terrified by the mere hint of horror, which really is after all the gist of what this film provides. Or, like certain curmudgeons, you'll wonder what all the fuss a......
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Blair Witch Project (Best Buy exclusive until 10/05/2010) (Blu-ray Review)Marmaduke (Blu-ray Review)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...(Insert terrible, dog-related pun here.)
So, when I popped in Marmaduke, I made a little bet with myself on how long it would take before someone in
the film dropped a Who Let the Dogs Out reference. My guess was 30 minutes, and I was closethe inevitable
happened 35 minutes into this glossy big-screen adaptation of Brad Andersons long-running comic strip. I was kind of
surprised it took as long as it did. There are certain conventions by which all modern, talking-dog films must abide: 1.)
A dog must pee on something ...Video
Marmaduke bounds onto Blu-ray with a 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer that has all the visual hallmarks of a kids
moviebright, borderline-unnatural lighting, vivid colors, and tight, eye-popping contrast. From So Cal sunshine on
ultra-green grass to crisp ocean blues and blazing neon lights under the boardwalk, Marmadukes color palette is
intense. And thanks to deep black levels, the image has real punch and presence. Granted, its all stylized to the point of
looking slightly...Audio
The same goes for the films DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, which is pretty typical for kid flick fare, but
possibly better than you might expect. Obviously, Marmaduke gets up to all kinds of antics in this 88-minute gag fest
from busting up a Dance Dance Revolution machine to riding a massive pipeline wave in a surfing contestso theres
ample opportunity for the track to strain at its leash. The effects are all well-implemented and even show off some
satisfying dynamic oomph w...Supplements
Puppy Marmaduke and Kitty Carlos: Home Movies (1080p, 3:28)
"Home video" footage of the "baby" versions of Marmaduke and Carlos interacting. Cute.Marmaduke Mayhem! Gag Reel (1080p, 2:40)
This is, quite literally, a gag reel. At one point, the dog that plays Marmaduke wolfs down a slice of pizza, and an
animal handler reaches down into his gob and fetches it out before the dog has a chance to swallow it.Deleted Scenes (1080p, 9:28)
Inc...Final Words
Skip this tail? Lazy, long-in-the-tooth doggerel? All bark and no comedic bite? Ought to be put down? Youll want to
leave it on paws? Marma-dookie? Okay, thats it. Im all out. What more is there to say about
Marmaduke? Kidsll probably like it, but parents will want to hide for its 87-minute duration. This is right down
there with Garfield at the bottom of the list of ill-advised comic strip adaptations. A sequel, unfortunately, seems
inevitable.......Read full review: Blu-ray.com
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Marmaduke (Blu-ray Review)Bad Lieutenant (Best Buy exclusive until 10/05/2010) (Blu-ray Review)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Harvey Keitel is unforgettable in this disturbing film from Abel Ferrara.
Is redemption possible for someone like Adolf Hitler? Isnt it part and parcel of at least some branches of Christianity that if a sinner sincerely repents before his death all is forgiven and an entrance to heaven is assured? How does that philosophy sit with you? Does it make you slightly uneasy, thinking of sharing cloud space with the likes of the most evil man of the 20th century? Of course, someone like Hitler probably never repented to begin with, so the issue is moot, but the larger ...
Video
Bad Lieutenant was made on a relatively paltry budget, and it shows. Though the film here receives a solid enough AVC encoded 1080p transfer (in 1.78:1), there's only so much that can be done with these source elements. There's a soft, grainy quality to a lot of this film, with low contrast in the dimly lit shots which can blanch a lot of color from the image. In fact, while color is at least acceptable, it's nowhere near the saturation levels that a lot of Blu-ray lovers have come, ri...
Audio
Though we get a lossless audio mix here, there's probably rightly no attempt to tart up the original soundtrack with a fake sounding surround option, and so we're instead given a perfectly serviceable DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track. This is a resolutely front heavy mix in a film that's largely dialogue driven anyway, so there's little if any need for overt directionality. The film probably could have benefited (back in the day of its release) with a little multichannel separation at least in th...
Supplements
Two better than average extras are included on this Blu-ray, including an informative Commentary by Ferrara and his DP Ken Kelsch. Also on tap is a really good making of featurette called It All Happens Here (SD; 34:02), which covers everything from pre-production to the controversy which erupted after the film was released....
Final Words
Bad Lieutenant is a gut churning experience, so forewarned is forearmed. This is not a film for the easily offended or overly squeamish. Ferrara may seem on the surface to be just another expoitative director, but the surprising eloquence of the nun's subplot reveals a filmmaker who has a lot on his philosophical mind. Keitel delivers an astoundingly visceral performance here, and for that reason alone, Bad Lieutenant is recommended, at least for those who don't mind their drama......
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Bad Lieutenant (Best Buy exclusive until 10/05/2010) (Blu-ray Review)Mars Attacks! (Blu-ray Review)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Nice planet you got here. We'll take it!
Tim Burton. Eccentric genius or colorful mad hatter? Every time I decide, every time I claw my way out of his head, he pulls me back in. When his quirky, candy-coated imagination and macabre sensibilities align -- Beetlejuice, Batman, Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Big Fish, and Sweeney Todd leap to mind -- his films emerge as infectious works of art. When the two collide -- Batman Returns, Planet of the Apes, Ch...
Video
Mars Attacks! looks fantastic in high definition... here and there. Unfortunately, Warner's 1080p/VC-1 transfer is the product of a dated, problematic master; one groomed for DVD scrutiny and little more. Don't get me wrong, the Blu-ray edition handily outclasses its 1997 standard definition counterpart -- it boasts several substantial (albeit largely inherent) improvements -- but a more complete overhaul would have eliminated many of the issues that sully the presentation and allowed B...
Audio
All that mayhem! All that destruction! You'd think Warner's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track would be a show-stopper. Alas, Mars Attacks! features a rather average lossless mix that delivers an adequate upgrade and nothing more. Dialogue is crisp, clean and nicely prioritized, dynamics are passable, separation is commendable and directionality, though far from convincing, is decent. However, low-end tones are loud but cumbersome, growling when a roar is required and grumbling w...
Supplements
Like its 1997 DVD counterpart, the Blu-ray edition of Mars Attacks! doesn't offer any significant special features. Sadly, it also doesn't include the two theatrical trailers that appear on its previous release....
Final Words
Mars Attacks! is a divisive B-movie throwback, but if you keep that exclamation point in mind, you won't be surprised by the scattershot, hyper-cheesy tactics Burton and his charter bus of A-listers employ. The Blu-ray edition is a bust though. While it represents a significant upgrade from its 1997 DVD counterpart, its video transfer is riddled with issues, its DTS-HD Master Audio track will elicit shoulder shrugs, and its supplemental package is non-existent. Still, even if you hated......
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Mars Attacks! (Blu-ray Review)
(4.67 out of 5)
