Smithsonian Channel: Aerial America - Pacific Rim Collection (Blu-ray Review)
May 17, 2012
Go West! Take a Helicopter
The Smithsonian Channel describes its Aerial America series as follows:
Take off on a thrilling flight across America. This epic
series offers rare glimpses of our nation's most treasured
landmarks, all seen from breathtaking heights. From busy cityscapes to quiet landscapes, we capture the
history and the pageantry of our amazing country, which is as...Video
Regular viewers of travelogue series routinely complain about the choice of subjects (why
include this sight, but not that one?), but there's little fault to find with the
image on Inception Media's 1080i, AVC-encoded Blu-ray. Taken directly from hi-def digital files, the
Blu-ray's image is sharp, clean, colorful and detailed, reproducing these breathtaking landscapes with
excellent clarity. The screencaptures included with this review, which have been upconverted to
108Audio
The Dolby Digital 5.1 track is nothing special, nor does it have to be. One does not need lossless
audio to reproduce accurately the voice of a professional announcer reciting a program's
narration in a well-appointed recording studio. The unobtrusive background music plays softly
enough that the audio delivery format is never strained; if the fidelity were improved, it would be
difficult to hear the difference without first turning up the volume so loud that the narration
would blast you oSupplements
No extras are included. The menu simply provides options to play each episode separately or play
all.Final Words
If this type of program appeals to you, then Aerial America is well worth your time. The
hi-definition photography is superior, the locations are well-chosen and interesting, and the
narration contains interesting historical information and anecdotes (and doesn't shy away from
some of the more controversial elements in our history). The editing is capable, and the entire
product radiates professionalism. Recommended....Read full review: Blu-ray.com
Go here to read the rest:
Smithsonian Channel: Aerial America - Pacific Rim Collection (Blu-ray Review)Maniac Cannes Trailer
May 17, 2012
French distributors Wild Bunch have released a new promo trailer for Franck Khalfoun's Maniac (2012), which is premiering at the Cannes Film Festival this month. Maniac is a remake of William Lustig's cult 1980 slasher film and is based on a script by Alexandre Aja, Grégory Levasseur, C.A. Rosenberg, and Joe Spinell....
Read full article at Blu-ray.com
Read more from the original source:
Maniac Cannes TrailerShout Factory Acquires Timeless Media Group
May 17, 2012
Independent distributors Shout Factory have acquired Oregon-based Timeless Media Group Inc., which has the rights for The Gene Autry Show, Laramie, Peter Gunn, and the Roy Rogers: King of the Cowboys movie collection, among other TV shows. The exact terms of the deal are unknown....
Read full article at Blu-ray.com
Here is the original:
Shout Factory Acquires Timeless Media GroupScout (Blu-ray Review)
May 17, 2012
Damn Yankees. There they go again flashing the cash and landing the prize player.
If only he could pitch.
Well, in fact, he can pitch. Truth be told, he can pitch like Cy and hit like Babe, but the question is whether he has the mental makeup to
become the
greatest who ever lived. The Scout is a solid Baseball movie about a young boy who must overcome his secret past if he's to succeed on the
big stage of the World Series and under the bright lights of Yankee Stadium. But like most of the great Baseball films, The Scout isn't so...Video
The Scout's 1080p, 1.85:1-framed transfer is fairly consistent, but shows a few warts. The transfer retains a natural grain structure, though
there are several scenes which appear a little more worked over than most, a bit on the plastic and smooth side. Generally, however, details are rather
good. Fairly intricate facial textures, Al's trademarks straw hat, baseball uniforms, even grasses and dirt at the ballpark often appear sharp and filmic.
Colors are steady, perhaps not theAudio
The Scout throws its best heater and comes up with a suitable Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. This is a fair, somewhat involved
soundtrack that's neither immaculately clear nor disappointingly muddled and sonically shallow. Music enjoys some surround support but seems audibly
imbalanced, favoring one back corner and the opposite front side. It's only slightly noticeable, and only noticeable at times, but it does occasionally
sound a bit off-kilter. Otherwise, clarity is finSupplements
This Blu-ray release of The Scout contains only the film's trailer (1080p, 2:47).
Final Words
The Scout certainly doesn't throw a cinematic perfect game (well, OK, in a way it does), but it's a decent performer, a middle-of-the-rotation
workhorse
that gets the job done but doesn't always seem to be in consistent command of its stuff. The movie oddly combines heavy human drama with
comedy, and the result is neither one really working all that well, though the movie does earn a few laughs. The ending is ridiculous, but in total The
Scout is worth signing to a big le...Read full review: Blu-ray.com
Read the original post:
Scout (Blu-ray Review)The Night Porter Blu-ray
May 17, 2012
Anchor Bay-UK have revealed that they are preparing a Blu-ray release of Blu-ray release of Italian director Liliana Cavani's controversial film Il portiere di notte a.k.a The Night Porter (1974), starring Dirk Bogarde and Charlotte Rampling. The preliminary release date set by the distributors is July 30th....
Read full article at Blu-ray.com
Go here to see the original:
The Night Porter Blu-rayLos Lobos Kiko Live Blu-ray
May 17, 2012
Independent distributors Shout Factory have announced that they will release Los Lobos: Kiko Live, a 2-disc Blu-ray/CD set, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the band's seminal album. The release will be available for purchase on August 21....
Read full article at Blu-ray.com
See the rest here:
Los Lobos Kiko Live Blu-rayJohn Mellencamp: It’s About You Blu-ray
May 17, 2012
Next month, MPI Home Video will bring John Mellencamp: It's About You to Blu-ray. Directors Kurt and Ian Marcus' documentary offers viewers an intimate look into the life and work of one of contemporary pop culture's most enduring musical icons. John Mellencamp: It's About You streets on June 5th....
Read full article at Blu-ray.com
Read the original post:
John Mellencamp: It's About You Blu-rayDolby Reveals New Details about TrueHD Audio Development
May 17, 2012
In a press release issued today, Dolby Laboratories described the benefits of its TrueHD lossless audio format, particularly with regard to the company's advancement in 96k upsampling. This technology will benefit Blu-rays in two major aural areas: 96k both filters out digital artifacts as well as restores the tonalities found in a film soundtrack's original mix....
Read full article at Blu-ray.com
View post:
Dolby Reveals New Details about TrueHD Audio DevelopmentAlbert Nobbs (Blu-ray Review)
May 17, 2012
It's hard to get Close to Albert Nobbs.
Does Glenn Close secretly hate Meryl Streep? Streep has assumed the mantle of her generations most celebrated
actress, a title made all the more obvious (as if it werent already) by Streep eclipsing Close (and three others) in the
Best Actress Oscar sweepstakes this past year. But had Streep not come along, its at least arguable that
Close would be regularly acclaimed as her generations most celebrated actress, and in some ways Closes
achievements are even more daunting tha...Video
Albert Nobbs is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.34:1. This is a
sumptuous production which is delivered with stunning results on this Blu-ray. Colors are gorgeously saturated and nicely
variegated, and fine detail is exceptional, to the point where the fine hairs on Closes face are clearly discernable in several
scenes where shes either back or side lit. The film features a wide variety of interior and exterior locations, and cAudio
Albert Nobbs lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 is a fairly restrained affair, much like its titular character himself
(herself?). The vast bulk of this film plays out in quiet, even hushed or subdued, dialogue sequences, and the DTS track
offers sterling fidelity if not an overabundance of discrete directionality in these moments. There are some very nice
ambient environmental effects placed throughout the film, and when Albert ventures outside, the sound field opens up
considerSupplements
- Commentary with Actor Glenn Close and Director Rodrigo Garcia. This is a strangely reserved
commentary, especially with regard to Close, whose efforts to get this film made have become almost legendary. This is a
fairly scene specific affair with the actor and director discussing whats on screen without spending much time giving a lot of
background information. One of the more interesting aspects to this commentary is the emphasis Garcia and Close place on
the supposeFinal Words
Though it takes place a generation or so before the events of Downton Abbey, fans of that British television series
may well find Albert Nobbs fascinating in terms of its portrayal of class differences, even if none of the characters
quite rises to the Grantham level of the landed gentry. (Keep an eye out for Downton Abbey actress Maria Doyle
Kennedy in a supporting role as one of the hotels staff.) The none too subtle quasi-screed like aspect of sexual inequality ...Read full review: Blu-ray.com
Here is the original:
Albert Nobbs (Blu-ray Review)The Tango Lesson Blu-ray
May 17, 2012
Independent British distributors Artificial Eye have revealed that they are preparing a Blu-ray release of director Sally Potter's The Tango Lesson (1997), starring Sally Potter, Pablo Verón and Morgane Maugran. The preliminary release date set by the distributors is August 6th....
Read full article at Blu-ray.com
Original post:
The Tango Lesson Blu-ray
(4.67 out of 5)
(4 out of 5)