Every month, DVDFuture will highlight a few shows, TV specials, movies and documentaries on DVD and Blu-ray that are well worth checking out. We will be updating this article weekly to include as many selections as possible.
DVDFuture's 'Film and TV Highlights' -- September 2009
DVDFuture's 'Film and TV Highlights' -- September 2009
Every month, DVDFuture will highlight a few shows, TV specials, movies or documentaries on DVD and Blu-ray that are well worth checking out. We’ll try and update this article weekly to include as many titles as possible.
Movies:
THIS WEEK'S TOP PICK:
Hero (new to Blu-ray)
Yimou Zhang's artful kung-fu masterpiece has finally come to Blu-ray! The film is rich with enough visuals to last three pictures, and the performances are jaw-dropping. Then there's the fight sequences, choreographed by Siu-Tung Ching. If the powerful storytelling, cinematography and performances don't win you over, the fights most certainly will. Told through fluid motions and delicate attacks, the fight sequences are visual poetry in motion, perfectly punctuated by dazzling imagery.
The Blu-ray is presented on a BD50 disc in 2.35:1 widescreen using the AVC codec. While the print itself has been considerably polished, I did note some distracting flaws -- mostly compression macroblocking noticeable during clustered battle sequences (the arrow sequence, for example). Still, compared to the original DVD, this Blu-ray is a definite leap in quality. So is the impacting, crystal clear DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track packed with discrete surrounds and thumping LFE. Sadly though, it's only mastered in English, which does create a hollow dialogue effect. The original Chinese track is provided, but only in Dolby Digital 5.1.
Extras on the disc have been ported over from the DVD (presented in standard definition). They include two featurettes ("Close Up" and "Hero Defined," 9/24 minutes) which explore the look of the film, and the many complicated fight sequences. There's also a somewhat pointless, but moderately interesting conversation with Quetin Tarantino and Jet Li (14 minutes). Rounding out the two-disc set is a promo for the soundtrack (1 minute), a collection of storyboards (5 minutes) and a digital copy of the film on disc two. Disc one is also D-Box motion control enabled.
*****
The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi (new to Blu-ray)
Cult filmmaker Takeshi Kitano (star of "Battle Royale") revives the popular Zatochi franchise (which began in 1963) with this big-budget 2003 epic about a blind swordsman who comes to the aide of a small town trapped in the midst of a Yakuza crime war. The film is layered with complex characters, dazzling sword fights and wonderful shades of social commentary, all cleverly woven by Kitano, who also plays the swordsman himself.
The Blu-ray is presented on a BD25 disc in 1.85:1 widescreen using the AVC codec. Like so many imports, quality isn't as clean and crisp as with many U.S. mainstream releases around the same era. The print sports a few dust and dirt specks, which is sure to frustrate many. The encode is fairly decent though, with very few flaws -- though some minor compression issues peak through from time to time. Like "Hero," the film receives a crystal clear DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track though it's not nearly as impacting as the track for "Hero." Sadly, it's only mastered in English too, which does create a hollow dialogue effect. The original Japanese track is provided, but only in Dolby Digital 5.1.
Extras have been ported over from the original DVD release. Fans are treated a wonderfully in-depth documentary (40 minutes) and a terrific gallery of thoughtful interviews with the crew (23 minutes). Goodies here are presented in standard definition. If you missed this classic piece of Japanese cinema, now is the time to explore the many gifts it has to offer.
MASH (new to Blu-ray)
It seems as though Fox missed the boat on reimagining this cult classic 1970 film about a team of surgeons during the Korean War (which really served as a sharp metaphor for the difficulty of the Vietnam War), especially during the thick of our current Iraq War. A high-flying cast of comic stars and improv masters would have breathed life into this venerable franchise which spawned a hit TV series that lasted a staggering 11 seasons.
After all, "MASH" was a film about lifting one's spirits. In the midst of troubled times, it arrived as a breath of fresh air, providing some desperately needed laughs. The film really had no script, at least not one that filmmaker Robert Altman followed. Instead, "MASH" defined the very essence of irreverent madcap humor. The movie really has no standard plot -- it's simply a morale booster boasting great performances, hilarious gags and great comradery. In an uncertain time, "MASH" provided a healthy dose of unwieldy happiness.
The Blu-ray churns up a vastly improved 2.35:1 AVC transfer, which improves upon on the previous DVD by leaps and bounds. Obviously, the low grade film stock and flaws of the era are still present throughout -- so are a spattering of dust and dirt specks, though far fewer than I expected -- but this is easily the cleanest, sharpest presentation we've seen for "MASH" yet. The DTS-HD 5.1 track isn't all that involving, but it gets the job done. At the end of the day though, it basically sounds like a cleaned-up mono mix with a smattering of rear effects and a touch of bass tossed in.
Extras have been ported over from the previous two-disc DVD set. There is even a BD-exclusive, though it's nothing to write home about. We're treated to four explorative documentaries (AMC Backstory, 30th Anniversary Reunion, Enlisted and History Through the Lens), a commentary from the late, great Robert Altman as well as trailers and a stills gallery. Exclusive to this set is a pop-up track of sorts that details events happening at the 4077. It's a pretty pointless feature since there really isn't any trivia, just factoids we already know about the picture.
"MASH" won't fit everyone's tastes, particularly those accustomed to the heavy-handed nature of the TV series. But if you're in the mood for a hilarious time capsule, "MASH" more than delivers.
Pete's Dragon: High-Flying Edition (new to DVD)
Growing up, back when VHS was still just a fresh idea, my family had only a handful of VHS tapes to record on. Each family member got one tape and they could record whatever they wanted on that tape. And, for years, my tape held a tattered and worn out recording of "Pete's Dragon," taken from the Disney channel. Whenever I was sick, sad or lonely, I'd pop the tape in and explore the story of a boy and his dragon.
I've never owned a decent copy of the film until this DVD arrived on my doorstep, so needless to say, I was rather excited to give the film a whirl, some twenty years after my last viewing. Looking back, "Pete's Dragon" is hardly a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination. At 129 minutes, it's way too long. Some of the complications are weak and the animation doesn't blend well, thanks mostly to a few bad performances from actors unsure of how to act in front of an animated dragon.
But, even with its flaws "Pete's Dragon" is a classic piece of old school Disney fare, taking us back to a time when stories were more character-driven and animation wasn't bombarded with overbearing realistic CG. As a piece of pure nostalgia, "Pete's Dragon" is a success -- and it's a film I intend on showing my kids someday.
This DVD is a considerable improvement over the original discontinued disc, boasting a strong, but front-heavy 5.1 mix, a solid if somewhat flat 1.66:1 anamorphic presentation and a decent assortment of goodies. Fans are treated to some of the shorter featurettes and pieces from the last DVD (the games seem to be missing), but also get a handful of new goodies including deleted songs, song concepts, a making-of featurette, demo recordings and four lame "modern" versions of songs from the film. While I wish the disc boasted a few more making-of supplements (and perhaps a commentary), I commend Disney for not phoning-in this effort. Fans of the film should be generally pleased.
Hanna Montana: The Movie (new to Blu-ray and DVD)
Well, it's probably no secret, I'm not necessarily the biggest fan of Disney's latest line of youth-based live action films, particularly the ones starring Disney TV stars. The "Jonas Brothers" movie was fine for fans, but I had a hard time enjoying it. Same goes for this film. I'm sure "Hannah Montana" fans will enjoy this big screen version of the small screen character that blends real life with fiction, but I wasn't the biggest fan.
Miley Cyrus is pretty decent, but a bit forced as Hannah Montana/Miley Stewart. The dramatic tension here, driven by Stewart's need to choose between the glamorous life of a star or the down home mentality of a country girl, is a bit odd (and better suited for a Lifetime movie). Since we all know that Cyrus, in real life, has clearly made her choice, it almost ruins the impact of the film -- though director Peter Chelsom does a decent job providing a few thrills for fans, and newcomers, to explore. In all, "Hannah Montana: The Movie" is a decently made film that plays more like a well-made DTV movie.
The Blu-ray comes fully stocked with extras, not to mention a Digital Copy of the film and a DVD copy of the film (making it the best deal overall). The transfer is fairly glossy, and not very sharp, but about on par with other Disney live-action releases (particularly something like "Race to Witch Mountain"). The DTS-HD track is put to good use, coming at you in full 7.1. The sound field is engaged during musical pieces and decently active during less involved sequences.
The extras are fairly fluffy, but worthwhile for fans. We're treated to a lively director commentary, a behind the scenes featurette, a handful of deleted scenes, bonus songs and outtakes (all provided in full HD). Exclusive to the BD release, we're treated to two more featurettes that examine the production from an EPK lens. They are also presented in HD. Disney's standard set of BD-Live extras are also provided.
Typically films like this (i.e. "The Jonas Brothers Movie") get a pretty sub-standard treatment. It's nice to see that "Hannah Montana" was treated with more respect.
TV, Documentaries and Short Films:
TOP PICK:
The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Second Season (on DVD only)
A breakout sitcom hit is a rare thing these days, particularly given the current "reality" trends on TV, but that’s exactly what "The Big Bang Theory" is, a breakout hit. Helping matters, the show is immensely funny, heavily padded with fresh, solid characters, great writing and goofy situations. Where else would you find an episode that centers on our gang attempting to woo "Firefly" and "Terminator" star Summer Glau?
And thankfully, things improved during the series' sophomore season. The relationship flubs of the first season are fixed and the Sheldon character (wonderfully played by Emmy nominee Jim Parsons) has officially become the show's foil, much like Kramer on "Seinfeld." With no end in sight, "The Big Bang Theory" is here to stay, and rightfully so.
The DVD is hardly loaded. The A/V presentation is a letdown. The transfer is murky, barely stacking up against the HD broadcast. The original broadcast was featured 5.1 audio, but the DVD only sports a muddled, front-dominant stereo surround track.
The special features are also so-so, with no commentary track or meaty documentaries exploring the series, or its success. Instead, we get two fluffy, but interesting, featurettes ("Physicist to the Stars" and "Testing the Infinite Hilarity Hypothesis") and a cheesy gag reel to round things out. Hopefully future seasons will get better.
If you're a fan of this series, or a computer/comic/movie/fantasy/science geek who's yet to have enjoyed the hilarity this show offers, I'd highly suggest checking this disc out.
Heroes: Season Three (on Blu-ray and DVD)
Oh "Heroes," how you've fallen. Once known as "smart" TV, "Heroes" is now nothing more than syndicated TV junk food now, complete with bad performances, dumb stories and a repetitive nature that rivals "Smallville." The show's creators tried to mixed things up this season, and dumb-down the story, but the results were less than satisfactory.
We departed from the usual storyline in order to focus on "Villains" and "Fugitives" and other cheap plot devices that didn't work. While this season has a few strong spots of interest, the entire season wreaks of in-house shake-up (several writers were fired/quit) and malicious tinkering, and it's becoming more and more clear that the cast is ready to move on. At this point, it's hard to imagine that "Heroes" will survive another season -- but never say never.
Universal brings "Heroes: Season Three" to Blu-ray in 1.78:1 widescreen at 1080p/VC-1 video. Like previous seasons, the image is incredibly sharp, crisp and detailed with great shadow delineation and inky black levels. Noise is still apparent, but this seems the standard with most TV shows nowadays -- the flaws of shooting on video. The DTS-HD track is explosive, and exciting, packed with aggressive surrounds and thick bass. While it's not quite up the reference standards of a mainstream release from the studio, it's easily one of the better sounding TV shows on Blu-ray out there.
As always, this five-disc set comes fully loaded with a proverbial rolodex of featurettes, deleted scenes and BD-exclusives. We've got nearly 40 minutes of deleted scenes (in SD), six lightweight featurettes (Alternate Stories, The Prop Box, The Writer's Forum, Genetics of a Scene, Completing the Scene and The Super Powers of Heroes -- all in HD), a mock commercial and the usual gallery of artwork from Tim Sale.
On the BD-exclusive front, we're treated to the standard BD-Live goodies plus an additional featurette (Building Coyote Sands), Hero Connections (a BD-Live feature) and PiP commentary tracks for every single episode of this season. This addition alone makes up for the fluffy featurettes as just about everyone is here discussing elements of the show, providing a fascinating oral history of the genesis of season three. Wish it were a better season because this exclusive is amazing.
If you're a fan of "Heroes," I'd suggest picking this season up. It's not a strong season, but things could improve with season four. Regardless, this BD comes highly recommended (at least for fans). It packs a near-reference A/V presentation and an awesome, reference assortment of goodies that aims to please.
Important Things with Demetri Martin (on DVD only)
| Important Things with Demetri Martin | ||||
| Coolness - Hoodwinkers | ||||
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Trendy comedian Demetri Martin hosts this amusing variant of his cult stand-up routine. Each week, Martin tackles various topics (such as coolness, chairs and brains) through a series of drawings, songs and sketches -- some hits, some not.
While the show is not nearly as sharp as Martin's stand-up routine, particularly his most recent special, "Person," nor is it as clever as his "Trendspotting" segments on "The Daily Show," "Important Things" does provide a healthy dose of irreverent comedy. The late, great Mitch Hedberg would be proud of Martin's snappy wit and clever one-liners.
Hopefully though, in future seasons, Martin will sharpen the tone of his series and integrate his "Trendspotting" segment into the show -- so that it better fits into the "Daily Show/Colbert Report" format.
The single-disc DVD is presented in Dolby Stereo and in anamorphic 1.33:1 full frame which is odd considering how tech-savvy and trendy Martin and his show are. Quality is decent overall regardless, but nothing to write home about. Extras include loads of deleted sketches and outtakes, artwork, four hilarious episode commentaries and a commentary on the deleted sketch "Cult Leader of Love." The disc also comes with a tiny poster.
Demetri Martin provides the voice of the DVD menu which is pretty funny at first, but grating as it goes on. Also, while it doesn't say so on the box, these episodes are "uncensored" and not appropriate for younger audiences, though most episodes rarely stray beyond PG-13 territory.
Sons of Anarchy: Season One (on Blu-ray and DVD)
Ron Perlman heads up this fascinating drama about a Hell's Angels-like biker society called The Sons of Anarchy. Driven by fascinating characters, "Sons of Anarchy" plays like a "family-in-turmoil" drama, but with a clever twist that refreshes the format. These aren't your typical angsty teens and parents beaten down by the monotony of their white collar jobs. "Sons of Anarchy" takes those cliches and plays around with them in very clever ways.
It doesn't hurt that the show is packed with great character actors. Perlman is reserved as the club's leader. His wife, played by Katey Sagal, brings an added dimension to the show. But the series' most fascinating character is Jax, played by Charlie Hunnam (from the Judd Apatow series "Undeclared") who does his best to recall the free-spirited soul of Heath Ledger. "Sons of Anarchy" isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea, but this series definitely intrigues more than it disappoints.
The Blu-ray features a sharp 1.78:1 AVC-encoded transfer (there are three discs in the set) and DTS-HD 5.1 audio. Fox provides a clean, crisp presentation for fans to enjoy. The series looks and sounds great, and digital noise (on the transfer) is kept to a minimum. Like most TV-on-BD, this disc bests the original broadcast.
The set also boasts a decent collection of extras including three meaty commentary tracks, four promotional EPK featurettes (9/5/7/15 minutes, HD), a gag reel (7 minutes, SD) and a slew of deleted scenes (34 minutes, SD). If you're a fan of this awesome series, the BD release is the one of pick up.
Lie to Me: Season One (on Blu-ray and DVD)
Venerable cult character actor Tim Roth lands this invigorating crime drama about a deception expert named Dr. Cal Lightman. Lightman can read just about anyone's body language, rendering him a human lie detector of sorts.
The setup is simple: each week Lightman and his team investigate unsolved cases and crack them using their wits and Lightman's uncanny abilities. While the premise seems like it could get old the show is brought to life thanks to solid performances and sharp writing. That said, the formula might grow old during "Lie to Me's" sophomore season, but hopefully Roth and cast will continue to intrigue.
The Blu-ray features a solid 1.78:1 AVC-encoded transfer (there are three discs in the set) and DTS-HD 5.1 audio. Like many TV-on-BD releases, the picture is clouded somewhat by persistent digital noise. Still, the image is quite sharp and better than its broadcast counterpart. The high-res mix is put to good use, but it hardly stacks up against a theatrical release with front-dominating surrounds and very little bass.
Extras are unfortunately trim, but worth a glance. Fans are treated to a well-produced EPK making-of featurette, "The Truth About Lies" (27 minutes, HD) and a handful of deleted scenes (19 minutes, HD).
Californication: Season Two (on DVD only)
This second season of the hit Showtime series picks up right where the last left off. Writer Hank Moody ("X-Files" star David Duchovny) is trying to get his life on track, but finds himself having difficulty balancing his more animalistic "needs" with his moral, and fiscal, responsibilities as a father and ex-husband.
Duchovny is his usual casual, cool self, but given the difficulty he has with sex addiction off-screen (he very nearly got divorced) made this second season feel a bit more wobbly than the sharper first season. But it's his supporting cast that really makes this oddball series fly. Hopefully, like "Dexter," season three will be a bit sharper, funnier and more dramatically tight.
The DVD looks pretty good, but I wish this series would have made the leap to Blu-ray. The 5.1 mix is subdued and the transfer isn't nearly as sharp the HD broadcast.
The disc boasts a healthy assortment of extras (that are actually on the disc). Fans get a commentary track from actress Pamela Adlon, a short featurette and several cast interviews. The goodies don't offer a whole lot of insight, but some decent trivia is revealed.
Through e-bridge technology, fans are treated to two episodes of "The United States of Tara" and "Tudors." Frankly, I'm getting sick of seeing these two episodes -- they're the same ones offered a full year ago with the season two DVD release of "Dexter." There is a promise of more goodies to come. Hopefully Paramount stays true to that promise.
******
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----R. L. Shaffer