Raging Bull (20th Century Fox Home Ent.): Martin Scorsese’s classic 1980 biopic of Jake La Motta is a brilliant study of a flawed man in a ruthless profession.
In the lead role Robert De Niro gives one of the greatest screen performances in cinema history and Scorsese pulls out all the stops with stunning contributions byĀ cinematographerĀ MichaelĀ Chapman and editor Thelma Schoonmaker.
A word of warning though, as this is essentially the same Blu-ray that came out in February 2009, featuring the same HD transfer and lossless audio track, but with four new featurettes on the bonus materials.
If you don’t own the film, it is an essential purchase – but if you do, I’m not sure if the added extras are enough to justify buying it again.
The extras for this 30th Anniversary Edition are as follows:
New Material
Marty and Bobby (1080p, 13:35): A series of interviews with Scorsese and DeNiro, who discuss their working relationship and how they came to make Raging Bull.
Raging Bull – Reflections on a Classic (1080p, 12:15): Four filmmakersāKimberly Pierce (Boys Don’t Cry), Richard Kelly (Donny Darko), Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart), and Neil LeBute (In the Company of Men)ādiscuss the impact that Raging Bull has had on their careers.
Remembering Jake (1080p, 11:04): Every month, members of the Veteran Boxers Association of New York gather together to eat, drink, and reminisce. Here, we get to drop in on one of their meetings to hear them discuss Jake LaMotta.
Marty on Film (10:30): The highlight of the disc’s new features, here we get to hear Marty talk about his first experiences with cinema and his early career.
Previously Released Features
Audio Commentaries: The disc includes, count ’em, three audio commentary tracks, and all of them are worth your time. The first features Scorsese and his editor Thelma Schoonmaker, the second, a cast and crew commentary, includes Irwin Winkler, Robbie Robertson, Robert Chartoff, Theresa Saidana, John Turturro, Frank Warner, Michael Chapman, and Cis Corman, and the thirdāthe “storytellers” trackāis hosted by Mardik Martin, Paul Schrader, Jason Lustig, and Jake LaMotta himself.
Cathy Moriarty on The Tonight Show – March 27, 1981 (SD, 6:42): Watch Cathy Moriarty on Johnny Carson, promoting Raging Bull, her first real acting gig.
Raging Bull – Fight Night (SD, 1:22:32): A truly exhaustive, must-watch making-of documentary, broken conveniently into four parts, although you’ll probably just want to “play all.”
The Bronx Bull (SD, 27:54): A reflection on the film, featuring LaMotta, editor Thelma Schoonmaker, and several film critics.
DeNiro vs. LeMotta (SD, 3:47): Some side-by-side comparison shots and clips of DeNiro and LeMotta, showcasing Scorsese’s attention to authentic detail.
LaMotta Defends Title (SD, 1:00): A short vintage MovieTone newsreel.
Warner Home Video have announced details of 9-film Stanley Kubrick Blu-ray box-set and a new anniversary edition of A Clockwork Orange (1971) to come out in May.
The collection includes Blu-ray debuts for Lolita (1962) and Barry Lyndon (1975), premium packaging, new bonus features and a special hard cover book.
The 9-film DVD collection features the films and includes 40-page book.
A Clockwork Orange: 40th Anniversary Edition will be a 2-disc affair featuring a new 25 minute documentary.
The good news for Kubrick fans is that Lolita (1962) and Barry Lyndon (1975) will be available for the first time on Blu-ray, whilst the bad news is that you’ll have to shell out for the full set as Warner Bros don’t initially appear to be releasing them as single editions (although I’m sure that will happen at some point).
At the moment these details are for the US only release but it is highly likely it will be the same set for the UK.
Amazon UK has a release date of May 23rd on their site with artwork to be confirmed.
Below are the details in full.
BLU-RAY & DVD COLLECTIONS
Bonus features are included in the Stanley Kubrick: Limited Edition Blu-ray Collection whilst the Stanley Kubrick: The Essential Collection on DVD includes the films only.
Spartacus (1960):Ā This genre-defining epic is the legendary tale of a bold gladiator (Kirk Douglas) who led a triumphant Roman slave revolt. Filmed in glorious Technicolor, the action-packed spectacle won four Academy AwardsĀ® including Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Cinematography Costume Design and Art Direction. This is the first time the film has been included in a Warner Bros. Kubrick Collection.
Lolita (1962) *NEW ON BLU-RAY*:Ā Humbert, a divorced British professor of French literature, travels to small-town America for a teaching position. He allows himself to be swept into a relationship with Charlotte Haze, his widowed and sexually famished landlady, whom he marries in order that he might pursue the woman’s 14-year-old flirtatious daughter, Lolita, with whom he has fallen hopelessly in love, but whose affections shall be thwarted by a devious trickster named Clare Quilty.
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964):Ā The cold war satire is a chilling dark comedy about a psychotic Air Force General unleashing an ingenious, foolproof and irrevocable scheme sending bombers to attack Russia, as the U.S. President works with the Soviet premier in a desperate effort to save the world. The film stars Peter Sellers, in multiple roles, George C. Scott, and Sterling Hayden.
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968):Ā Stanley Kubrickās dazzling, Academy AwardĀ®-winning achievement (Special Visual Effects) is an allegorical puzzle on the evolution of man and a compelling drama of man vs. machine. Featuring a stunning meld of music and motion, the film was also OscarĀ®-nominated for Best Director, Art Direction and Writing. Kubrick (who co-wrote the screenplay with Arthur C. Clarke) first visits the prehistoric age-ancestry past, then leaps millennia (via one of the most mind-blowing jump cuts ever) into colonized space, and ultimately whisks astronaut Bowman (Keir Dullea) into uncharted space, perhaps even into immortality.
Special Features
Commentary by Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood
Documentary 2001: The Making of a Myth
Standing on the Shoulders of Kubrick: The Legacy of 2001
Vision of a Future Passed: The Prophecy of 2001
2001: A Space Odyssey ā A Look Behind the Future and What Is Out There?
2001: FX and Early Conceptual Artwork
Look: Stanley Kubrick!
Audio-Only Bonus: 1966 Kubrick Interview Conducted by Jeremy Bernstein
Barry Lyndon (1975) *NEW ON BLU-RAY*:Ā Redmond Barry (Ryan OāNeal) is a young, roguish Irishman who’s determined, in any way, to make a life for himself as a wealthy nobleman. Enlisting in the British Army and fighting in Europeās Seven Years War, Barry deserts, then joins the Prussian army, gets promoted to the rank of a spy, and becomes a pupil to a Chevalier and con artist/gambler. Barry then lies, dupes, duels and seduces his way up the social ladder, entering into a lustful but loveless marriage to a wealthy countess named Lady Lyndon. He takes the name of Barry Lyndon, settles in England with wealth and power beyond his wildest dreams, before eventually falling into ruin.
The Shining (1980):Ā From a script he co-adapted from the Stephen King novel, Kubrick melds vivid performances, menacing settings, dreamlike tracking shots and shock after shock into a milestone of the macabre. The Shining is the directorās epic tale of a man in a snowbound hotel descending into murderous delusions. In a signature role, Jack Nicholson (āHeeeereās Johnny!ā) stars as Jack Torrance, whoās come to the elegant, isolated Overlook Hotel as off-season caretaker with his wife (Shelley Duvall) and son (Danny Lloyd).
Special Features:
Commentary by Steadicam inventor/operator Garrett Brown and historian John Baxter
Vivian Kubrickās Documentary The Making of the Shining with Optional Commentary
View from the Overlook: Crafting The Shining
The Visions of Stanley Kubrick and Wendy Carlos, Composer
Full Metal Jacket (1987):Ā A superb ensemble falls in for Stanley Kubrickās brilliant saga about the Vietnam War and the dehumanizing process that turns people into trained killers. The scathing indictment of a film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Screenplay. Joker (Matthew Modine), Animal Mother (Adam Baldwin), Gomer (Vincent DāOnofrio), Eightball (Dorian Harewood) and Cowboy (Arliss Howard) are some of the Marine recruits experiencing boot-camp hell under the punishing command of the foul-mouthed Sergeant Hartman (R. Lee Ermy). The action is savage, the story unsparing, and the dialogue is spiked with scathing humor.
Special Features:
Commentary by Adam Baldwin, Vincent DāOnofrio, R. Lee Ermey and critic/screenwriter Jay Cocks
Full Metal Jacket: Between Good and Evil
Eyes Wide Shut (1999):Ā Kubrickās daring and controversial last film is a bracing psychosexual journey through a haunting dreamscape, a riveting suspense tale and a career milestone for stars Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. Cruise plays a doctor who plunges into an erotic foray that threatens his marriage ā and may ensnare him in a murder mystery ā after his wifeās (Kidman) admission of sexual longings. As the story sweeps from doubt and fear to self-discovery and reconciliation, Kubrick orchestrates it with masterful flourishes. His graceful tracking shots, rich colors and startling images are some of the bravura traits that show Kubrick as a filmmaker for the ages.
Special Features:
Three-Part Documentary: The Last Movie: Stanley Kubrick and Eyes Wide Shut
The Haven/Mission Control,
Artificial Intelligence or The Writer as Robot
EWS: A Film by Stanley Kubrick
Lost Kubrick: The Unfinished Films of Stanley Kubrick
Interview Gallery Featuring Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman and Steven Spielberg
Kubrickās 1998 Directors Guild of America D.W. Griffith Award Acceptance Speech
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE 40th ANNIVERSARY EDITION
The 40th Anniversary Blu-ray features the following:
Disc 1
Feature Film
New Bonus Features
Malcolm McDowell Looks Back: Malcolm McDowell reflects on his experience working with legendary director Stanley Kubrick on one of the seminal films of the 1970s
Turning like Clockwork Considers the Filmās Ultra-violence and its Cultural Impact
Commentary by Malcolm McDowell and historian Nick Redman
Documentary Still Tickinā: The Return of Clockwork Orange
Great Bolshy Yarblockos!: Making A Clockwork Orange
Theatrical Trailer
Disc 2
Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures (Produced and directed by Jan Harlan the brother of Christiane Kubrick, Stanley Kubrick’s widow). Kubrickās career comes into sharp focus in this compelling documentary narrated by Tom Cruise. Fascinating footage glimpses Kubrick in his early years, at work on film sets and at home, augmented by candid commentary from collaborators, colleagues and family.
O Lucky Malcolm! Documentary about the life and career of actor Malcolm McDowell produced and directed by Jan Harlan.
The Social Network (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment): The story of the creation of Facebook and the subsequent legal battles between founders Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg), Eduardo Severin (Andrew Garfield) and Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake).
Directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin, it is one of the outsatanding films of the past year and comes with an array of in-depth features. [Read the full review here]
The Illusionist (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment): Director Sylvian Chometās latest animated film is based on an unproduced script by Jacques Tati and is about a struggling magician in 1950s Scotland who meets a young woman convinced he is a real magician.
Superbly crafted, it features some wonderful visuals, including a gorgeous period recreation of Edinburgh. With hardly any dialogue it plays like a silent movie and the elegiac tone is incredibly moving. (Sadly there is no Blu-ray release in the UK just yet).
One of the best films of 2010 gets a solid array of features including an excellent making of documentary.
The Social Network begins with Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) getting dumped by a girl (Rooney Mara) which prompts him to hack in to the campus computer network as revenge, whilst blogging about his reasons for doing so.
This brings him to the attention ofĀ Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss (played by Armie Hammer) and Divya Narendra (Max Minghella), who approach him with the idea of a social network site, but Zuckerberg opts to create his own version with the help of his friend Eduardo Severin (Andrew Garfield).
Originally calledĀ TheFacebook it is an instant success at Harvard and campuses across the US, which leads Zuckerberg to California where entrepreneur and Napster co-founder Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake) helps him approach investors.
The narrative is intercut with flashforwards to various legal depositions, in which characters explain the conflicts which would later arise, with the Winklevoss twins and Narenda claiming Zuckerberg stole their idea, whilst Severin (who initially bankrolled the site) falls out with Zuckerberg over Parkerās influence.
Aaron Sorkin’s sculpted rat-a-tat dialogue provides a mixture of humour, pathos and insight in presenting what Facebook did to the founders, as well as the overall ironies for them and the wider culture that embraced it.
David Fincher might also seem aĀ counter-intuitiveĀ choice, but aside from directing with his customary skill and taste, he manages to ramp up the drama by keeping things simple and focused.Ā Compared to his previous work it moves quickly and the editing and structure all ground the information in a tight and engrossing package.
The director’s customary dark visual palette is on display again, but the balanced compositions from cinematographerĀ Jeff Cronenweth nicely dovetail the crispness of the digital images, which were shot on theĀ Red One digital camera.
Building on the visual look of the film, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross provide aĀ wonderfully discordant score which not only complements the action but feels like a groundbreaking use of music in a mainstream film.
The performances are excellent across the board: Eisenberg hits the right notes as a brilliant and surprisingly sympathetic anti-hero, Garfield depicts the dry wit and regret of the forgotten man in Facebook’s creation; Armie Hammer (with the help of SFX wizardy) is terrific in the dual role of the ‘Winklevii’ and Justin Timberlake isĀ surprisinglyĀ strong as the rebelliousĀ entrepreneur Sean Parker.
Like Fincher’s Zodiac (2007) Ā is a densely constructed film that plays very well on repeated viewings.
For some it will be the cautionary parable of a website which connected over 500 million virtual friends which also broke up the actual friends that created it.
For others Mark Zuckerberg could become likeĀ Gordon Gekko, an unlikely figure of inspiration to a generation who use technology to change old assumptions and beliefs.
With its mix of potent ideas and impeccable craft, it is a likely Oscar contender andĀ deserves the recognition and kudos, as it paints a fascinating picture of age old tensions at the heart of new technology.
Sony have done an excellent job with the Blu-ray and the audio and visual transfer is outstanding.
The extra features in the 2-disc special edition are extensive and provide a lot of insight into the filmmaking process.
Disc One
Director’s Audio Commentary: Director David Fincher discusses the tone, casting process, the performances, adapting the film from the source materials, mixing drama and realism, visual effects and more.
Writer and Cast Audio Commentary: Aaron Sorkin and the main cast – Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Armie Hammer, and Josh Pence – discuss working with Fincher, what it was like on set, the score and give their take on the events depicted in the story.
BD-Live.
Disc Two
How Did They Ever Make a Movie of Facebook? (1080p, 1:32:43): This four-part documentary, split in to sections called Commencement, Boston, Los Angeles, andĀ The Lot,mixes a lot of on-set footage with cast and crew interviews, covering the the pre-production and shooting in some depth.
Jeff Cronenweth and David Fincher on the Visuals (1080p, 7:48): The DOP and director discuss how the visual look of the film and the challenges of shooting digitally.
Angus Wall, Kirk Baxter, and Ren Klyce on Post (1080p, 17:24): Fascinating look at how the 268 hours of footage were edited down to the final cut, exploring the editing and sound design.
Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, and David Fincher on the Score (1080p, 18:55): Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross discuss how they came up with the film’s groundbreaking score.
In the Hall of the Mountain King: Music Exploration (1080p): An early, discarded version of the music for Ā the Henley Regatta sequence compared with what we seen in the final film.
Swarmatron (1080p, 4:28): Trent Reznor describes an instrument that featured heavily in the film’s score.
Ruby Skye VIP Room: Multi-Angle Scene Breakdown (1080p): An interactive feature in which allows you to watch the Ruby Skye nightclub sequence from four different perspectives: rehearsal, interviews, tech scout and principal photography.
Once Upon A Time America (Warner Home Video): Sergio Leone’s crime epic is one of the genuinely great films of the 1980s. Adapted from the novel ‘The Hoods’ by Harry Grey, it charts the lives of two Jewish gangsters over a 40 year period, David “Noodles” Aaronson (Robert De Niro) and Maximilian “Max” Bercovicz (James Woods), as well as the various people who surround them.
Originally released in 1984 a heavily butchered and linear version, it was later restored to its current running time of nearly 4 hours with the original flashback structure. Violent, elegiac and masterfully crafted, the sprawling narrative shifts between the 1920s, 1930s and the late 1960s as it charts the shifting actions, emotions and memories of its central characters.
DeNiro and Woods are excellent in the lead roles and look out for Leone’s clever audio and visual cues throughout as well as Ennio Morricone’s haunting score. The violent energy of the gangster’s early years is also neatly contrasted with the wistful tone of their later period.
Although this is about the best version of the film available, some have already noted that transfer is ‘imperfect’ which is possibly a problem with the original materials.
That being said, it is still well worth getting, especially as it fits on to one disc – unlike the 2003 DVD which was spread over 2 – and the extra features are good, including the following:
Commentary by film critic Richard Schickel
Excerpt from the documentary Once Upon a Time: Sergio Leone profiling the making of the film (19:34)
Bambi (Walt Disney) [Blu-ray / with DVD – Double Play] Big Momma’s House (20th Century Fox Home Ent.) [Blu-ray / Normal] Big Momma’s House 2 (20th Century Fox Home Ent.) [Blu-ray / Normal] Brief Encounter (ITV DVD) [Blu-ray / Normal] Diary of a Wimpy Kid (20th Century Fox Home Ent.) [Blu-ray / with Digital Copy – Double Play] Eat Pray Love (Sony Pictures Home Ent.) [Blu-ray / Normal] I Spit On Your Grave (Anchor Bay/Elevation) [Blu-ray / Normal] National Geographic: Great Migrations (National Geographic) [Blu-ray / Normal] Red and White (Kaleidoscope Home Ent.) Blu-ray / Normal Takers (Sony Pictures Home Ent.) [Blu-ray / Normal] The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud (Universal Pictures) [Blu-ray / Normal] The Rebound (Momentum Pictures) [Blu-ray / Normal] True Grit (1969 Version) (Paramount Home Entertainment) [Blu-ray / Normal]
Winter’s Bone (Artificial Eye): An acclaimed US indie drama set in the Ozarks (the rural area covering Arkansas and Missouri) about a young woman (Jennifer Lawrence) determined to find out what happened to her missing father whilst struggling to support her family.
Co-written and directed by Debra Granik, it was one of the genuine indie breakout hits of the past year and manages to skilfully combine the tropes of a serious drama within the framework of a thriller.
The Town (Warner Home Video): Crime drama set in Boston about a bank robber (Ben Affleck) who falls in love with a woman (Rebecca Hall) his gang have kidnapped. Affleck also directs and the film features Jeremy Renner and Jon Hamm in supporting roles.
Ben Affleckās second film as director is a satisfyingly lean crime drama, with solid performances across the board and excellent contributions from cinematographer Robert Elswit and editor Dylan Tichenor.
22 Bullets (Anchor Bay Entertainment UK) [Blu-ray / Normal] 31/01/2011 Amer (Anchor Bay Entertainment UK) [Blu-ray / Normal] Going the Distance (Warner Home Video) [Blu-ray / Normal] Legend of the Fist – The Return of Chen Zhen (Metrodome Distribution) [Blu-ray / Normal] Mr Nice (Entertainment One) [Blu-ray / Normal] Nuclear Blast Clips: Volume 1 (Nuclear Blast) [Blu-ray / Normal] The Color Purple (Warner Home Video) [Blu-ray / Normal] Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (20th Century Fox Home Ent.) [Blu-ray with Digital Copy]
One of the genuine indie breakout hits of the past year, Debra Granik’s compelling drama provided a star-making role for Jennifer Lawrence and was a reminder that darker, intelligent films outside of the studio system can make an impact.
Set in the Ozarks and adapted from Daniel Woodrel’s novel, it is the story of 17 year-old Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence), who has to find her missing father after he has used the family house as a way of securing his bail.
Faced with losing her home, Ree challenges the local community for answers and gradually uncovers a web of deceit in an area blighted by crime, drugs and poverty.
Shot with a keen eye for detail, writer-director Granik managed to skilfully combine the tropes of a serious drama within the framework of a thriller, as the central character gradually uncovers the mystery surrounding her missing father.
Along the way we see all manner of shifty characters, ranging from relatives (John Hawkes), friends (Sheryl Lee) and witch-like locals (Dale Dickey) who might hold the key to finding Ree’s father.
In addition it is also a powerful study in courage, as the female protagonist not only has to provide for her family but also venture into the a darker world run of local crime, which largely revolves around the buying and selling of crystal meth.
It has been accurately described as a star making turn, but the fact that there are precious few roles like this for any actresses, even in more high-profile films, is still a depressing sign of the times.
However, the supporting cast is also excellent with John Hawkes especially good as the ambiguous uncle who may or may not be an ally, and the blend of non-actors with the main cast is faultless, but never showy.
Granik immersed herself in the area and shot much of the film in the houses of local residents, many of whom appear in the film, and there is a harsh authenticity to the film which is startling, even for an independent film like this.
The wintry landscape of the Ozarks is superbly evoked and the rich atmosphere is enhanced by the use of local songs and music, some of which are performed on camera by locals.
It deservedly reaped a lot of acclaim at Sundance 2010, where it won the Grand Jury Prize as well as the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award for Granik and her co-writer Anne Rosellini.
Despite the grim rural setting and the unflinching depiction of the crystal meth problem in the rural South, distributorĀ Roadside Attractions helped it become one of the major indie success stories of the year, as it grossed over $7m worldwide and landed 4 Oscar nominations.
All the success must have been gratifying for Granik after her previous film, the addiction drama Down to the Bone (2004), struggled to get distributed due to its downbeat subject matter.
The DVD & Blu-ray release comes of the back of last week’s Oscar nominations, which should provide a good word-of-mouth boost and the chance for discerning audiences to catch the film.
Shot digitally on the Red One camera, the film looks especially good on Blu-ray with its cold and semi-monochromatic look.
The UK disc unfortunately omits the director’s commentary, but features the following extras:
The Making of ‘Winter’s Bone’ (46:38): A slow but fascinating assembly of behind the scenes footage, featuring sequences being set up and some revealing B-roll footage.
Four Deleted Scenes (10:07): The deleted scenes are shown alongside Granik giving notes and preparing her actors.
Hardscrabble Elegy (2:59): This musical segment is taken from Dickon Hinchliffe’s distinctive score and set to wintry locations featured in the film.
Alternate Opening
Theatrical Trailer
Winter’s Bone is out on Monday 31st January from Artificial Eye
Spartacus (Universal Pictures): The Roman epic about a rebellious slave (Kirk Douglas) purchased by the owner (Peter Ustinov) of a school for gladiators featured an all star cast (Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons, Tony Curtis and Charles Laughton) and was also the first major Hollywood production for Stanley Kubrick, who replaced the original director Anthony Mann.
Although Kubrick later expressed misgivings about the final film, it received 4 Academy Awards, including Best Supporting Actor for Ustinov. The performances, bold Technicolor visuals and memorable setpieces made it click with audiences and critics.
Co-written by the blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, it also carried a defiant subtext about the opression of the 1950s and how Hollywood cravenly surrended to anti-Communist hysteria – it isn’t a stretch to see the Romans as the bosses and the slaves as the creatives.
Strangely, this Blu-ray doesn’t feature all the extras that were on the 2001 Criterion edition, though some have made it over.
The Breakfast Club (Universal Pictures): John Hughes’ high school drama is probably the best remembered of his numerous films in the 1980s. The story of five students in a day-long Saturday detention sees a princess (Molly Ringwald); a jock (Emilio Estevez); a criminal (Judd Nelson); a brainy nerd (Anthony Michael Hall); and a gothic outsider (Ally Sheedy) slowly form a bond as the day goes on.
Supervised by a hostile principal (Paul Gleason, in a memorable supporting performance), they realise that their differences and teenage anxieties are what bind them together.
Released in 1985, the film struck a chord and continues to chime with teenagers today and evoke a nostalgia for those who saw it at the time. The use of Don’t You Forget About Me by Simple Minds has meant that the film has become inextricably linked with the song.
Special features include:
Commentary with Judd Nelson and Anthony Michael Hall
Sincerely Yours ā 12 Part Documentary
The Most Convenient Definitions: The Origins of the Brat Pack
Reversible Sleeve.
> Buy The Breakfast Club onĀ Blu-ray or DVD from Amazon UK
> Find out more about The Breakfast Club at Wikipedia and IMDb
ALSO OUT
Backdraft (Universal Pictures) [Blu-ray / Normal] Daylight (Universal Pictures) [Blu-ray / Normal] Definitely, Maybe (Universal Pictures) [Blu-ray / Normal] Devil (Universal Pictures) [Blu-ray / Normal] Doctor Who – The New Series: A Christmas Carol (2 Entertain) [Blu-ray / Normal] Intolerable Cruelty (Universal Pictures) [Blu-ray / Normal] Lemmy (Entertainment One) [Blu-ray / Normal] Liar Liar (Universal Pictures) [Blu-ray / Normal] Meet Joe Black (Universal Pictures) [Blu-ray / Normal] My One and Only (EV) [Blu-ray / Normal] Notting Hill (Universal Pictures) [Blu-ray / Normal] Out of Africa (Universal Pictures) [Blu-ray / Normal] Shakespeare in Love (Universal Pictures) [Blu-ray / Normal] Shogun Assassin: Special Edition (Eureka) [Blu-ray / Normal] Smokey and the Bandit (Universal Pictures) [Blu-ray / Normal] The Alps – Climb of Your Life (BPDP) [Blu-ray / Normal] The Other Guys (Sony Pictures Home Ent.) [Blu-ray / Normal] Tremors (Universal Pictures) [Blu-ray / Normal] Two for the Money (Universal Pictures) [Blu-ray / Normal] Ultimate G’s – Zac’s Flying Dream (BPDP) [Blu-ray / with 3D Version] WWE: The John Cena Experience (Silver Vision) [Blu-ray / Normal]
Certified Copy (Artificial Eye): Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami made his first feature outside Iran with this tale of a British author (William Shimell) and a French antiques dealer (Juliette Binoche) who form a bond with one another after meeting in a Tuscany.
An intriguing premise is gradually teased out as things progress: are these strangers or an actual couple?
There are echoes of Before Sunset (2004), which saw two characters walk and talk around Paris, but whereas that film played its hand early on Kiarostami makes highly inventive use of dialogue and location.
Binoche and Shimell make a highly effective screen couple and the film has a considered, slow burn pace which pays off beautifully by the time the final credits roll.
Grindhouse (Momentum): The 2007 double-bill project from Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino finally gets released as it was meant to be seen, as a two-for-one feature complete with all the fake trailers.
After the decision to release them as separate films over here, following lacklustre US box office, Momentum have released this 2-disc collector’s edition which features the whole thing along with a raft of extras.
Although fans may miss the extra footage from the previous standalone versions, the leaner versions here are preferable and it comes with the following extras:
Disc One
Planet Terror (87.51)
Includes Machete Trailer (2.26)
Includes Planet Terror Commentary by Writer/Director Robert Rodriguez and Audience Reaction Track
Intermission Cards
Werewolf Women of the SS Trailer (1.49)
Don’t Trailer (1.18)
Thanksgiving Trailer (Includes trailer Commentary by Director Eli Roth and Co-writer/Actor Jeff Rendell) (2.25)
Death Proof (86.50)
Disc Two- Bonus Features
Trailers:
Extended Werewolf Women of the SS Trailer (optional Commentary track by Director Rob Zombie) (4:59)
The Making of Werewolf Women of the SS (8:48)
Extended Don’t Trailer (optional Commentary track by Director Edgar Wright) (1:35)
The Making of Don’t Trailer (9:40)
Don’t Storyboard/ Trailer comparison (optional Commentary track by Director Edgar Wright) (1:40)
Don’t Storyboards Still Gallery (70 pictures)
Don’t Poster with extended Don’t score by David Arnold
The Making of Thanksgiving Trailer (6:27)
The Makeup Effects of Planet Terror (12:02)
Robert Rodriguez’s 10-minute Cooking School (8:30)
From Texas to Tennessee: The Production Design of Death Proof (8:01)
Additional extras:
Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez New York Times interview (60:00)
Hobo with a Shotgun Trailer – Grindhouse Trailer Contest Winners (2:00)
Previously released content also included on Disc Two:
Planet Terror
Robert Rodriguez’s 10-minute Film School (11:50)
The Badass Babes of Planet Terror (11:49)
The Guys of Planet Terror (16:30)
Casting Rebel (5:38)
Sickos, Bullets, and Explosions: The Stunts of Planet Terror (13:16)
The Friend, The Doctor, and the Real Estate Agent (6:40)
Planet Terror poster gallery
Comic Con 2006 Featuring the Directors and Cast of Grindhouse (23:35)
Death Proof
Stunts on Wheels: The Legendary Drivers of Death Proof (20:39)
Catfish (Momentum):Ā An increasingly mysterious online relationship forms the backdrop for this compelling documentary about a group of New Yorkers who seek to find out the real identity of someone they only know via the web.
The common refrain about Catfish when itĀ premiĆØredĀ to buzz and acclaim at Sundance back in January, was that you should know as little as possible before seeing it and itĀ really is the case (in fact, stop reading this now and come back when you’ve seen the film).
It begins when Nev, a 24-year-old photographer based in New York, is contacted online by Abby, an 8-year-old girl from Michigan, who wants permission to paint one of his photos.
An online correspondence develops with Abbyās family and things get stranger when Nev also virtually befriends Abbyās older sister, Megan, who appears to be a musician and model.
Up to this point everything we see has been filmed by Nevās brother Ariel Schulman along with their friend Henry Joost, and in a pivotal scene Ariel persuades his sibling to actually meet Abby and Megan in the real world.
This is when things get really interesting, with the gradually unfolding mystery playing like a suspense thriller.
In a year that has seen āfakeā documentaries like Exit Through The Gift Shop and Iām Still Here, questions about the authenticity of the film seem to reflect a wider ambiguity about the genre itself.
Was it always their intention to make a film? Would a group of savvy New Yorkers really be this naĆÆve about strangers online? Are the events that unfold too structurally perfect?
Whatever the truth, it seems fitting that a film which depicts the uncertainty of online identities should have its own personality crisis. It captures a cultural mood, inspires instant debate and stretches the documentary form in new and imaginative ways.
I’m Still Here (Optimum Home Releasing): A skilful blend of performance art and elaborate hoax, this fake documentaryĀ is a clever and frequently hilarious deconstruction of Hollywood celebrity.
You may have also seen the now infamous appearance on Letterman where he came across like a rogue Rabbi strung out on heroin and also heard the admission that the whole thing was staged in the manner of Borat and Bruno.
Throughout Phoenix arguably gives the performance of his career in playing a twisted version of himself and Affleck has created a pleasingly anarchic take on stardom in the current era.
When this fake Joaquin is placed in real situations such as concerts, press junkets, airports filled with paparazzi and TV chat shows, the results are hilariously awkward.
Special features include:
Feature Commentary with Casey Affleck, Joaquin Phoenix, Nicole Acacio, Larry McHale, Antony Langdon, Johnny Moreno, Antony Langdon, Johnny Moreno, Eddie Rouse, Matt Maher, Elliot Gaynon and Sue Patricola
Feature Commentary with Casey Affleck
Deleted Scenes (including commentary by Casey Affleck)
Random Bits (including commentary by Casey Affleck)
Alternate Ending (including commentary by Casey Affleck)
Joaquin Phoenix interview by Extraās reporter Jerry Penacoli
Audio Conversation with Extraās Jerry Penacoli, Casey Affleck and Joaquin Phoenix
Audio Conversation with Christine Spines (Journalism Professor), Casey Affleck and Joaquin Phoenix
Coral Fish (Pogo Films) F (Optimum Home Entertainment) Gainsbourg (Optimum Home Entertainment) K-20 – The Legend of the Black Mask (Manga Entertainment) Kitsch Fish (Pogo Films) MotoGP Review: 2010 (Duke) Resident Evil: Afterlife (Sony Pictures Home Ent.) Terrace Tear Up Collection (Optimum Home Entertainment) The Girl Who Played With Fire (Momentum Pictures) Thorne: Sleepyhead/Scaredycat (2 Entertain)
Donnie Darko (Metrodome) [Blu-ray] A Serbian Film (Revolver Entertainment) [Blu-ray / DVD] Deep Red (Arrow Films) [Blu-ray / DVD] Dog Pound (Optimum Home Entertainment) [Blu-ray / DVD]
Restrepo (Dogwoof): Winner of the Grand Jury Prize for documentary at Sundance earlier this year, this film traces a year in the life of US troops stationed in a remote outpost in Afghanistan.
Located in hostile territory, the Korengal Valley has seen some of the deadliest fighting in Afghanistan and the filmmakers managed to secure extraordinary access, living with the unit over 15 months.
The result is a vivid depiction of modern warfare and a fascinating glimpse into life on the frontline of the War on Terror.
Battle Royale (Arrow): The controversial 2000 film gets a 3-disc special edition re-release with numerous extras.
Directed by Kinji Fukasaku, it is set in a futuristic Japan on the brink of collapse, where the government is forced to take extreme action to curb their rebellious youth.
Groups of students are selected at random and sent to an island, where they have to play a brutal war game overseen by an embittered teacher (Beat Takeshi).
It was box office sensation when it came out in Japan, prompting much controversy and debate, with its reputation further stoked by admirers such as Quentin Tarantino and the fact that it was unavailable in the US.
This 3 disc set features plenty of extras, which break down like this:
Disc 1 – Theatrical Cut
Trailer – in Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (2 min, 720p).
The Making of Battle Royale – an abundance of footage from the shooting of Battle Royale, cast and crew discussions, etc. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (52 min, 720p).
Disc 2 – Director’s Cut
Special Edition Theatrical Trailer – in Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (2 min, 720p).
TV Spot: Tarantino Version – in English and Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (1 min, 720p).
Shooting the Special Edition – raw footage from the cast and crew reunion for the Special Edition of Battle Royale. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (10 min, 720p).
Takeshi Kitano Interview – the famous Japanese actor answers a series of questions about his decision to appear in Battle Royale, the character he plays, the production process, etc. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (12 min, 720p).
Conducting Battle Royale with the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra – raw footage from a soundtrack rehearsal conducted by Masamichi Amano. With optional English subtitles. (8 min, 720p).
The Correct Way To Make Battle Royale: Birthday Version – a look at various “weapons” needed to survive Battle Royale. Raw footage from an important birthday celebration is also included. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (4 min, 720p).
Tokyo International Film Festival Presentation – raw footage from the gala screening of Battle Royale at the Tokyo International Film Festival. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (5 min, 720p).
SDVD
Premiere Press Conference – footage from a press event during which cast and crew members answer various questions. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (13 min, PAL).
Opening Day at Marunouchi Toei Move Theater – in Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (15 min, PAL).
The Slaughter of 42 High School Students – raw footage from the shooting of Battle Royale. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (11 min, PAL).
TV Add – in Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (1 min, PAL).
TV Promo – in Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (2 min, PAL).
TV Commercials – in Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (4 min, PAL).
Promo 1 – in Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (1 min, PAL).
Promo 2 – in Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (1 min, PAL).
The Correct Way To Fight Battle Royale – a hilarious explanation of various rules and strategies. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (3 min, PAL).
Royale Rehearsals – Kinji Fukasaku directs the Battle Royale participants. Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (8 min, PAL).
Masamichi Amano conducts Battle Royale – Maestro Masamichi Amano conducts the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (10 min, PAL).
Special Effects Comparison – a loot at some of the most disturbing killings/special effects in Battle Royale. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (5 min, PAL).
Behind the Scenes Featurette – a standard featurette containing comments from various cast and crew members. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (13 min, PAL).
Filming on Set – raw footage from the shooting of various scenes from Battle Royale. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (11 min, PAL).
Trailer Gallery – a collection of trailers for various Kinji Fukasaku films. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (23 min, PAL).
32-page Comic
36-page Booklet – includes Tom Mes’ essay “A Battle Without An End”; printed interview with director Kinji Fukasaku; Jay McRoy’s essay “Today’s Lesson is…You Kill Each Other”; extract from Koushan Takami’s original novel (LE Exclusive); and original promotional material, including Director’s Statement, cast and crew biographies (LE Exclusive).
16-page Booklet- including concept artwork for the limited edition set (LE Exclusive).
5×7 Postcards of stills from Battle Royale (LE Exclusive).
N.B. As Iām based in the UK, all of these DVDs are UK titles (apart from the imports) but if you live in a different region of the world check out Play.com or your local Amazon site and they should have an equivalent version of the film.
Inception (Warner Home Video): Christopher Nolanās ambitious heist film was one of the most talked about blockbusters of the year and Warner Bros have given it a worthy Blu-ray release. The story revolves around a gang of hi-tech thieves led by international fugitive Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio), who steals valuable information from peopleās dreams.
After a job on a Japanese businessman (Ken Watanabe) goes wrong, he is faced with the daunting challenge of āinceptionā: instead of stealing information, he must secretly plant some inside the mind of an wealthy tycoon (Cillian Murphy). Assembling a team of experts (which includes Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page and Tom Hardy) who can help him execute the mission, he must also deal with his own troubled past, which endangers his ability to do the job at hand. [Read full review] [Buy it on Blu-ray / DVD / Triplepack]
A Bug’s Life (Walt Disney Studios Home Ent.): Pixar’s seconf feature length film suffered from following the groundbreaking Toy Story (1995) but is still way above the standards of equivalent fare. It is the story of an ant named Flik (David Foley) who helps his colony defend itself against the tyranny of the local grasshoppers (led by Hopper, voiced by Kevin Spacey).
As with other Pixar films, the story is impressively assembled, whilst the humour and emotions are nicely balanced. It hasn’t achieved the affection of Pixar classics such as Finding Nemo (2003) or WALL-E (2008) but there is still a lot to enjoy here and keep a look out for the faux-outtakes over the end credits. [Buy it on Blu-ray / DVD]
ALSO OUT
Alice in Wonderland (Walt Disney Studios Home Ent.) [Blu-ray / with 3D Version] Chaos/The Bank Job (Lionsgate UK) [Blu-ray / Normal] Funny Games (Kaleidoscope Home Ent.) [Blu-ray / Normal] Shrek: Forever After – The Final Chapter (DreamWorks Animation) [Blu-ray / Normal] Supernatural: The Complete Seasons 1-5 (Warner Home Video) [Blu-ray / Normal] The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (Walt Disney Studios Home Ent.) [Blu-ray / Normal] The Twilight Saga: Collection – The Story So Far (Entertainment One) [Blu-ray / Steel Book] The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (E1 Entertainment UK) [Blu-ray / Normal] Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue (Walt Disney) [Blu-ray with DVD] War/The Forbidden Kingdom (Lionsgate UK) [Blu-ray / Normal] White Material (Artificial Eye) [Blu-ray / Normal]
Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore (Warner Home Video) Dexter: Season 4 (Paramount Home Entertainment) Downton Abbey: Series 1 (Universal/Playback) Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday (BFI) Playtime (BFI) Sex and the City 2 (Warner Home Video) Shogun Assassin: Special Edition (Eureka) Splice (Optimum Home Entertainment) Step Up 3 (Universal Pictures) The A-Team (20th Century Fox Home Ent.)
One of the paradoxes of how we record and watch films in the modern era is the stack of unwatched material that gradually builds up over time.
Over the last decade, as home audiences replaced their videos with DVDs, a revolution gradually happened as the rise inĀ online rental services (Netflix in the US and LoveFilm in the UK) and PVRs meant that audiences could timeshift their viewing.
Online DVD rentals are paid for by a monthly subscription fee, so there are no deadlines to return the discs, and with a PVR you can record plenty of films for later viewing.
But what happens when it comes to actually watching these films you have rented or stored?
Back in 2006, an article in Newsweek by Brad Stone titled Netflix Guilt articulated this modernĀ dilemma.
Stone used an unwatched copy of City of God to make his basic point:
I had “City of God” in my possession for 11 months, during which I paid $18 a month for a three-DVD-at-a-time Netflix subscription.
Finally, I returned the movie in defeat while delusionally re-adding it to the end of my queue. By that time, my wife and I were talking about a dangerous new force in our lives: Netflix guilt.
Since 2006, the problem has accelerated with movies on iTunes, larger PVRs and faster connection speeds to deliver them to homes.
The basic issue seems to lie in the enormous choice of films and how it is much easier to select what you want.
Or, to be more accurate, what you think you want.
It is still hard for an individual to actually select something that hits their particular tastes.
In other words, what we think we want to see, isn’t actually what we want to see, as this cartoon points out:
But it isn’t merely a case of mainstream versusĀ art house: often mainstream films that look promising turn out to be awful and more independent fare is gripping.
Leaving aside old favourites, this means that the central problem still remains: how can we accurately select films we want to watch?
Toy Story 3 (Walt Disney Studios Home Ent.): The third film in the Toy Story series seesĀ Andy leaving for college and donating his beloved toys – including Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz (Tim Allen) – to a daycare centre, where they soon realise things aren’t what they seem.
Directed by Lee Unkrich, it was a richlyĀ deservedĀ critical and commercial triumph for Pixar, which managed maintain the high standards of the first two films and concluded the trilogy with wit, invention and technical brilliance. [Read full review] [Blu-ray / DVD]
Peeping Tom (Optimum Home Entertainment): The 1960 film about a disturbed photographer (Karl Heinz Boehm)Ā has been digitally restored for a 50th anniversary release.
It scandalised audiences of the day and all but ended the career of director Michael Powell, but after being championed by the likes of Martin Scorsese, its reputation grew again and it is now considered one of the most important British films of its era. [Read full review] [Blu-ray / DVD]
Metropolis: Reconstructed and Restored (Eureka): Fritz Lang’sĀ classic 1927 silent film about a sprawling, futuristic city, whose society is divided into two classes of poor workers who work underground and the rich bosses who live high above them in skyscrapers.
It has been restored in a newly reconstructed version, after 25 minutes of lost footage were found in 2008 and comes with a documentary highlighting the restoration process. [Read the full review]Ā [Blu-ray / DVD]
ALSO OUT
Apocalypse (Kaleidoscope Home Ent.) [Blu-ray / DVD] Coco and Igor (Soda Pictures) [Blu-ray / DVD] Heartbreaker (Revolver Entertainment) [Blu-ray / DVD] Nativity! (Entertainment One) [Blu-ray / DVD] Open Season (Sony Pictures Home Ent.) [Blu-ray / DVD] Toy Story 1-3 (Walt Disney Studios Home Ent.) [Blu-ray]
The third film in the Toy Story series sees Andy leaving for college and donating his beloved toys – including Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz (Tim Allen) – to a daycare centre, where they soon realise things aren’t what they seem.
Directed by Lee Unkrich, it was a richly deserved critical and commercial triumph for Pixar, which managed maintain the high standards of the first two films and concluded the trilogy with wit, emotion and technical brilliance.
Continuing to explore the comedic conceit of toys who come alive whilst humans aren’t looking, this film reaches into more reflective territory as characters age and start to consider mortality.
The fact that it can convincingly do this whilst laying on lots of layered gags about new toys is part of the genius of Pixar, who have become so skilled at this kind of film making that a generation of viewers probably doesn’t realise how lucky they have been to witness these films first time around.
As with previous films transferred to Blu-ray, the digital source material helps make for a highly impressive transfer, as good as those of Cars, Ratatouille, Wall-E and Up.
The colours are especially vibrant and the world of Sunnyside Daycare has been rendered with marvellous attention to detail.
Given that this is the most successful film of the year, we could expect a decent presentation from Disney and the overall image quality is absolutely pristine.
The extra features on the Blu-ray include the following:
Disc 1 – Blu-ray:
“Day & Night” Theatrical Short
Buzz Lightyear Mission Logs: The Science Of Adventure
Disc 2 – Blu-ray:
Toy Story Trivia Dash – Interactive Game
Cine-Explore With Director Lee Unkrich & Producer Darla Anderson
Beginnings: Setting A Story In Motion
Bonnie’s Playtime – A Story Roundtable With Director Lee Unkrich
Roundin’ Up A Western Opening
Beyond The Toy Box: An Alternative Commentary Track
Paths To Pixar: Editorial
3 Studio Stories
Disc 3 – DVD:
“Day & Night” Theatrical Short
Buzz Lightyear Mission Logs: The Science Of Adventure
The Gang’s All Here – A Look At Returning Voice Talent
3 Studio Stories
Toy Story 3D is out now on DVD and Blu-ray from Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Fritz Lang’s 1927 silent film about a sprawling, futuristic city, remains one of the most influential in early cinema and this newly restored version adds 25 minutes of footage never seen before.
Set in a society divided into two classes, with workers toiling underground and rich bosses living high above them in skyscrapers, it depicts the class struggles in capitalism.
When the son of a boss notices a beautiful woman one day, he discovers the underground world of workers who keep the city running and sets in motion a drama which involves the founder of the city, an inventor and scores of workers.
A gargantuan production, it was one of the most expensive film ever made at Germany’s UFA, consuming more than half the studio’s annual production budget.
Metropolis was adapted from a novel and drew on previous science fiction sources – notably H.G. Wells, who disliked the film – and Lang’s own experiences of seeing the Manhattan skyline at night for the first time.
Initially, it was not a financial success and nearly bankrupted the studio, but over time its dystopian vision and indelible images have proved enormously influential on films such Bride of Frankenstein, Blade Runner and Dark City (as well as David Fincher’s 1989 video for Madonna’s Express Yourself which is a direct homage).
Like a lot of silent films, it can be difficult for modern viewers to adjust to the older visual grammar and cutting styles of the time, but the images are still remarkable and this is as good as the film has ever looked.
Eureka have done an excellent job with the transfer, given the materials they had to work with, and the restored footage cuts in well with the pre-existing material.
The quality of the print unearthed in 2008 means that there are still stains and damage (even after the digital cleanup) and a black bar is noticeable whenever it cuts to the newer stuff.
Of particular note is a 55 minute documentary that explores the restoration process and the painstaking archival work of the Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau-Stiftung after the missing 25 minutes of footage were found in Buenos Aires.
The audio commentary by David Kalat and Jonathan Rosenbaum is also highly informative.
Here are the extras in full:
150-minute reconstructed and restored 2010 version (including 25 minutes of footage previously thought lost to the world)
Separate DVD and BD editions with wraparound embossed sleeve, or Ltd Ed Steelbook Dual Format edition
Pristine new HD transfer (1080p on Blu-ray)
New 2010 symphony orchestra studio recording of the original 1927 Gottfried Huppertz score in 5.1
Newly translated optional English subtitles as well as the original German intertitles
Full-length audio commentary by David Kalat and Jonathan Rosenbaum
Die Reise nach Metropolis (2010, 53 minutes), a documentary about the film
2010 re-release trailer
56-page booklet featuring archival interviews with Fritz Lang, a 1927 review by Luis BuƱuel, articles by Jonathan Rosenbaum and Karen Naundorf, and restoration notes by Martin Koerber
Metropolis (Reconstructed & Restored) is released today by Eureka as part of their Masters of Cinema Series
> Buy Metropolis (Reconstructed & Restored) on Blu-ray or DVD from Amazon UK
> Find out more about the film at Wikipedia and IMDb
The directing and producing duo Hammer and Tongs (aka Garth Jennings and Nick Goldsmith) have a new DVD out which features their various music videos for artists such as Blur, R.E.M., Pulp and Vampire Weekend.
The collection also features various audio commentaries from band members featured in the collection, including Jarvis Cocker, Graham Coxon, Norman Cook and Ezra Koenig.
There are also various short films on the DVD that showcase their work from 1998 until 2009, including behind-the-scenes footage from the various videos and their two feature films so far, The Hitchhikerās Guide to the Galaxy (2005) and Son of Rambow (2008).
The tracklisting for the DVD is as follows:
Blur: “Coffee & TV”
Vampire Weekend: “A Punk”
Vampire Weekend: “Cousins”
Radiohead: “Nude”
R.E.M.: “Imitation of Life”
Pulp: “Help the Aged”
Pulp: “A Little Soul”
Supergrass: “Low C”
Supergrass: “Pumping on Your Stereo”
Bentley Rhythm Ace: “Bentley’s Gonna Sort You Out”
Bentley Rhythm Ace: “Theme From Gutbuster”
Badly Drawn Boy: “Disillusioned”
Badly Drawn Boy: “Spitting in the Wind”
Beck: “Lost Cause”
The Wannadies: “Little by Little”
The Wannadies: “Big Fan”
The Wannadies: “Hit”
Moloko: “Flipside”
Fatboy Slim: “Right Here Right Now”
Eels: “Cancer for the Cure”
Eels: “Last Stop This Town”
I spoke with Garth and Nick recently at their offices in North London and you can listen to the interview here:
The directing and producing duo Hammer and Tongs (aka Garth Jennings and Nick Goldsmith) have a new DVD out next week which showcases their various music videos for artists such as Blur, R.E.M., Beck, Fatboy Slim, Pulp and Vampire Weekend.
The collection also features various audio commentaries from band members featured in the collection, including Jarvis Cocker, Graham Coxon, Norman Cook and Ezra Koenig.
There are also various short films, under a ‘Home Movies’ section, that showcase their work from 1998 until 2009, including behind-the-scenes footage from various videos and their two feature films so far, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005) and Son of Rambow (2008).
Amongst the highlights in this section are: the puppets used for a Supergrass video, the elaborate planning needed for an R.E.M. video, a psychedelic trip out to the Joshua Tree nationa park, on-set footage from Son of Rambow and a subsequent screening of it in New York and the shooting of Vampire Weekend’s video for Cousins in a particularly long alleyway.
The tracklisting for the DVD is as follows:
Blur: “Coffee & TV”
Vampire Weekend: “A Punk”
Vampire Weekend: “Cousins”
Radiohead: “Nude”
R.E.M.: “Imitation of Life”
Pulp: “Help the Aged”
Pulp: “A Little Soul”
Supergrass: “Low C”
Supergrass: “Pumping on Your Stereo”
Bentley Rhythm Ace: “Bentley’s Gonna Sort You Out”
Bentley Rhythm Ace: “Theme From Gutbuster”
Badly Drawn Boy: “Disillusioned”
Badly Drawn Boy: “Spitting in the Wind”
Beck: “Lost Cause”
The Wannadies: “Little by Little”
The Wannadies: “Big Fan”
The Wannadies: “Hit”
Moloko: “Flipside”
Fatboy Slim: “Right Here Right Now”
Eels: “Cancer for the Cure”
Eels: “Last Stop This Town”
The Hammer and Tongs Collection is out on Monday 22nd November from Optimum Home Entertainment
Two of Charlie Chaplin’s classic films, The Circus (1928) and City Lights (1931), are out on Blu-ray this week in dual format editions with a DVD included on each.
The Circus has long been overshadowed by being sandwiched in between two of his most famous films, The Gold Rush (1925) and City Lights (1931).
Whilst not amongst finest work, there is still a lot to appreciate with Chaplin playing his traditional “Little Tramp” role, who ends up joining a failing circus after being on the run from the law.
Through a series of coincidences he unwittingly becomes the star of the show and falls in love with a pretty tightrope walker (Merna Kennedy).
Although it doesn’t have quite the spark or polish of his best work, The Circus contains some memorable sequences including a Hall of Mirrors, Chaplin trapped in a lion’s cage and him running along a tightrope with his trousers falling down.
The extras on this Blu-ray include:
Chaplin Today
Introduction by David Robinson
Deleted scenes
Outtakes
City Lights is a superior film and arguably one of the key works in the history of early cinema.
Chaplin was already into production when the talkie revolution was taking over Hollywood and he faced a tricky decision to complete the film as a silent, except for a musical score and occasional sound effects.
Returning as his Little Tramp figure, Chaplin falls for a blind flower girl (Virginia Cherrill) and through a series of coincidences befriends a genuine millionaire (Harry Myers).
Arguably his best film, it works as a love stroy and an extended social satire, lampooning the hypocrisy and arrogance of “polite society” and their cruelty to those less fortunate than them.
Introduction by David Robinson (Chaplin Biographer)
Short Film: ‘Charlie And The Boxing Stars’
Footage of Winston Churchill visiting the set
Outtakes
Because of the age of these films, the transfer to HD doesn’t have the transformative effect that you can see on classic films such as Gone With The Wind or The Wizard of Oz.
However, the higher resolution does make it look superior to previous DVD versions and the framing appears to have improved a great deal with more details visible.
For fans of Chaplin and silent cinema, this is still the best presentation of these available for home viewing.
Also out on DVD (though not Blu-ray) is The Chaplin Revue, which features three classic silent comedies – A Dog’s Life (1918), Shoulder Arms (1918) and The Pilgrim (1923), which are combined to form a single feature length film with new music.
James Cameron’s sci-fi blockbuster finally gets the special edition treatment with theĀ Avatar: Collector’s Extended Edition (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment)Ā after a barebones release back in the Spring.
In case you didn’t catch what is now the most financially successful film in history at cinemas, the story involves an ex-Marine (Sam Worthington) who to an exotic alien planet where is caught between a battle between the natives and the human colonists.
The image quality of the original Blu-ray transfer was stunning. Even without the 3D aspect, which helped bump up ticket sales in cinemas, the quality of the visuals is exemplary with the live action and visual effects shots integrating wonderfully.
With this extended edition the major selling point is that this package contains three different cuts: the original theatrical release, the special edition re-release, and the exclusive extended cut not shown in theaters.
Added to this are around eight hours of bonus features that exhaustively detail the production of the film.
The three discs break down as follows:
Disc 1: Three Movie Versions
Original Theatrical Edition (includes family audio track with objectionable language removed)
Special Edition Re-Release (includes family audio track with objectionable language removed)
Collectorās Extended Cut with 16 additional minutes, including alternate opening on earth
Disc 2: Filmmaker’s Journey
Over 45 minutes of never-before-seen deleted scenes
Screen tests, on-set footage, and visual-effects reels
Capturing Avatar: Feature-length documentary covering the 16-year filmmakersā journey, including interviews with James Cameron, Jon Landau, cast and crew
A Message from Pandora: James Cameronās visit to the Amazon rainforest
The 2006 art reel: Original pitch of the Avatar vision
Brother termite test: Original motion capture test
The ILM prototype: Visual effects reel
Screen tests: Sam Worthington, Zoƫ Saldana
ZoĆ«ās life cast: Makeup session footage
On-set footage as live-action filming begins
VFX progressions
Crew film: The Volume
Disc 3: Pandora’s Box
Interactive scene deconstruction: Explore the stages of production of 17 different scenes through three viewing modes: capture level, template level, and final level with picture-in-picture reference
Production featurettes: Sculpting Avatar, Creating the Banshee, Creating the Thanator, The AMP Suit, Flying Vehicles, Naāvi Costumes, Speaking Naāvi, Pandora Flora, Stunts, Performance Capture, Virtual Camera, The 3D Fusion Camera, The Simul-Cam, Editing Avatar, Scoring Avatar, Sound Design, The Haka: The Spirit of New Zealand
Avatar original script
Avatar screenplay by James Cameron
Pandorapedia: Comprehensive guide to Pandora
Lyrics from five songs by James Cameron
The art of Avatar: Over 1,850 images in 16 themed galleries (The World of Pandora, The Creatures, Pandora Flora, Pandora Bioluminescence, The Naāvi, The Avatars, Maquettes, Naāvi Weapons, Naāvi Props, Naāvi Musical Instruments, RDA Designs, Flying Vehicles, AMP Suit, Human Weapons, Land Vehicles, One-Sheet Concepts)
BD-Live extras (requires BD-Live-enabled player and Internet connection–may be available a limited-time only): Crew Short: The Night Before Avatar; additional screen tests, including Stephen Lang, Giovanni Ribisi, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, and Laz Alonso; speaking Naāvi rehearsal footage; Weta Workshop: walk-and-talk presentation
Avatar Collector’s Extended Edition is out today from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Avatar: Collector’s Extended Edition (20th Century Fox HomeĀ Entertainment): James Cameron’s sci-fi blockbuster finally gets the special edition treatment after a barebones release back in the Spring.
The major selling point forĀ this package is that it contains three different cuts: the original theatrical release, the special edition re-release, and the exclusive extended cut not shown in theaters, along withĀ eight hours of bonus features that exhaustively detail the production of the film. [Buy it on Blu-ray or DVD]
City Lights (Park Circus): The 1931 silent comedy-drama from Charlie Chaplin sees The Tramp fall in love with a beautiful, blind flower girl and form an unlikely friendship with a wealthy man.
Still one of the landmark films of the 1930s, this restoration on Blu-ray comes with some nice features including a documentary and outtakes. [But it on Blu-ray]
The Last Boy Scout (Warner Home Video): Although it criticised at the time, this 1991 action thriller directed by Tony Scott and written by Shane Black is wonderfully slick entertainment.
Starring Bruce Willis as a private eye caught up in the world of illegal sports, it is a surprisingly edgy mainstream film with some hilariously cynical humour and world weary performances. The studio were reportedly upset with the film but the Blu-ray release is a chance toĀ appreciateĀ Scott’s visual tricks in all their widescreen glory. [Buy it on Blu-ray]
ALSO OUT
An Idiot Abroad (2 Entertain) [Blu-ray / DVD] Charlie Chaplin: The Circus (Park Circus) [Blu-ray with DVD] Fast and Furious/Gladiator/Wanted (Universal Pictures) [Blu-ray] How to Train Your Dragon (DreamWorks Animation) [Blu-ray / DVD] Lethal Weapon Collection (Warner Home Video) [Blu-ray] Spirits of the Dead (Arrow Films) [Blu-ray] Star Wars – The Clone Wars: Season 2 (Warner Home Video) The Karate Kid (Sony Pictures Home Ent.) [Blu-ray with DVD] White Christmas (Paramount Home Entertainment) [Blu-ray]
In this version a 12-year old kid named Dre (Jaden Smith) and his mother (Taraji P. Henson) move to Beijing from Detroit to start a new life.
Once there he falls for a young violinist (Wen Wen Han) which leads to bullying from the local kung-fu prodigy (Zhenwei Wang) until an enigmatic maintenance man Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) comes to his aid by teaching him how to defend himself.
When producer Jerry Weintraub was approached with the idea of remaking the original he was understandably sceptical, as not only was it going to be relocated to China, but instead of Karate the main character would learn Kung-Fu.
A quick screenplay fix helped solve the glaring contradiction of the title, but the finished result is an entertaining affair whose only sin is that it goes on about 30 mins too long.
Smith is an agreeable lead, precociously charming throughout and convincing in the fighting sequences whilst Chan steals the show as the Chinese successor to Mr Miyagi, displaying the charm and physicality of his earlier career.
Director Harald Zwart makes this a more visually expansive film than the original, using the landscapes of China to full effect be it the Great Wall, the Wudang Mountains or Beijing itself.
A US-Chinese co-production, the filmmakers presumably got a lot of visual bang for their buck by filming it in China and it makes for a refreshing family-friendly drama in an era of CG-driven blockbusters based on comics.
Whilst a remake with more than a few nods to the original, it stands on its own as a drama and its success at the US box office (where it convincingly beat The A-Team remake on its opening weekend in June) was testament to the across-the-board appeal.
The Blu-ray transfer is particularly pristine 1080p transfer that conveys colours, details and depth with unusual clarity and the historical backdrops come across beautifully with the extensive use of crane shots giving it an added epic feel.
SPECIAL FEATURES
On Location: The Karate Kid Interactive Map of China
Alternate Ending
Play All Hosted by Jackie Chan
Production Diaries Hosted by Jackie Chan
Chinese Lessons – Learn Chinese!
Music Video: Justin Bieber Featuring Jaden Smith “Never Say Never”
Just for Kicks: The Making of The Karate Kid
movieIQ+sync
PS3 Wallpaper Theme
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Subtitles: English, English SDH, French
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Digital copy (on disc)
Digital copy PSP (on disc)
DVD copy
BD-Live
movieIQ
The Karate Kid is out today from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
24: Season 8 – The Final Season (20th Century Fox Home Ent.) [Blu-ray / Box Set] A Christmas Carol (20th Century Fox Home Ent.) [Blu-ray / Normal] A Christmas Carol (Walt Disney Studios Home Ent.) [Blu-ray / with 3D Version and Digital Copy] Blue Moon Rising (Endemol) [Blu-ray / Normal] Bolt (Walt Disney) [Blu-ray / with 3D Version] Depeche Mode: Tour of the Universe – Barcelona 20/21:11:09 (Mute Records) [Blu-ray / Normal] Doctor Who – The New Series: The Complete Series 5 (2 Entertain) [Blu-ray / Limited Edition Box Set] Doctor Who – The New Series: The Complete Series 5 (2 Entertain) [Blu-ray / Box Set] Fantasia (Walt Disney Studios Home Ent.) [Blu-ray / with DVD] Fantasia/Fantasia 2000 (Walt Disney Studios Home Ent.) [Blu-ray / with DVD] Home Alone (20th Century Fox Home Ent.) [Blu-ray / Normal] It’s a Wonderful Life (Universal Pictures) [Blu-ray / Colourised] Little Big Soldier (Showbox Media Group) [Blu-ray / Normal] Mireille: National Opera of Paris (Marc Minkowski) (Fraprod) [Blu-ray / Normal] Soul Men (High Fliers Video Distribution) [Blu-ray / Normal] The Sound of Music (20th Century Fox Home Ent.) [Blu-ray / with DVD] The Tournament (EV) [Blu-ray / Normal] V: The Complete First Season (Warner Home Video) [Blu-ray / Normal] Wild Ocean (BPDP) [Blu-ray / with 3D Version]
Carlos (Optimum Home Entertainment): An epic project from director Olivier Assayas, who has brilliantly recreated the life and times of the Venezualan revolutionary terrorist known as āCarlos the Jackalā (Eduardo Ramierez). [Read the full review]
Three Kings (Warner Bros.): Set during Operation Desert Storm this brilliant 1999 drama is the story of four US soldiers (George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube and Spike Jonze) who loot $23 million in gold hijacked from Kuwait by Saddam Husseinās army. [Read the full review]
ALSO OUT
Baz Luhrmann’s Epic Romances (20th Century Fox Home Ent.) [Blu-ray] Beauty and the Beast (Walt Disney Studios Home Ent.) [Blu-ray / with DVD] Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (EV) Blu-ray / Normal First Blood/Cliffhanger/Lock Up (Optimum Home Entertainment) [Blu-ray / Box Set] Get Him to the Greek (Universal Pictures) [Blu-ray / Normal] Moulin Rouge (20th Century Fox Home Ent.) [Blu-ray / Normal] Predators (20th Century Fox Home Ent.) [Blu-ray / Normal] Romeo and Juliet (20th Century Fox Home Ent.) [Blu-ray / Normal] The Pacific (Warner Home Video) [Blu-ray / Normal] The Secret of Kells (Optimum Home Entertainment) [Blu-ray / Normal] Watchmen: Director’s Cut (Paramount Home Entertainment) [Blu-ray / Normal]
Carlos (Optimum Home Entertainment): An epic project from director Olivier Assayas, who has brilliantly recreated the life and times of the Venezualan revolutionary terrorist known as āCarlos the Jackalā (Eduardo Ramierez).
It charts his early years as a violent revolutionary in Europe as he proves his worth to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP); missions for states such as Iraq, Libya and East Germany; an infamous kidnapping of OPEC oil ministers in Vienna in 1975 and his gradual decline as he sought refuge in Eastern Europe, Syria and Sudan as he struggled to cope with the end of the Cold War before finally being caught by French agents in 1994, where he currently resides in jail under a life sentence.
An ambitious French TV project, it got two kinds of theatrical release: a three part five and a half hour cut and a shortened 165 minute version.Ā Now the DVD and Blu-ray versions are out there isn’t much excuse feasting on the full version.
Three Kings (Warner Bros.): Set during Operation Desert Storm this brilliant 1999 drama Ā is the story of four US soldiers (George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube and Spike Jonze) who loot $23 million in gold hijacked from Kuwait by Saddam Hussein’s army.
The third film from director David O’Russell (after Spanking the Monkey and Flirting With Disaster) was one of the best films of its year, a daring hybrid of Kelly’s Heroes and M*A*S*H featuring some dazzling visuals, fine performances and manages to entertain whilst also making pointed commentary about US foreign policy.
The special features include:
Two audio commentaries: The first is a highly informative track by director David O. Russell who discussing various elements in detail. The second by producers Charles Roven and Edward L. McDonnell and
On the Set of ‘Three Kings’ (21:32)
On the Set of ‘Three Kings’ with Production Designer Catherine Hardwicke (10:15)
The Cinematography of ‘Three Kings:’ An Interview with Director of Photography Newton Thomas Sigel (7:06)
Director David O. Russell’s ‘Three Kings’ Video Journal (13:37)
An Intimate Look Inside the Acting Process with Ice Cube (2:21)
Back to the Future Trilogy (Universal): The time-travel comedy trilogy gets released on Blu-ray for the first time and Universal have put together a package which does full justice to these inventive and much loved films.
A lot of viewers will be pleasantly surprised how good a job Universal has done with the audio and visual transfer (screenshots can be seen here) and it certainly gives them an added kick if you havenāt seen them in a while. But for most people the reason for getting this box set will be the huge array of extras detailing the production. [Read the full review here]
Alien Anthology (20th Century Fox): Although this is essentially a Blu-ray upgrade from the previous Alien Quadrilogy boxset, that was one of the best boxsets in living memory.
However, the HD transfers for Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986) have been done with considerable care and attention and there is extra material which will be of interest to fans of the series.
James Cameron personally oversaw the new transfer of Aliens, the audio for Alien 3 has been upgraded with Charles Dance and Lance Henriksen recording new dialogue and there is a previously unreleased āAlien 3ā² documentary which features visual evidence of the nightmare David Fincher had on the set of his directorial debut. [Read the full review here]
The Guillermo Del Toro Trilogy (Optimum): Mexican director Guillermo Del Toro is recognised as one of the world’s most visually inventive directors, balancing a career torn between films such as Hellboy with smaller, personal projects such as the three films brought together in this collection ā The Devil’s Backbone (2001), Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) and his debut feature, Cronos (1993).
Special Features include:
UK Exclusive interview with Guillermo Del Toro
Exclusive pages from Guillermo Del Toro’s The Strain Trilogy
Brand new interviews
Featurettes
Motion Comics
Early short film Geomtria
Sketches and storyboards
Galleries
Trailers
ALSO OUT
13 Hrs (High Fliers Video Distribution) [Blu-ray / Normal] 8 Mile (UCA) [Blu-ray / Normal] A Nightmare On Elm Street (Warner Home Video) [Blu-ray / with DVD and Digital Copy] Baby Mama (UCA) [Blu-ray / Normal] Billy Madison (Universal Pictures) [Blu-ray / Normal] Bulletproof (UCA) [Blu-ray / Normal] D-Tox (UCA) [Blu-ray / Normal] Dante’s Peak (Universal Pictures) [Blu-ray / Normal] Dead Silence (Universal Pictures) [Blu-ray / Normal] Dinosaurs Alive! (Cornerstone Media Int.) [Blu-ray / with 3D Version] First Blood/Cliffhanger/Lock Up (Optimum Home Entertainment) [Blu-ray / Box Set] Happy Gilmore (Universal Pictures) [Blu-ray / Normal] Hard Rain (Universal Pictures) [Blu-ray / Normal] Iron Man 1 and 2 (Paramount Home Entertainment) [Blu-ray / Normal] Iron Man 2 (Paramount Home Entertainment) [Blu-ray / Normal] Killers (Lionsgate UK) [Blu-ray / Normal] Leatherheads (UCA) [Blu-ray / Normal] Make Way for Tomorrow (Eureka) [Blu-ray / Normal] Mercury Rising (Universal Pictures) [Blu-ray / Normal] Scent of a Woman (Universal Pictures) [Blu-ray / Normal] Smallville: Season 9 (Warner Home Video) [Blu-ray / Normal] Spirits of the Dead (Arrow Films) [Blu-ray / Normal] Star Wars – The Clone Wars: Season 2 (Warner Home Video) [Blu-ray / Normal] Taking Woodstock (UCA) [Blu-ray / Normal] The Break Up (Universal Pictures) [Blu-ray / Normal] The Express (UCA) [Blu-ray / Normal] The Game (Universal Pictures) [Blu-ray / Normal] The Holiday (Universal Pictures) [Blu-ray / Normal] The Interpreter (Universal Pictures) [Blu-ray / Normal] The Jackal (Universal Pictures) [Blu-ray / Normal] The Skeleton Key (Universal Pictures) [Blu-ray / Normal] Total Recall/Raw Deal/Red Heat (Optimum Home Entertainment) [Blu-ray / Box Set] True Legend (Optimum Home Entertainment) [Blu-ray / Normal] Waist Deep (UCA) [Blu-ray / Normal] We Own the Night (Universal Pictures) [Blu-ray / Normal] Wild at Heart (Universal Pictures) [Blu-ray / Normal] Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? (Eureka) [Blu-ray / Normal] You, Me and Dupree (Universal Pictures) [Blu-ray / Normal]
Alien Anthology (20th Century Fox): Although essentially a Blu-ray upgrade from the previous Alien Quadrilogy boxset, that was one of the best in living memory, so the added extras make this one worthwhile.
The dilema with purchasing the Alien series in one package is that the first two films are outstanding and the next two are, for different reasons, interesting failures (the less said about the AVP films, the better).
However, the HD transfers for Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986) have been done with considerable care and attention and there is extra material which will be of interest to fans of the series.
James Cameron personally oversaw the new transfer of Aliens, the audio for Alien 3 has been upgraded with Charles Dance and Lance Henriksen recording new dialogue and there is a previously unreleased ‘Alien 3’ documentary which features visual evidence of the nightmare David Fincher had on the set of his directorial debut.
A lot of the interviews are new and extended and Mark Kermode’s excellent ‘Alien Evolution’ documentary is included in an uncut, complete version.
There is also the interactive MU-TH-UR mode, which lets you tag and bookmark topics across the discs and access them later.
The full features breakdown like this:
DISCS
4 film discs
Two versions of each movie (Directors Cut or Special Edition & Theatrical Version) in High Definition, plus commentaries
2 discs of Bonus Material
Over 60 hours of extra features, including every piece of bonus material ever released
Including over 4 hours of NEVER BEFORE SEEN content
New MU-TH-UR Mode, a fully interactive companion takes the extensive materials in the ALIEN ANTHOLOGY and puts them in the userās hand ā connecting fans to special features on all six discs and instantly providing an index of all available ALIEN content.
SPECIAL FEATURES
DISC ONE: ALIEN
1979 Theatrical Version
2003 Directorās Cut with Ridley Scott Introduction
Audio Commentary by Director Ridley Scott, Writer Dan OāBannon, Executive Producer Ronald Shusett, Editor Terry Rawlings, Actors Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton and John Hurt
Audio Commentary (for Theatrical Cut only) by Ridley Scott
Final Theatrical Isolated Score by Jerry Goldsmith
Composerās Original Isolated Score by Jerry Goldsmith
Deleted and Extended Scenes
MU-TH-UR Mode Interactive Experience with Weyland-Yutani Datastream
DISC TWO: ALIENS
1986 Theatrical Version
1991 Special Edition with James Cameron Introduction
Audio Commentary by Director James Cameron, Producer Gale Anne Hurd, Alien Effects Creator Stan Winston, Visual Effects Supervisors Robert Skotak and Dennis Skotak, Miniature Effects Supervisor Pat McClung, Actors Michael Biehn, Bill Paxton, Lance Henriksen, Jenette Goldstein, Carrie Henn and Christopher Henn
Final Theatrical Isolated Score by James Horner
Composerās Original Isolated Score by James Horner
Deleted and Extended Scenes
MU-TH-UR Mode Interactive Experience with Weyland-Yutani Datastream
DISC THREE: ALIEN3
1992 Theatrical Version
2003 Special Edition (Restored Workprint Version)
Audio Commentary by Cinematographer Alex Thomson, B.S.C., Editor Terry Rawlings, Alien Effects Designers Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff, Jr., Visual Effects Producer Richard Edlund, A.S.C., Actors Paul McGann and Lance Henriksen
Final Theatrical Isolated Score by Elliot Goldenthal
Deleted and Extended Scenes
MU-TH-UR Mode Interactive Experience with Weyland-Yutani Datastream
DISC FOUR: ALIEN RESURRECTION
1997 Theatrical Version
2003 Special Edition with Jean-Pierre Jeunet Introduction
MU-TH-UR Mode Interactive Experience with Weyland-Yutani Datastream
DISC FIVE: MAKING THE ANTHOLOGY
In addition to over 12 hours of in-depth documentaries, these Blu-ray box set has nearly five hours of additional video ‘Enhancement Pods’, presenting behind-the-scenes footage, raw dailies and interview outtakes from all four films. At topical points in the documentaries, you can access these pods to enhance your experience, or watch them on their own from the separate Enhancement Pod index.
The Beast Within: Making ALIEN
Star Beast: Developing the Story
The Visualists: Direction and Design
Truckers in Space: Casting
Fear of the Unknown: Shepperton Studios, 1978
The Darkest Reaches: Nostromo and Alien Planet
The Eighth Passenger: Creature Design
Future Tense: Editing and Music
Outward Bound: Visual Effects
A Nightmare Fulfilled: Reaction to the Film
Enhancement Pods
Superior Firepower: Making ALIENS
57 Years Later: Continuing the Story
Building Better Worlds: From Concept to Construction
Preparing for Battle: Casting and Characterization
This Time Itās War: Pinewood Studios, 1985
The Risk Always Lives: Weapons and Action
Bug Hunt: Creature Design
Beauty and the Bitch: Power Loader vs. Queen Alien
Two Orphans: Sigourney Weaver and Carrie Henn ā¢ The Final Countdown: Music, Editing and Sound
The Power of Real Tech: Visual Effects
Aliens Unleashed: Reaction to the Film
Enhancement Pods
Wreckage and Rage: Making ALIEN3
Development Hell: Concluding the Story
Tales of the Wooden Planet: Vincent Wardās Vision
Stasis Interrupted: David Fincherās Vision
Xeno-Erotic: H.R. Gigerās Redesign
The Color of Blood: Pinewood Studios, 1991
Adaptive Organism: Creature Design
The Downward Spiral: Creative Differences
Where the Sun Burns Cold: Fox Studios, L.A. 1992
Optical Fury: Visual Effects
Requiem for a Scream: Music, Editing and Sound
Post-Mortem: Reaction to the Film
Enhancement Pods
One Step Beyond: Making ALIEN RESURRECTION
From the Ashes: Reviving the Story
French Twist: Direction and Design
Under the Skin: Casting and Characterization
Death from Below: Fox Studios, Los Angeles, 1996
In the Zone: The Basketball Scene
Unnatural Mutation: Creature Design
Genetic Composition: Music
Virtual Aliens: Computer Generated Imagery
A Matter of Scale: Miniature Photography
Critical Juncture: Reaction to the Film
Enhancement Pods
MU-TH-UR Mode Interactive Experience to Access and Control Enhancement Pods
DISC SIX: THE ANTHOLOGY ARCHIVES
ALIEN
Pre-Production
First Draft Screenplay by Dan OāBannon
Ridleygrams: Original Thumbnails and Notes
Storyboard Archive
The Art of Alien: Conceptual Art Portfolio
Sigourney Weaver Screen Tests with Select Director Commentary
Cast Portrait Gallery
Production
The Chestbuster: Multi-Angle Sequence with Commentary
Video Graphics Gallery
Production Image Galleries
Continuity Polaroids
The Sets of Alien
H.R. Gigerās Workshop Gallery
Post-Production and Aftermath
Additional Deleted Scenes
Image & Poster Galleries
Experience in Terror
Special Collectorās Edition LaserDisc Archive
The Alien Legacy
American Cinematheque: Ridley Scott Q&A
Trailers & TV Spots
ALIENS
Pre-Production
Original Treatment by James Cameron
Pre-Visualizations: Multi-Angle Videomatics with Commentary
Storyboard Archive
The Art of Aliens: Image Galleries
Cast Portrait Gallery
Production
Production Image Galleries
Continuity Polaroids
Weapons and Vehicles
Stan Winstonās Workshop
Colonial Marine Helmet Cameras
Video Graphics Gallery
Weyland-Yutani Inquest: Nostromo Dossiers
Post-Production and Aftermath
Deleted Scene: Burke Cocooned
Deleted Scene Montage
Image Galleries
Special Collectorās Edition LaserDisc Archive
Main Title Exploration
Aliens: Ride at the Speed of Fright
Trailers & TV Spots
ALIEN3
Pre-Production
Storyboard Archive
The Art of Arceon
The Art of Fiorina
Production
Furnace Construction: Time-Lapse Sequence
EEV Bioscan: Multi-Angle Vignette with Commentary
Production Image Galleries
A.D.I.ās Workshop
Post-Production and Aftermath
Visual Effects Gallery
Special Shoot: Promotional Photo Archive
Alien3 Advance Featurette
The Making of Alien3 Promotional Featurette
Trailers & TV Spots
ALIEN RESURRECTION
Pre-Production
First Draft Screenplay by Joss Whedon
Test Footage: A.D.I. Creature Shop with Commentary
Test Footage: Costumes, Hair and Makeup
Pre-Visualizations: Multi-Angle Rehearsals
Storyboard Archive
The Marc Caro Portfolio: Character Designs
The Art of Resurrection: Image Galleries
Production
Production Image Galleries
A.D.I.ās Workshop
Post-Production and Aftermath
Visual Effects Gallery
Special Shoot: Promotional Photo Archive
HBO First Look: The Making of Alien Resurrection
Alien Resurrection Promotional Featurette
Trailers & TV Spots
ANTHOLOGY
Two Versions of Alien Evolution
The Alien Saga
Patches and Logos Gallery
Aliens 3D Attraction Scripts and Gallery
Aliens in the Basement: The Bob Burns Collection
Parodies
Dark Horse Cover Gallery
Patches and Logos Gallery
MU-TH-UR Mode Interactive Experience
SUBTITLES AND AUDIO
Alien
Theatrical Audio: English 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio, English 4.1 Dolby Surround, English 2.0 Dolby Surround, Brazilian Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 DTS, German 5.1 DTS, Latin Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
Theatrical Subtitles: English for the hearing impaired, Brazilian Portuguese, Danish, Finnish, French, German, Latin Spanish, Dutch, Norwegian, Swedish
Extended Audio: English 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio, English 2.0 Dolby Surround, Brazilian Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 DTS, German 5.1 DTS, Latin Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
Extended Subtitles: English for the hearing impaired, Brazilian Portuguese, Danish, Finnish, French, German, Latin Spanish, Dutch, Norwegian, Swedish
Aliens
Theatrical Audio: English 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio, English 4.1 Dolby Surround, English 2.0 Dolby Surround, Brazilian Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 DTS, German 5.1 DTS, Latin Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
Theatrical Subtitles: English for the hearing impaired, Brazilian Portuguese, Danish, Finnish, French, German, Latin Spanish, Dutch, Norwegian, Swedish
Extended Audio: English 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio, English 2.0 Dolby Surround, Brazilian Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 DTS, German 5.1 DTS, Latin Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
Extended Subtitles: English for the hearing impaired, Brazilian Portuguese, Danish, Finnish, French, German, Latin Spanish, Dutch, Norwegian, Swedish
Alien 3
Theatrical Audio: English 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio, Brazilian Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 DTS, German 5.1 DTS, Latin Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
Theatrical Subtitles: English for the hearing impaired, Brazilian Portuguese, Danish, Finnish, French, German, Latin Spanish, Dutch, Norwegian, Swedish
Restored Work Print Version Audio: English 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio, Brazilian Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 DTS, German 5.1 DTS, Latin Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
Restored Work Print Version Subtitles: English for the hearing impaired, Brazilian Portuguese, Danish, Finnish, French, German, Latin Spanish, Dutch, Norwegian, Swedish
Alien Resurrection
Theatrical Audio: English 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio, Brazilian Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 DTS, German 5.1 DTS, Latin Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
Theatrical Subtitles: English for the hearing impaired, Brazilian Portuguese, Danish, Finnish, French, German, Latin Spanish, Dutch, Norwegian, Swedish
Extended Audio: English 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio, Brazilian Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 DTS, German 5.1 DTS, Latin Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
Extended Subtitles: English for the hearing impaired, Brazilian Portuguese, Danish, Finnish, French, German, Latin Spanish, Dutch, Norwegian, Swedish
Alien Anthology is out now from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Back to the Future Trilogy (Universal): The time-travel comedy trilogy gets released on Blu-ray for the first time and Universal have put together a package which does full justice to these inventive and much loved films.
Directed by Robert Zemeckis, the first film was the tale of high school student Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) who accidentally travels back 30 years in time after an eccentric scientist (Christopher Lloyd) builds a time machine which strands him in 1955.
There he inadvertently interferes with the romance of his then teenage parents: nerdy father (Crispin Glover) and mother (Lea Thompson), whilst also having to deal with Biff (Thomas F. Wilson), Marty’s dad’s bullying supervisor.
The story, written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale, then becomes a race to reunite his parents-to-be and find a way of getting back to 1985.
An instant critical and commercial hit on its release in the summer of 1985, it launched Fox as a movie star and established Zemeckis as an A-list director.
The inventive premise, smart humour and excellent performances still shine and it has aged remarkably well, appealing to a new generation of audiences.
In retrospect, some of the comedy is surprisingly daring: it is difficult to imagine a studio comedy today featuring gags about terrorists (“the Libyans!”), potential incest (“are you telling me that my mom …has the hots for me?!”) and Ronald Regan (“who is the Vice-president in 1985? Jerry Lewis?).
Despite those more daring undercurrents, it is one of those rare mainstream films that genuinely appeals to audiences of all ages, combining innocence, invention and a great central premise which makes older and younger audiences think whilst they laugh.
The sequels, shot back-to-back, were not as good as the original but certainly had their moments.
The second film, which picked up precisely where they left off, saw Marty and Doc Brown travel to 2015 to fine-tune the future, only to cause havoc with the space time continuum, which they have to repair by going back to 1955 again.
One can only imagine the hoops Zemeckis and Gale had to jump through in writing the follow up – they hadn’t initially planned one – and their screenplay ingeniously interacts with the events of the first film.
Another impressive aspect, sometimes overlooked, is the visual effects, which are used to create multiple characters from the same actor, as well as painting a detailed picture of the future.
Made in 1989 on the cusp of the CGI revolution ushered in by The Abyss, Terminator and Jurassic Park, the visual effects still hold up well.
The third film, released in 1990 saw Marty (Michael J. Fox) travel back to 1885 in order to rescue Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) before he becomes smitten with a schoolteacher (Mary Steenburgen).
Cleverly referencing the first two films, it doesn’t quite match up to them but is still an amiable and entertaining end to the series.
A lot of viewers will be pleasantly surprised how good a job Universal has done with the audio and visual transfer (screenshots can be seen here) and it certainly gives them an added kick if you haven’t seen them in a while.
But for most people the reason for getting this box set will be the huge array of extras detailing the production.
The supplements duplicate all the extras from the previous DVD releases, including commentaries, but also feature a lot of brand new material, principally Tales from the Future, a 6 part, 2 hour documentary in HD.
The whole package is spread over 3 Blu-ray discs and there are brand new interviews with Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, director Robert Zemeckis, producers Bob Gale and Neil Canton, plus executive producer Steven Spielberg.
There is also a digital copy of each film for playback on a portable device.
SPECIAL FEATURES
(*Denotes new footage debuting on the 25th Anniversary Trilogy Blu-ray)
Tales from the Future: New six-part retrospective documentary featuring interviews with Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Director Robert Zemeckis, Producers Bob Gale and Neil Canton, plus Executive Producer Steven Spielberg.*
In the Beginning . . .: Delve into the genesis of the project, casting, re-casting, the DeLorean, sets and overall pre-production.
Time to Go: Production stories through the release of the first film.
Keeping Time: The score and the songs of the Back to the Future Trilogy.
Time Flies: Learn more about how the sequel came about, the futuristic look, the special and visual effects, recreating 1955 and more.
Third Timeās the Charm: Learn about building a western town, Doc Brownās love story, the casting of Mary Steenburgen, the train sequence and completing the Trilogy.
The Test of Time: Back to the Future becomes a phenomenon! President Reagan quotes the film, the Back to the Future ride opens at Universal Studios theme park and fans rebuild the iconic DeLorean. The filmās cast and crew take a look back and discuss why these beloved movies live on.
The Physics of Back To The Future: A discussion with celebrity best-selling author and physicist Dr. Michio Kaku about the overall appreciation of the science in the Back to the Future Trilogy*
Nuclear Test Site Ending Storyboard Sequence: Storyboard sequence of the original proposed ending of the film.*
16 Deleted Scenes
Michael J. Fox Q&A
Q&A Commentaries with Director Robert Zemeckis and Producer Bob Gale
Feature Commentaries with Producers Bob Gale and Neil Canton
Making the Trilogy: Chapters One, Two & Three: Original 2002 DVD documentary that takes a look back in time.The Making Of Back to the Future Part I, II & III: Provides a vintage and historic look at the making of all three films.
The Secrets of the Back to the Future Trilogy: a televised special hosted by Kirk Cameron addressing fans unanswered Back to the Future questions.
Back to the Future Night: Hosted by Leslie Nielsen, this original 30-minute special aired on NBC prior to the first television screening of the Back to the Future.
Behind-the-ScenesĀ Outtakes
Original Makeup Tests
Production Design
Storyboarding
Designing the DeLorean
Designing Time Travel
Hoverboard Test
Designing Hill Valley
Designing the Campaign
Back to the Future: The Ride
Music Videos:Ā Huey Lewis and the News āPower of Loveā /Ā ZZ Top āDoubleBackā
Photo Galleries, Including Production Art, Additional Storyboards, Photographs, Marketing Materials and Character Portraits
Theatrical Trailers
* There is also a Special Collector’s Edition featuring a Delorean blueprint, Outtatime number plate, Sports Almanac, Save The Clocktower poster, and a Lenticular photo of Marty’s family 8
INTERACTIVE BLU-RAY BONUS FEATURES *
U-CONTROL: Universalās exclusive feature allows viewers to learn more about their favorite film without ever leaving the movie.
Setups & Payoffs: As you watch each of the three films, each āset upā showcases items in the scene that prepare you for a future plot point. When you get to that moment in the film, the āpayoffā is shown.
Storyboard Comparison: Compare key scenes in the movie with the original storyboards.
Trivia Track: Get inside trivia and facts while you watch the movies.
BD-LIVE: Access the BD-LiveTM Centre through your Internet-connected player to get even more content, watch the latest trailers and more!
My Scenes: Bookmark your favourite scenes from the movies.
pocket BLUā¢: Universalās groundbreaking pocket BLU app uses iPhoneĀ®, iPodĀ® touch, iPadĀ®, BlackberryĀ®, Androidā¢, Windows and Macintosh computers and more to work seamlessly with a network-connected Blu-rayTM player and offers advanced features such as: o Advanced Remote Control: A sleek, elegant new way to operate your Blu-rayā¢ player. Users can navigate through menus, playback and BD-Liveā¢ functions with ease.
Video Timeline: Users can easily bring up the video timeline, allowing them to instantly access any point in their favorite episode.
Mobile-To-Go: Users can unlock a selection of bonus content with their Blu-rayā¢ discs to save to their device or to stream from anywhere thereās a Wi-Fi network, enabling them to enjoy exclusive content on the go, anytime, anywhere.
Browse Titles: Users will have access to a complete list of pocket BLUā¢-enabled titles available and coming to Blu-rayā¢. They can view free previews and see what additional content is available to unlock on their device.
Keyboard: Enter data into a Blu-rayā¢ player with your deviceās easy and intuitive keyboard.
The Back to the Future Trilogy is out on Monday 25th October from Universal Home Entertainment
Amores Perros (Optimum): The feature film debut of director director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu is a riveting tale of three interlocking stories that revolve around a car crash in Mexico City. The first section sees Octavio (Gael GarcĆa Bernal) try to arrange a dog fight so he can run away with his girlfriend Susana (Vanessa Bauche).
The next shows Daniel (Ćlvaro Guerrero), a wealthy publisher, move in with his housebound younger lover Valeria (Goya Toledo), as her pet dog gets lost under the floorboards of their apartment.Ā The final segment features El Chivo (Emilio Echeverria), an older homeless man trying to contact his daughter, who he hasnāt seen in years.Ā [Read the full review here] [Blu-ray / DVD]
ALSO OUT
Bean – The Ultimate Disaster Movie (Universal Pictures) [Blu-ray / 20th Anniversary Edition] Black Death (Sony Pictures Home Ent.) [Blu-ray / Normal] Bones: Season 5 (20th Century Fox Home Ent.) [Blu-ray / Normal] Born to Raise Hell (Optimum Home Entertainment) [Blu-ray / Normal] Brooklyn’s Finest (Momentum Pictures) [Blu-ray / Normal] Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (20th Century Fox Home Ent.) [Blu-ray / with DVD] Driven to Kill / The Keeper / Born to Raise Hell (Optimum Home Entertainment) [Blu-ray / Box Set] Frozen (Momentum Pictures) [Blu-ray / Normal] Grand Canyon Adventures – River at Risk (Cornerstone Media Int.) [Blu-ray / with 3D Version] Mr Bean’s Holiday (Universal Pictures) [Blu-ray / 20th Anniversary Edition] Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (Optimum Home Entertainment) [Blu-ray / Normal] Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva (Manga Entertainment) [Blu-ray / with DVD] Ran (Optimum Home Entertainment) [Blu-ray / Normal] Robocop / Robocop 2 / Robocop 3 (20th Century Fox Home Ent.) [Blu-ray / Box Set] Room in Rome (Optimum Home Entertainment) [Blu-ray / Normal] South Pacific (20th Century Fox Home Ent.) [Blu-ray / Normal] Suck (Universal Pictures) [Blu-ray / Normal] Supernatural: The Complete Fifth Season (Warner Home Video) [Blu-ray / Normal] The Collector (Icon Home Entertainment) [Blu-ray / Normal] The Deer Hunter (Optimum Home Entertainment) [Blu-ray / Normal] The Experiment (Momentum Pictures) [Blu-ray / Normal] The Ladykillers (Optimum Home Entertainment) [Blu-ray / Normal] The Lost Boys 3 – The Thirst (Warner Home Video) [Blu-ray / Normal] The Rocky Horror Picture Show (20th Century Fox Home Ent.) [Blu-ray / Normal] The Tortured (E1 Entertainment UK) [Blu-ray / Normal] THX 1138 (Warner Home Video) [Blu-ray / Normal] Timecop (Warner Home Video) [Blu-ray / Normal] V: The Complete First Season (Warner Home Video) [Blu-ray / Normal] Van Gogh: Brush With Genius (Cornerstone Media Int.) [Blu-ray / Normal] Zombies of Mass Destruction (Optimum Home Entertainment) [Blu-ray / Normal]
Three stories converge through a car crash in this brilliantly executed drama set in Mexico City.
Amores Perros (2000) was the debut feature of director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga, set the template for theirĀ subsequent collaborations – 21 Grams (2003) and Babel (2006) – by exploring intense human behaviour through a non-linear narrative.
The first section sees Octavio (Gael GarcĆa Bernal) try to arrange a dog fight so he can run away with his girlfriend Susana (Vanessa Bauche).
The next show Daniel (Ćlvaro Guerrero), a wealthy publisher, move in with his housebound younger lover Valeria (Goya Toledo), who sees her pet dog get lost under the floorboards of their apartment.
The final segment features El Chivo (Emilio Echeverria), an older homeless man trying to contact his daughter, whom he hasn’t seen in years.
A startling feature debut for Inarritu, it deservedly reaped a lot of critical aacclaim on its release in 2000 and ended up with an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film.
The dark exploration of human and animal behaviour is a riveting watch, with fine performances from the ensemble cast – even the dogs are great.
The graphic dog fights disturbed some viewers, who suspected they were done for real, but a shortĀ featuretteĀ explains how they achieved these sequences without harming any animals.
When it was first released, some pointed out the narrative similarities to Pulp Fiction (1994), but Innaritu stamps the material with his own style and energy, creating aĀ searing examination of life at the margins of a city.
In some ways it is still his most vital and stylish film, which marked the arrival of a major cinematic talent.
The Exorcist (Warner Bros.): The classic 1973 horror about a young girl (Linda Blair) possessed by an evil spirit and the priests (Jason Miller and Max von Sydow) who try to exorcise the demon, at the request of her distraught mother (Ellen Burstyn).
Directed by William Friedkin, the new Blu-ray features the remastered Directorās Cut and Theatrical Cut along with various featurettes and audio commentaries. [Read the full review here]
The Evil Dead (18): Sam Raimiās 1981 low budget horror debut is about a group of college kids who make an ill-fated trip to a remote mountain cabin where all hell breaks loose.
Controversial its day, the film still has a demented, raw energy and this Blu-ray features plenty of supplementary material and a brand new audio commentary from director Raimi, actor Bruce Campbell and producer Robert Tapert. [Read the full review here]
30 Days of Night: Dark Days (Sony Pictures Home Ent.) [Blu-ray / Normal] Ben 10: Alien Swarm (Warner Home Video) [Blu-ray / with Digital Copy] Bend It Like Beckham (Lionsgate UK) [Blu-ray / Normal] Carlito’s Way (Universal Pictures) [Blu-ray / Normal] David Attenborough: Planet Earth – The Complete Series (2 Entertain) [Blu-ray / Special Edition Box Set] Devil’s Playground (E1 Entertainment UK) [Blu-ray / Normal] Dollhouse: Complete Seasons 1 and 2 (20th Century Fox Home Ent.) [Blu-ray / Box Set] Goodnight Mister Tom (ITV DVD) [Blu-ray / Normal] Hunt to Kill (Anchor Bay Entertainment UK) [Blu-ray / Normal] Jane Austen Collection (ITV DVD) [Blu-ray / Normal] Lost in Space (Warner Home Video) [Blu-ray / Normal] Lost: The Complete Seasons 1-6 (Walt Disney Studios Home Ent.) [Blu-ray / Special Edition Box Set] MacGruber (Universal Pictures) [Blu-ray / Normal] Monster House (Sony Pictures Home Ent.) [Blu-ray / 3D Edition] Night of the Demons (Kaleidoscope Home Ent.) [Blu-ray / Normal] Ong-Bak: 3 (Optimum Home Entertainment) [Blu-ray / Normal] Rush Hour (Warner Home Video) [Blu-ray / Normal] Sharpe: Classic Collection (ITV DVD) [Blu-ray / Normal] The Losers (Optimum Home Entertainment) [Blu-ray / Normal] The Rolling Stones: Ladies and Gentlemen – The Rolling Stones (Eagle Rock Entertainment) [Blu-ray / Normal] The Smurfs and the Magic Flute (Fabulous Films) [Blu-ray / Normal] The Take (ITV DVD) [Blu-ray / Normal] Ultimate Gangster Collection (Universal Pictures) [Blu-ray / Box Set] Veer (Eros International) [Blu-ray / Normal] Wild Target (EV) [Blu-ray / Normal]
William Friedkinās classic 1973 film finally gets the Blu-ray treatment from Warner Bros with a disc filled with features.
One of the truly great films of the 1970s, it was adapted by William Peter Blatty from his bestselling novel about a young girl (Linda Blair) in Washington D.C. possessed by an evil spirit.
When her distraught mother (Ellen Burstyn) can find no answers from the medical profession, she turns to a local catholic priest (Jason Miller) and an ageing exorcist (Max Von Sydow).
A box office sensation at the time, it scored several Oscar nominations and became something of a pop-culture phenomenon.
In the UK it has a special aura, as Warner Bros decided to stop releasing it on home video after the āvideo nastiesā scare of the mid-1980s and it only got a re-issued years later in 1999.
A further special edition followed in 2000, with 11 minutes of extra footage trimmed from the original theatrical release.
The film is a victim of its own success, as some modern audiences find certain effects (notably the pea soup vomit) dated and that it doesnāt quite live up to its considerable reputation.
However, The Exorcist is much more than just a horror film. A disturbing drama about the breakdown of a family, the loss of faith and the presence of evil, it taps in to deep, universal fears which even the very best horrors donāt even touch.
Coming off the Oscar winning success of The French Connection, Friedkin was at his creative peak and the realistic approach to the material made for a visceral and riveting experience.
The lead performances are uniformly excellent: Burstyn embodies parental anguish; Blair is remarkable as the possessed youngster; Miller gives a quiet dignity to a priest haunted by guilt; and Van Sydow has tremendous presence in the title role.
For the Blu-ray, Warner Bros have included both versions in a two disc set.
I prefer the original theatrical cut, which feels tighter and more polished, but the additional sequences are interesting to compare.
The image quality of the transfer is excellent and certain scenes looks stunning for a film that is thirty-seven years old.
Friedkin attracted some serious criticism for the Blu-ray of The French Connection, where he altered the colour of the film, even prompting cinematographer Owen Roizman to label it as āatrociousā.
Here they seem to have made up and in the liner notes Friedkin states that this Blu-ray was:
”color-timed by the cinematographer Owen Roizman and myself and represents the very best print ever made of ‘The Exorcist”.
Certain sequences have a pristine clarity to them and it is a great showcase for Roizmanās cinematography, which is filled with memorable compositions and images.
Warner Bros Home Entertainment has been forging a reputation as the best studio when it comes to re-releasing classic films and the extras on this disc are plentiful.
It includes all the material from previous DVD versions, such as the audio commentaries and 1998 documentary The Fear of God: The Making of The Exorcist.
The most notable addition is the a 3-part documentary on the filmās production and legacy, featuring on-set footage shot by Owen Roizman, along with as ‘personal message statement’ from Friedkin and a 40-page digi-book with photos and essays.
The full list of extras breaks down like this:
Disc 1: ā Extended Directorās Cut (2000) plus Special Features
Commentary by William Friedkin
Raising Hell: Filming the Exorcist ā set footage produced and photographed by Owen Roizman, camera and makeup tests, and interviews with director William Friedkin, actress Linda Blair, author/screenwriter/producer William Peter Blatty and Owen Roizman (new; Blu-ray exclusive)
The Exorcist Locations: Georgetown Then and Now ā Featuring a tour of the iconic locations where the film was shot (new; Blu-ray exclusive)
Faces of Evil: The Different Versions of The Exorcist ā with director William Friedkin and author/screenwriter/producer William Peter Blatty discussing the different versions of the film and featuring outtakes from the film (new; Blu-ray exclusive)
Trailers, TV spots & radio spots from the filmās 2000 release
Disc 2 ā Theatrical Cut (1973) plus Special Features
Introduction by William Friedkin
Commentaries:Ā William Friedkin /Ā William Peter Blatty with Special Sound Effects Tests
The Fear of God: 25 Years of The Exorcist [1998 BBC documentary]
Additional interviews with William Friedkin and William Peter Blatty
The Original Cut
Stairway to Heaven
The Final Reckoning
Original ending
Sketches & storyboards
Trailers & TV spots from the 1973 version
The Exorcist is out on Blu-ray from Warner Bros Home Entertainment on Monday 11th October
Sam Raimi’s low budget horror debut The Evil Dead is getting re-released on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK.
Shot on 16mm in the backwoods of Tennessee for just $350,000, it established the young director and led to a slew of imitators down the years (e.g Cabin Fever) which never matched the original’s energy and style.
The story involves five students on a break from college – Ash (Bruce Campbell), his girlfriend Linda (Betsy Baker), and their classmates Scott (Hal Delrich), Shelly (Sarah York) and Cheryl (Ellen Sandweiss) – who spend the night at a remote mountain cabin.
After discovering a strange looking book and a reel-to-reel tape recorder, the group starts getting possessed by evil spirits, which leads to a frantic and blood-filled evening.
Despite the low budget production values, the energy and pace of the film are striking reminders of Raimi’s early talent as a director, with the wild camera work and clever sound design adding to the atmosphere.
The unsettling mix of genuine scares and black humour is also something many lesser horror directors have since failed to emulate.
After considerable word of mouth (and an endorsement from horror author Stephen King), the film became a major cult hit on home video, especially after it was banned in Britain during the hysteria of the “Video Nasties” campaign.
Compared to the jokier sequels, it remains one for the genuine horror purist, and apart from one notorious scene involving trees, is relatively restrained by today’s standards.
If you are already a fan, you will be wondering if it is worth the upgrade to Blu-ray from DVD.
The answer to that is yes, mainly because of the improved picture and sound, along with some new extras (alongside several others included on previous DVD releases of the film).
The additional features break down like this:
1080P 1.85:1 Widescreen: The original film was shot on 16mm, which means that the picture quality has some limitations despite being remastered for Blu-ray. Despite that the image still holds pretty well throughout.
All New Commentary with Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert and Bruce Campbell: This commentary was recorded in 2009 and is a highly imformative discussion of the production as they discuss a wide range of things from casting, make-up, effects and how the film was distributed. It is one of those commentaries that tends not to directly discuss what we are seeing on screen, but for anyone new to the film, it is a great introduction.
Picture-in-Picture: Join us! The Undying Legacy of The Evil Dead: This is the visual equivalent of an audio commentary and allows you to watch the film as different directors (including David Slade, Alexandre Aja and Brian Yuzna) comment on the film and specific scenes.
One By One We Will Take You: The Untold Saga of the Evil Dead (54 mins): An excellent making of documentary from the previous DVD version, featuring interviews with key cast and crew about how the film got made and its influence.
Treasures from the Cutting Room Floor (59 mins): A lengthy deleted scenes reel that includes a lot of alternate takes and shots.
At the Drive-In (12 mins): A Q & A featuring Tilly, Sandweiss, Baker, DeManincor, Campbell, Ted Raimi and Tom Sullivan from August 2005 at a drive-in presentation in Chicago.
Discovering Evil Dead (13 mins): A short featurette which Stephen Woolley and Nik Powell talking about how they discovered The Evil Dead and were instrumental in distributing it in the UK, where they released it simultaneously in cinemas and on video. Bill Warren, author of The Evil Dead Companion, also talks about the background to the release.
Make-Up Test (1 min): Short make up test featuring the fake blood and make up of a face melting.
The film still holds up well today and along with being a key horror of the 1980s, also ranks as one the most influential low-budget productions in the history of cinema.
The Evil Dead is out on DVD and Blu-ray from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment on Monday 11th October
Memento (Pathe/20th Century Fox Home Ent.): The classic 2000 thriller with an ingenious flashback structure about a man suffering from a memoray condition (Guy Pearce) trying to find out who killed his wife with the aid of a police officer (Joe Pantoliano) and a bartender (Carrie-Anne Moss) who may or may not be out to help him.
Written and directed by Christopher Nolan, it firmly established him as a major talent with its clever narrative structure: one happens in reverse chronological order whilst the other shows Leonard in a hotel room on the phone as he explains more about his condition.
Although on first viewing the structure can be disorientating, the effect puts us in the position of the protagonist and also – like much of Nolan’s work – repays repeated viewing.
But aside from the cleverness of the construction, the film isn’t just a technical exercise and is a compelling tale of death, grief memory and revenge.
For only his second feature, after the low budget noir Following (1998), it was filled with technical expertise. Wally Pfister‘s cinematography created a distinctive blanc-noir look, Dody Dorn‘s editing made the fractured narrative run smoothly and David Julyan’s synth-heavy score established a moving sense of loss.
It is easy to forget just how good the performances are: Guy Pearce is outstanding in the tricky lead role, painting a riveting portrait of a haunted man adrift in a sea information he can’t process; Carrie-Anne Moss is a convincing femme-fatale with a twist, whilst Joe Pantiolano is wonderfully smarmy as the cop who may or may not be trusted.
A major independent hit that crossed over into the mainstream, it firmly established Nolan as a talent to watch before he went on to bigger Hollywood blockbusters such as The Dark Knight (2008) and Inception (2010).
The special features on the Blu-ray include extras from previous DVD versions but add a few more (most notably the Anatomy of a Scene and the Memento Mori video):
Audio Commentary by Christopher Nolan
IFC Interview with Christopher Nolan
Interview with Guy Pearce
Anatomy of a Scene Featurette
Shooting Script to Film Comparison
Memento Mori video narrated by Writer Jonathan Nolan
International Trailer
Production Skills and Sketches
Props Gallery
International Poster Art
Production Journal
Blogs
Tattoo Gallery
Easter Egg: The Beginning of the End
It is notable how well the film still stands up ten years on, with Nolan’s attention to detail apparent in both the script and visuals.
A film almost designed for repeated viewing, despite a lot of articles purporting to explain the conclusion (e.g. this Salon article), there is something tantalising out of reach about the climactic revelations, as though Nolan wanted us to be like the central character: confused and grasping about small details.
Despite all of Nolan’s Hollywood success since, this remains his most fascinating film and ranks amongst the very best of the decade.
Seven (Warner Home Video): One of the landmark thrillers of the 1990s, Seven was a dark and uncomprimising serial killer film that also turned out to be an unlikely box office hit.
Set in unnamed modern city where it is perpetually raining, Det. William Somerset (Morgan Freeman), a veteran about to retire has to solve one last case with a rookie partner, David Mills (Brad Pitt).
Mills is ambitious and has come to the city with his reluctant wife, Tracy (Gwyneth Paltrow), to solve important cases, but his first is a puzzling and gruesome one involving a killer who chooses his victims according to the seven deadly sins.
Brilliantly scripted by Andrew Kevin Walker, it not only reinvigorated the serial killer genre but also established David Fincher as a great visual director, after the misfire of his debut on Alien 3 (largely due to studio interference).
He cranks up the tension wonderfully and paints a hellish picture of a modern city infected by evil, indifference and corruption.
Darius Khondji’s cinematopgraphy was also first rate, creating a dark and moody look which accentuated the films themes and subject matter.
A lot of the violence is implied rather than shown, although this actually has the effect of making the film more sinister as it slowly reaches its bold andĀ unusualĀ final act.
Although bleak and disturbing for a mainstream release, it became a major hit and ended up earning $327 million worldwide.
The special features are terrific and include the following:
The Stars: David Fincher, Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman Audio Commentary
The Story: Richard Dyer, Andrew Kevin Walker, Richard Francis-Bruce, Michael De Luca, and David Fincher Audio Commentary
The Picture: Darius Khondji, Arthur Max, Richard Francis-Bruce, Richard Dyer, and David Fincher Audio Commentary
The Sound: Ren Klyce, Howard Shore, Richard Dyer, and David Fincher Audio Commentary
Exploration of the Opening Title Sequence
Deleted Scenes
Alternate Ending
Production Design Featurette
Stills Gallery
The Notebooks
Theatrical EPK
Theatrical Trailer
Mastering for the Home Theatre: Audio, Video, Colour Correction & Telecine Gallery
Original Opening
Seven is exactly the kind of well-crafted film that looks fantastic in HD, with Fincher’s visuals and the production designĀ benefitingĀ from the Blu-ray format.
This disc duplicates a lot of the extras from the DVD, which is welcome since they were excellent, but it is still an essential purchase for any true cinephile.
Se7en (Warner Home Video): This dark and uncompromising serial killer film became one of the landmark thrillers of the 1990s. Set in a rainy, unnamed US city, Det. William Somerset (Morgan Freeman), a veteran about to retire, has to solve one last case with a rookie partner, David Mills (Brad Pitt).
Greenberg (Universal Pictures): A comedy-drama about a forty-something man, Roger Greenberg (Ben Stiller), who decides to housesit for his brother in LA, where he meets an old friend (Rhys Ifans) and a younger woman (Greta Gerwig). Directed by Noah Baumbach.
Although Noah Baumbach’s films can suffer from heavy doses of smug, metropolitan misanthropy this is one of his more successful attempts to depict the downsides of modern life. [Read the full review here] [Buy it on Blu-ray or DVD at Amazon UK]
Memento (Pathe/20th Century Fox Home Ent.): Classic 2000 thriller with an ingenious flashback structure about a man suffering from a memoray condition (Guy Pearce) trying to find out who killed his wife with the aid of a police officer (Joe Pantoliano) and a bartender (Carrie-Anne Moss) who may or may not be out to help him.
Written and directed by Christopher Nolan, it firmly established him as a major talent with its clever narrative structure which inter-cuts two narrative threads. Although on first viewing the structure can be disorientating, the effect puts us in the position of the protagonist and also – like much of Nolan’s work – repays repeated viewing. [Read the full review] [Buy it on Blu-ray from Amazon UK]
ALSO OUT
4.3.2.1 (Universal Pictures) [Blu-ray / Normal] Alice in Wonderland – Animated (Jef Films) [Blu-ray / Normal] Anchorman – The Legend of Ron Burgundy (Paramount Home Entertainment) [Blu-ray / Normal] Band of Brothers (Warner Home Video/HBO) [Blu-ray / Tin Case] Bubba Ho-Tep / My Name Is Bruce / I Sell the Dead (Anchor Bay Entertainment UK) [Blu-ray / Box Set] By the Will of Ghengis Khan (Manga Entertainment) [Blu-ray / Normal] Cats and Dogs (Warner Home Video) [Blu-ray / Normal] Confucius (Showbox Media Group) [Blu-ray / Normal] Fanboys (Anchor Bay Entertainment UK) [Blu-ray / Normal] Forbidden Planet (Warner Home Video) [Blu-ray / Normal] Gremlins (Warner Home Video) [Blu-ray / Normal] Happy Feet (Warner Home Video) [Blu-ray / Normal] Heroes: The Complete Series 4 (Universal/Playback) [Blu-ray / Normal] Higanjima – Escape from Vampire Island (Manga Entertainment) [Blu-ray / Normal] Letters to Juliet (E1 Entertainment UK) [Blu-ray / Normal] Objectified (Plexi Film) [Blu-ray / Normal] Shane Meadows Collection (Optimum Home Entertainment) [Blu-ray / Normal] The Blair Witch Project (Lionsgate UK) [Blu-ray / Normal] The Brothers Bloom (Optimum Home Entertainment) [Blu-ray / Normal] The Disappearance of Alice Creed (Icon Home Entertainment) [Blu-ray / Normal] The Heavy (Lionsgate UK) [Blu-ray / Normal] The Human Centipede – First Sequence (Eureka) [Blu-ray / Normal] The Loved Ones (Optimum Home Entertainment) [Blu-ray / Normal] Zombie Collection (Optimum Home Entertainment) [Blu-ray / Normal]
New Material
