Blu-ray Movie Reviews
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Oldboy (Blu-ray Review)
Nominated for Palme d'Or and winner of the Grand Prize of the Jury at the Cannes Film Festival, Korean director Park Chan-wook's "Oldboy" (2003) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Palisades Tartan. The supplemental features on the disc include three audio commentaries - one by director Park Chan-wook; one by director Park Chan-wook and cinematographer Chung Ching-hoon; and one by director Park Chan-wook and actors Gang Hye-jung, Yu Ji-tae, and Choi Min-sik - a gallery of dele...Video
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Park Chan-wook's Oldboy arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Palisades Tartan.
My major complaint with this high-definition transfer is the fact that it is fairly inconsistent. Portions of it look good, with pleasing clarity and fine object detail. Despite the unique use of light, many of the indoor scenes during the first half of the film also look good. Cont...Audio
There are five audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: Korean DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, Korean Dolby Digital 5.1 EX, Korean Dolby Digital Stereo, English Dolby Digital 5.1 and English Dolby Digital Stereo. For the record, Palisades Tartan have provided optional English subtitles for the main feature and extras. When turned on, they split the image frame and the black bar below it (see captures).
The Korean DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track is solid. I particularly enjoyed how it treated Shim H...Supplements
Trailer - the original UK theatrical trailer for the film. (2 min, 1080p).
Deleted Scenes - ten deleted scenes (Oh Dae-su; Day One; Restaurant; Confronting the Guards; Kiss; The Lovers 1; The Lovers 2; Woo-jin's Preparation; Remaining Plot; Tube Station - Reflection), with optional commentary by director Park Chan-wook. In Korean, with optional English subtitles. (11 min, 1080p).
Commentary - an audio commentary with director Park...Final Words
Oldboy is a strong film with unique qualities. It is beautifully lensed and complimented by a truly wonderful music score - which makes all the graphic violence in it that much more surprising. Everything, however, is put together very convincingly, with a special touch of class. Palisades Tartan's (the successor of Tartan Films) disc was one of their very first high-definition releases, and it clearly shows. Depending on the price, I'd say it is worth adding it to your library. RECOMMEND......
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Wagner: Siegfried (Staged by La Fura Dels Baus) (Blu-ray Review)
Is Siegfried raging against or for "the machine" in this astounding new production of Wagner's masterpiece?
If youve ever experienced a Ring Cycle live, you probably know that its usually toward the second hour or so of Siegfried that you either begin to question your sanity in ever getting yourself into this quagmire, or you simply resign yourself to your fate and realize that in a mere six or seven more hours (including of course Siegfrieds follow-up, Götterdämmerung), youll have wended your way through one of the most complex works of operatic art ever written. Comm...Video
This is yet another top notch effort from C Major and Unitel Classics on Blu-ray, with a superb 1080i AVC encoded transfer in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1. This is in some ways the darkest of the three Ring episodes thus far reviewed, but the Blu-ray offers well delineated contrast and exceptional black levels. Colors are amazing in this outing, especially in the manifold projections, which offer an almost hallucinogenic array of visions, often with unbelievably beautifully saturated color...Audio
As with the two precursors to Siegfried, this DTS HD-MA 7.1 recording offers glories in abundance, highlighted by Mehta's very assured conducting of the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana. While the orchestra is probably never going to compete with, say, the Berlin Philharmonic or the Bayreuth Festival, there is a beautifully golden quality to this recording, especially in the brass, which plays such an important part in this score especially. Mehta coaxes an amazing amount of nuance ...Supplements
As with the other two installments, we get a Making of featurette which runs about 27 minutes. It offers Mehta and other backstage personnel talking about the production, as well as some very interesting footage of the rehearsal process....Final Words
Siegfried continues the amazing journey this new Ring production has offered to viewers over the last couple of months. Those of you who regularly read my opera reviews know I do not suffer artistic license taken to extremes very gladly. Luckily, this production proves a vaunted work of art can be given a completely radical makeover while never sacrificing the elements which made it great to begin with. This is one Siegfried where, despite its four hour-plus running time,......
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UFC: Best of 2009 (Blu-ray Review)
The tale of the tape says that this two-disc set is a must-own for UFC fans.
Once you finally step into the octagon, that's when the real work begins.
2009 was a banner year for the Ultimate Fighting Championships. Not only has the sport grown immensely in popularity since the first UFC in November of 1993 in Denver, Colorado, but it has attracted some of the best fighters from around the world and about the world of professional sports. Former wrestlers, boxers, and football players; masters of various fighting styles; all-out brawlers; and ...Video
UFC: Best of 2009 suits up on Blu-ray with a 1080i, 1.78:1-framed transfer that's similar to a high quality high definition broadcast, reflective of the various events' original airing parameters. Like the previous UFC Blu-ray releases consisting of newly-minted footage, Best of 2009 features a stable, pleasant image that's not going to rival new releases of filmed blockbusters but it does offer sharp, crisp, and nicely detailed imagery throughout. Fine detailing is nic...Audio
UFC: Best of 2009 pounds its way onto Blu-ray with a Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack. This is a case where source material is what it is, and while listeners aren't going to feel immersed in the the fights via a full and seamless 360-degree sound field or experience every blow through prodigious bass, this sonic presentation reproduces the original broadcast elements to a satisfactory level. Though centered about the hard-hitting world of mixed martial arts, UFC: Best of 2009<...Supplements
UFC: Best of 2009 includes several "bonus fights" that aren't included as part of the primary body of the feature. The fights are available individually both under the "special features" tab of the menu or during the program by selecting a pop-up icon that appears when the option is turned on inside the "special features" tab. The following bonus fights are included:
Disc One
St-Pierre vs. Penn (UFC 94)
Swick vs. Hardy (UFC 105)
Akiyama ...Final Words
UFC: Best of 2009 hits hard and doesn't relent from beginning to end. A veritable gold mine for UFC fans and, other than the pricy but well-worth-it four-disc collection of the best 100 fights of all time as voted on by UFC's most knowledgeable and ardent fans, there's not a better way than this release to dive into the world of UFC for the first time on Blu-ray disc. This set offers a fine cross-section of figh......
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Bigger Than Life (Criterion Collection) (Blu-ray Review)
Nominated for Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, Nicholas Ray's "Bigger Than Life" (1956) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include an exclusive audio commentary with film critic Geoff Andrew; video featurette with award-winning novelist Jonathan Lethem; video interview with Susan Ray, Nicholas Ray's widow, and the editor of "I Was Interrupted: Nicholas Ray on Making Movies"; "Profile of Nicholas Ray" - a half-hour 1977 TV interview with Nic...Video
Presented in its ori9ginal aspect ratio of 2.55:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Nicholas Ray's Bigger Than Life arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.
The following text appears in the booklet provided with the Blu-ray disc:
"For this new high-definition digital transfer, the original 35mm camera negative was scanned at 4K resolution on an Oxberry 6400 Liquid Gate scanner and color graded and restored at 2K resolution. Thousands of insta...Audio
There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: English LPCM 1.0. For the record, Criterion have provided optional English subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.
I don't have any major reservations with the English LPCM 1.0 track. The dialog is clear, clean and easy to follow. I did not detect any balance issues with David Raksin's music score either. I did notice, however, a number of improvements in terms of stability when I compared...Supplements
Profile of Nicholas Ray - a half-hour 1977 TV interview with Nicholas Ray, hosted by critic Cliff Jahr, provides a revealing look at the director's thematic interests, his love of actors, and his unique perspective on cinema. I strongly encourage you to find the time to see the interview as there are some fascinating comments by Ray addressing his work with James Dean on Rebel Without a Cause, as well as some surprising revelations about his relationship with Warner Brothers...Final Words
Arguably director Nicholas Ray's best film, Bigger Than Life arrives on Blu-ray with a striking transfer that should meet the quality expectations of even the most demanding amongst film aficionados. The supplemental features included on the disc are also very strong. I particularly enjoyed Cliff Jahr's conversation with director Ray and Jonathan Lethem's intelligent analysis. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. ......
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A Concert by the Lake (Blu-ray Review)
Perhaps the poshest charity gig ever.
If youre the sort that pays attention to the music scene in your city, youve likely noticed that members of one band will often turn up in recordings for another, and that groups will frequently dissolve and reform from a shuffling cast of familiar names and faces and playing styles. Every so often, if the musicians are renowned enough for their respective projects, they coalesce into a so- called supergroup. Obviously, this is no new phenomenon, but the idea of the supergroup really to...Video
Shot on high-definition video and given a 1080i/AVC encode, A Concert By The Lake is as clear as unmuddied waters on Blu-ray. Ive reviewed a number of similar concert discs recently, and this one has been the best of the bunch in terms of picture quality. For these kinds of releases, its not unusual to see errant aliasing, weak contrast, and angry swarms of video noise, but this is one is largely free of any compression-related problems, has inky and consistent black level...Audio
For some reason, the disc defaults to a Linear PCM 2.0 stereo mixwhich is strongbut the meatiest offering here is its DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. This soundboard mix is tight, clean, and undeniably live, with an open, airy quality that captures the concerts outdoors ambience. Thats not to say it isnt grounded, as the various instruments all have heft and presence, from Eric Claptons sweetly overdriven solos to the rock solid bass, which is deep and defined. The horn...Supplements
Interviews (SD, 9:50)
The only bonus feature included on the disc is this short featurette, which includes interviews with nearly all of the musicians involved with the concert, as well as footage of the Band du Lac practicing in what looks to be an elementary school auditorium. ...Final Words
A Concert By The Lake is a solid night of cover songs by an all-star house band of middle- aged British rockers. Obviously, this isnt for everyone, but if you like concerts on Blu-ray and youre a fan of Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, or Gary Brooker, you might want to give this one a rental at least. A portion of the sales of this release goes to HASTE, so if heart health is a cause thats near and dear to youas it likely is for these aging rock starsyou may want to consider a purc......
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