Film   

Series 1 

Series 2 

I’m a big fan of Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot character and I’ve enjoyed the books, the movies, and especially the television show starring David Suchet as the imcomparable Poirot.  No other actor has played Poirot more than Suchet, and it’s been recently announced that he will finally be able to achieve his dream of filming every story written for Poirot when the series finishes filming in 2013.  While Albert Finney was good in Murder on the Orient Express as was Peter Ustinov in the the further theatrical movies, but Suchet has captured the character like no other.  Before taking on the role, Suchet read all of the stories and took notes about every description and characteristic of the character.  As he described his process later, “What I did was, I had my file on one side of me and a pile of stories on the other side and day after day, week after week, I ploughed through most of Agatha Christie’s novels about Hercule Poirot and wrote down characteristics until I had a file full of documentation of the character. And then it was my business not only to know what he was like, but to gradually become him. I had to become him before we started shooting.”

That attention to detail paid off as he has now become the de facto Poirot for the public and has achieved the rare feat of playing a single character over a span of twenty-three years.  Over that period of time, the cast has changed over the years, with some characters coming and going depending on the the novels the show was based on.  Popular characters like Captain Hastings, Chief Inspector Japp, and Miss Lemon all disappeared when the series returned for the 2003 season, which was consistent with the plotlines the shows were based on but it was unpopular with viewers.  It’s been difficult for fans of the show to watch it in any kind of semblance of order since it’s been released by a variety of studios but in a confusing hodgepodge of editions.  For the U.S. market, both Acorn Media and A&E Home Video have split the rights to the show with Acorn Media owning the rights for the 36 standard-length episodes, including the first nine double-length episodes, and the episodes broadcast since 2008.  The other movie-length episodes are distributed by A&E, who co-produced several of them.  (You can read my review of the Agatha Christie Poirot – Movie Collection Set 6 here).  In a much appreciated move, Acorn Media is now releasing the series in it’s original UK broadcast order starting with these two editions with more to follow.

Here is the list of episodes to be found on the Series 1 and Series 2 sets:

Series 1:

Disc 1

1. The Adventure of the Clapham Cook – Finding a missing cook proves a challenge for Poirot.
2. Murder in the Mews – Poirot investigates a suspicious death on Guy Fawkes Day.
3. The Adventure of Johnnie Waverley – Poirot probes kidnapping threats against a rich man’s son.
4. Four and Twenty Blackbirds – The detective uses his culinary knowledge to solve a case.
5. The Third Floor Flat – Poirot looks into a murder that occurred close to home.

 Disc 2

1. Triangle at Rhodes – A new case interrupts the sleuth’s Greek holiday.
2. Problem at Sea – Poirot unravels the mystery of a woman killed aboard a cruise ship.
3. The Incredible Theft – Poirot is called in when top-secret government documents get stolen.
4. The King of Clubs – A playing card is the only clue in a complicated case.
5. The Dream – A wealthy man asks Poirot to investigate his recurring nightmare.

Series 2:

Disc 1

1. Peril at End House – Poirot fears for the safety of a young female friend.
2. The Veiled Lady – The detective takes a risk by helping a mysterious woman.
3. The Lost Mine – Poirot looks into the disappearance of a valuable map.
4. The Cornish Mystery – An apprehensive wife asks Poirot to investigate her husband.

 Disc 2

1. The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim – A wealthy banker suddenly goes missing.
2. Double Sin – Poirot makes a shocking announcement about his career.
3. The Adventure of the Cheap Flat – Poirot harbors suspicions about a bargain piece of real estate.
4. The Kidnapped Prime Minister – Poirot is charged with solving a high-profile case.
5. The Adventure of the Western Star – A jewel thief is no match for Poirot’s sleight of hand.

I hadn’t seen these early seasons before so this was a double treat to not only get new episodes to watch and to be able to see them on Blu-ray too.  These earlier seasons differ quite a bit from the later ones since there’s more of an emphasis on humor and an entirely different look as well.  The series started off with a fantastic Art Deco look that must have been phased out over time.  From the show’s opening title sequence throughout the show, fans of Art Deco will enjoy seeing these episodes.  Of course all of the mysteries are interesting (these are Agatha Christie stories after all), but I really enjoyed the comedic interplay between Poirot, Hastings (Hugh Fraser), and Inspector Japp (Philip Jackson).  The humor is all character based which makes it even funnier since it could be Poirot getting frustrated by his friends’ lack of culture or their amusement at his finicky and pompous nature.  As I’ve observed before, Poirot is a fantastic character who just as brilliant and eccentric as his literary counterpart Sherlock Holmes.  His formidable intellect is nicely counter-balanced with human flaws such as his ego which humanizes that character.  In one of the best episodes of the series (and can be found on the Series 2 set), is “The Veiled Lady,” where Poirot’s belief that he could have been a master criminal is put to the test to hilarious results when he resorts to breaking into a residence to recover some letters and discovers that he is a much better detective than a thief.  This is a great show and now that you can watch it in the original broadcast order just makes it even more enjoyable to see. 

Video 

Series 1 

Series 2   

These episodes have retained their broadcast 1.33:1 aspect ratio for this 1080p transfer and they look quite a bit better than the previous DVD releases.  For both series, the colors are a lot brighter, there’s a greater degree of clarity and sharpness, and by the second series, the flesh tones are a lot more natural and consistent.  Both series look very good but I would have to say that Series 2 is the better of the two.  While some minor DNR appears to have been used for Series 1, Series 2 appears to have not needed it.  Black levels on both sets could have been better but other than that, both of them look much better than the previous home video releases. 

Audio 

Series 1    

Series 2    

The Dolby Digital 2.0 mono mix for both sets is adequate but could  have been improved with a lossless mix.  This is a front channel focused release which is fine since it’s basically an all dialogue driven show.  The dialogue is clear and clean, and the sound effects (which aren’t that involved) also sound fine.  Christopher Gunning’s main theme and score for the show also sounds pretty good but could have benefited from a better mix.

Extras   

Series 1    

Series 2    

There are no special features for either series set which is a shame for the fans and it will unfortunately bring down the final score.

Summary   

This is a fantastic show and now there’s even more of a reason for you to start watching it now that it’s in the original broadcast order and in high definition.  These sets offer much better picture and audio quality than the earlier releases and even without  extras, they are worth the extra cost to upgrade to.  David Suchet is wonderful as the one and only Poirot and any fan of mysteries will love this show. 

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Film  

The Apartment is considered one of Billy Wilder’s finest movies and it’s been on my list to see for a long time.  I’m glad I waited because this Blu-ray is first rate.  The idea of the movie was based on several real life stories from which I.A.L. Diamond wove together different aspects to create the movie.  After the great success of his previous collaboration with Jack Lemmon in Some Like it Hot, Billy Wilder wanted to work with the actor again.  He then enlisted Shirley MacLaine, but he had to replace Paul Douglas with Fred MacMurray when Douglas died days before filming.

The Apartment tells the tale of a low level accountant named C.C. Baxter (Jack Lemmon) who is so desperate to be promoted within his insurance company, he allows his superiors use his apartment for their extramarital liaisons. What started off as a kind gesture for one boss to use his apartment to change his clothes in, has turned into a daily routine with reservations on his place every day of the week.  Baxter hates the situation as none of his superiors mind in the least that they are impacting his life, but he is scared to stop it in fear that he won’t get his promotion.

Since Baxter now has so much free time on his hands, he spends a lot of it watching and talking to one of the elevator operators in his office building called Fran Kubelik (Shirley MacLaine) who he’s been attracted to for a long time.  Fran seems completely out of his league since most of his bosses have already tried to woo her and failed. Baxter has issues at home too since his neighbor’s are tired of hearing what’s going on in his apartment and they assume he is the sole cause of it all, a criticism that he accepts rather than tell them the truth.  In fact, one of the running gags of the movie is his neighbor Dr. Dreyfuss (Jack Kruschen) seeing the countless women go in and out of the apartment in constant bewilderment.

All of his long hours at work and sitting outside in the freezing cold while waiting to be allowed back into his apartment finally pay off for Baxter when four of his mid-management “clients” write a glowing recommendation about Baxter that’s so positive that it catches the eye of Mr. Sheldrake (Fred MacMurray) who is the Director of Personnel.  He calls Baxter into his office and let’s him know that he’s aware that something’s going on and turns the screws on Baxter until Baxter  agrees to give him a key to the apartment in exchange for the promotion.  To sweeten the deal, Sheldrake gives Baxter two tickets to see “The Music Man” in exchange for the use of the apartment that night.  An astonished and happy Baxter agrees, and he invites Fran to join him that night to see the play which she agrees to but after she meets with her former paramour for a drink.

What Baxter doesn’t realize is that the man Fran is meeting is Sheldrake himself who convinces Fran that he’s going to leave his wife and children and marry her.  Despite knowing better, Fran believes him and they go to Baxter’s apartment even though Fran isn’t aware that it’s Baxter’s whom she just stood up.  Baxter is disappointed by her not showing up but the promotion he has long dreamed about cheers him up a lot and he forgives her.  Later, when Baxter discovers a broken mirror  left in his apartment, he returns it to Sheldrake who says that the owner of it had thrown it at him.  It’s not until the office Christmas party where Baxter thinks he might be winning Fran over that he discovers that she is the woman Sheldrake is seeing when she offers him her broken mirror to see how his new hat looks.  Crushed at the discovery, his promotion doesn’t seem as important as it once did compared to his feelings for Fran.

Things take a darker turn when Sheldrake’s secretary (Edie Adams) tells Fran that she is the latest in a long line of women to be Sheldrake’s mistress and that he’s told each one of them that he would divorce his wife for them too. After hearing what she had long suspected, Fran angrily questions Sheldrake while they are at Baxter’s apartment, but he tries to placate her until it’s time for him to go home to his family.  Fran is so distraught at the realization that she will never be loved by Sheldrake like she loves him, that she takes an overdoes of sleeping pills and goes to sleep in Baxter’s bed.  For poor Baxter, who was also depressed at the apparent loss of Fran to Sheldrake has spent hours in a bar getting drunk waiting for Sheldrake’s time to be up before returning home.  He comes home with a drunk woman he picked up at the bar only to discover Fran on the brink of death.  That brush with death clarifies every-one’s situation and feelings as Baxter must decide what’s most important to him – Fran or his promotion, while Fran must choose between men and restore her self-esteem.

I have to say, that The Apartment is not the movie that I thought it would be.  I was expecting an out and out comedy film, but this was more of a dramedy especially with the darker elements in the last act of the movie.  To everyone in the film’s credit, both the comedy and the dramatic elements are excellent.  Jack Lemmon was perfect for this movie as he’s such a great actor that he makes it all believable.  His nervous energy and ticks make the character a lot of fun to watch and his ease balancing both drama and comedy shows why he was one of our best actors.  Shirley MacLaine is also good as Fran who knows what the reality of her situation is but refuses to believe it until it’s almost too late.  It’s not a big role but she does a lot with it and she makes us sympathize with the downtrodden young woman.

It was something of a shock to me to see Fred MacMurray in this kind of a role, since I grew up watching him in Disney movies like The Absent Minded Professor, in which he always played kind and paternal roles.  Seeing him as the amoral Sheldrake who bullied anyone that got in his way was a far cry from the roles I was used to seeing him in. MacMurray was brilliant as Sheldrake, especially the scene where he blackmails Baxter.  While he may not have been the first choice for the role, I think he was perfect for it with his natural presence and demeanor being used to play a selfish man.  The movie sports a great script from Diamond and once again Wilder proves that his reputation as a director was well-deserved.  While I think the movie could have been trimmed more (it runs a little over two hours), there’s no denying the talent involved in this movie and it’s place in movie history.

Video  

This 1080p (2.35:1) transfer is very impressive for a movie this old.  The black and white cinematography looks stunning and could almost be called noirish with all of it’s shadowy scenes.  Detail and textures look great and have a clarity that will allow you to see the designs in the suits.  The black levels are gloriously dark and the contrast is spot on.  For a movie this old, you’d expect to see a lot of defects and blemishes, but only other that a few specks here and there, this transfer looks fantastic.  This is a very clean presentation that looks cinematic and without heavy scrubbing from DNR.  Fans of the film will be very happy!

Audio  

The Apartment’s DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix is also impressive despite it’s age with a clean sounding sound mix that clearly delivers the film’s many witty one-liners.  Most of the dialogue is primarily delivered by the front channels, with only minor instances of the rear speakers offering some directional effects.  Adolph Deutsch’s score for the movie also sounds good and balanced in well with the rest of the movie.  To make it even better, there’s no age related defects on the sound mix like hissing or scratches either.

Extras  

There’s not a lot of extras on the disc, but the ones that are here are good ones.  The bad news is that they are in standard definition with the exception of the trailer.

• Commentary with Film Historian Bruce Block – This is an informative commentary that’s filled with some good information about the movie and Block also offers some great stories as well.  He does occasionally drop into just watching the movie and describing the action onscreen. but it’s hard not to on a movie this good.
• Inside The Apartment – My favorite extra on this disc is this thirty minute look at the making of the movie and it’s director.   We hear from a bunch of critics and historians including: Molly Haskell, Robert Osborne, Ed Shov, and Drew Casper  and even better, with cast members Shirley MacLaine, Edie Adams, Johnny Seven, Hope Holiday.  In a nice touch, we also hear from Jack Lemmon’s son Chris Lemmon and I.A.L. Diamond’s son Paul as well.  Combined, they all take us behind the scenes of the movie and why it’s so respected.
• Magic Time – The Art of Jack Lemmon – Jack’s son Chris (among others) talks about the life and career of his inimitable father.
• Theatrical Trailer

Summary  

There’s a reason this dramedy won five Oscars including Best Picture and it’s a refreshingly mature film filled with adult content that surprisingly escaped the censors of the time.  While there’s nothing overt, there’s plenty that’s hinted at and sometimes directly shown.  The cast is fabulous and this is one of Wilder’s best movies.  This Blu-ray is easy to recommend since both the audio and the picture quality are excellent and the extras are nice too.  You should have this movie in your collection!

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Film  

Rebecca became Alfred Hitchcock’s first American produced movie when he teamed up with David O. Selznick to make five movies together over a period of seven years.  Hitchcock had wanted access to more money and bigger stars and all that came together for him starting with Rebecca.  Based on the novel by Daphne Du Maurier, this Gothic tale of obsession and secrets was a perfect vehicle for Alfred Hitchcock’s talents.  His movie is full of dark and oppressive atmosphere that steadily builds suspense over the course of the movie.

When the movie opens, we see a man named Maximilian (Maxim) de Winter (Laurence Olivier) who may or may not be contemplating a suicidal jump from a cliff.  To a young woman (Joan Fontaine) who see him at the edge of the cliff, he looks like he’s ready to jump and she tries to intervene, much to his annoyance.  He runs her off only to later see  the young woman (who is never named) again in the lobby of the hotel.  He learns that she is the paid companion to the haughty Mrs. Van Hopper (Florence Bates) who forces him to drink coffee with them.

It doesn’t take long before Maxim and the young woman start to see each other once Mrs. Van Hopper develops a cold and is bedridden.  For the young woman, Maxim is a handsome and dashing figure who belongs to a world that she can only dream of.  For Maxim, the young woman’s innocence and modesty is a welcome relief from his own personal demons that have haunted him since the death of his wife Rebecca de Winter.  By the time Mrs. Van Hopper is ready to return to New York with her companion, Maxim intervenes with a marriage proposal for the young woman which she readily accepts.

Now married, the couple returns to Maxim’s huge family mansion that’s known as Manderley.  Just seeing the house overwhelms the young woman and from that point forward she will continually feel out of place.  Upon entering the mansion she is met by an army of staff that are there to cater to her every whim.  On the surface, all of the staff are kind to the young woman, but they constantly make cutting remarks comparing her to the previous Mrs. de Winter. None of the servants are more bitter about Maxim’s new wife than the head housekeeper the creepy Mrs. Danvers (Judith Anderson).  Mrs. Danvers has an extremely unhealthy obsession about Rebecca, the first Mrs. de Winter and she barely is able to mask her disdain and fury from the young woman whom she considers to be common and unworthy.  Rebecca’s room is now kept as a shrine to her memory and maintained jealously by Mrs. Danvers .

Since all she has heard and seen since she arrived at Manderley is either Rebecca’s name or her possessions, the young woman becomes determined to discover the truth about Maxim’s late wife and to learn the details of her death.  That task isn’t easy since no one wants to talk about her other than Mrs. Danvers and Rebecca’s “cousin” Jack (George Sanders) who doesn’t seem all that trustworthy.  In fact, the obsequious Jack may now a lot more than he is letting on but she avoids him because Maxim has warned him to stay away.  Try as she might, the young woman is continually set up to fail by Mrs. Danvers whose acts of sabotage  keep getting her in trouble with Maxim.  At one point, Mrs. Danvers tries to convince the young woman to commit suicide and does everything she can to make it happen.  As you’d expect, eventually all of the secrets are made known, with every player trying to achieve their goals one last time.

Rebecca is a moody atmospheric mystery movie that many feel should be a thriller.  It has all of the makings of a thriller but that’s not the direction Hitchcock took it.  Instead, he focused on developing a forbidding, oppressive atmosphere once the couple arrives at Manderley.  This is a strange hybrid of a movie however, with the first part of the movie being presented as something of a romantic comedy (minus the whole possible suicide jump) but shifts gears once they reach Manderley.  Hitchcock slowly builds the suspense (a little too slowly for some) and the final reveal is effective but not as much as it should have been considering the talent behind and in front of the camera.

The cast is good in their roles but I wasn’t that crazy about Olivier’s portrayal of Maxim which I found to be uneven and overwrought.  His Maxim seemed to have two modes – imperious or bitchy and they could swing wildly back and forth in a moment’s notice.  On the other hand, the beautiful Joan Fontaine was excellent in her role as the young woman who is treated carelessly by her husband and has to endure the many comments that compare her to Rebecca.  I wasn’t too aware of Ms. Fontaine’s work, but I shouldn’t be surprised at her talent and beauty since she is Olivia de Havilland’s sister.  The real menace to the film belongs to Judith Anderson’s evil Mrs. Danvers who is a perfect Victorian era villain.  Determined to destroy the young woman any way possible, she resorts to insults, intimidation, threats, and subtle manipulation to do it.  By the end of the movie, you know the young woman is in danger just being near Mrs. Danvers which adds a lot of momentum towards the end.  While this may not be one of Hitchcock’s finest movies, it does have a great atmosphere and some excellent performances and I recommend it.

Video  

This 1080p (1.37:1) transfer looks pretty good, especially when compared to Spellbound which is another one of Hitchcock’s movies that has just come out on Blu-ray.  The film has impressive sharpness and clarity but still suffers from scratches and other age related issues.  I think they put more effort into restoring this film over the others, or perhaps this film just had a better source element, but in either case it looks pretty good notwithstanding.  Black levels are solid and the contrast is excellent.  The black and white cinematography looks great and this is an improvement over previous home releases.

Audio  

I’m happy to report that Rebecca’s DTS-HD Master 2.0 mix doesn’t suffer from the same hissing that plagued Spellbound.  This track is quite an improvement in fact, with crisp clear dialogue and sound effects.  The score by Franz Waxman is also well balanced with the rest of the movie.  Unlike Spellbound, Rebecca doesn’t really suffer from the defects that occur on older movies.  The range may not be as impressive as today’s movies but it works pretty well for this movie.

Special Features  

Once again, another good collection of extras for a Hitchcock movie but this time there’s three radio plays and screen tests of other famous actresses who vied for the part made famous by Joan Fontaine.

• Commentary by Richard Schickel – Time Magazine’s film critic Richard Schickel offers a knowledgeable and sometimes critical commentary of the movie.  He isn’t afraid to voice what he doesn’t like which is a refreshing change of pace from the usual practice.  He also tells some great stories and delivers a great commentary.
• Isolated Music and Effects Track
• The Making of Rebecca – A look at the making of the film and the struggles between Hitchcock and Selznick, the process of adapting Daphne DuMaurier’s novel, and more.  Fans of the movie will find this very interesting.
• The Gothic World of Daphne DuMaurier- This is an almost twenty minute profile of Rebecca‘s author.
• Screen Tests- A peek at what could have been since we see the screen tests of  Margaret Sullavan and Vivien Leigh (with her then boyfriend Laurence Olivier) if the part didn’t go to Joan Fontaine.
• Radio Plays – In the other Hitchcock release, they’ve included a radio play for each movie, but this time they generously give you three choices:  the original 1938 version starring Orson Welles ; a 1941 Cecil B. DeMille production starring Ronald Colman, Ida Lupino and Judith Anderson; and finally a 1950 version with Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh finally getting to perform it together.  Each of them last about an hour!
• Hitchcock Audio Interviews – Another one of my favorite Hitchcock extras continues with another conversation between him and Peter Bogdanovich and François Truffaut.
• Theatrical Trailer

Final Thoughts  

The film was nominated for eleven Academy Awards, including Olivier, Fontaine and Anderson for their performances.  It ended up winning Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Cinematography and remains the only film to win Best Picture without being awarded anything for the acting, writing, or directing of the movie.  I can understand about the cinematography since it’s lush, moody, and captures the dark atmosphere of Manderley.  I also loved any scene that took place within Manderley as it was gorgeous to see.  If you are looking for a good movie to watch on a rainy day, then I recommend you give this one a chance.

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Film  

Every Hitchcock film has a focus, whether or not it’s greed, fear, anger, or in this case psychoanalysis.  The movie’s produced David O. Selznick wanted to make a film that showcased the positive aspects of psychoanalysis because it had helped him.  There’s even a message at the start of the film advocating psychoanalysis and its benefits and Selznick even hired his own therapist to serve as the film’s technical adviser.

Ingrid Bergman stars as Dr. Constance Petersen, a psychoanalyst at the Green Manors mental hospital whose icy demeanor is a subject of humor for the rest of the staff there.  Constance is perceived to be passionless which her co-workers believe hinders her work as a psychoanalyst since she doesn’t understand love or how strong emotions can affect people.  Constance disagrees and thinks the whole concept of love is silly.  Her boss, the director of the hospital Dr. Murchison (Leo G. Carroll) is about to be forcibly retired due to a past mistakes that occurred because of nervous exhaustion.  Once he returns from his vacation, he is to train his replacement, a younger doctor by the name of Anthony Edwardes.

When Dr. Edwardes (Gregory Peck) shows up he seems more interested in the lovely Dr. Petersen than his job and he convinces her to to go on a long walk with him where they get to know each other, much to the amusement of the rest of the staff.  When they all join together to eat dinner and when Constance tries to explain how she thought the shape of a future pool should look like by drawing outlines on the tablecloth, she notices Edwardes react strongly to the lines on the linen.  He even smooths them out with his knife which only Constance notices.  Her observations of him make her more worried and suspicious when she learns that the Edwardes that showed up is an impostor because his handwriting doesn’t match an inscription left in one of the original’s books.  When she confronts him he quickly acknowledges that he killed the real Edwardes, but Constance doesn’t believe him because she believes he is suffering from amnesia and a  guilt complex and that he isn’t capable of murder.

When Edwardes sneaks out in the middle of the night, he leaves a note for Constance telling her that he’s traveling to the Empire State Hotel in New York City.  Once it becomes public knowledge that Edwardes is a fake, Murchison calls in the police to investigate.  Constance follows Edwardes to New York where she convinces him that she can help cure him with her training.  Now on the run from the police, the two journey to to Rochester to meet Constance’s former mentor, Dr. Brulov (Michael Checkhov) to see if he can help them cure the amnesia.

From there on, the movie delves into Edwardes surreal dreams (designed by Salvador Dali) where he sees images that he can’t connect to real life including eyes on curtains, blank playing cards, a man with no face, a man falling off a building, a man hiding behind a chimney who drops a wheel, and a pair of wings chasing after him.  When Constance sees Edwardes react to sled tracks in the snow, she deduces that it is actually a pair of ski tracks that’s triggering his reactions.  By putting all of the pieces together from Edwardes dream, they figure out that that he was at a ski lodge with the real Dr. Edwardes and they travel there to to finish unraveling the mystery by re-enacting what happened.  The danger of that is if the fake Edwardes is the real killer, it would mean that Constance might be killed.

For me, this film has good and bad elements.  First off the positive aspects would include the cast and some very nice shots (including one with an open razor) that remind you that Hitchcock is the film’s director.  The negatives for me include some laughably bad shots including one with Constance and Edwardes kissing with a series of superimposed doors opening to symbolize her guard finally dropping, and a bunch of rear projection shots that look terrible.  The worst offender is the scene of Constance and Edwardes skiing in front of a rear projection screen that had to look bad even back in 1945.  You can’t fake skiing like that with only a fan to move your hair about and expect audiences to buy it.  What makes the sequence even worse, is that it occurs during the film’s climax since we know he will either kill Constance or remember what really happened.

My other issue is with the film’s psychoanalysis plot device which not only seems dated (it may have been fresh to 1945 audiences) but it’s so literal that anyone without the proper training could probably figure it out.  In fact, every part of Edwardes dream is a separate clue which when added up together, tell the story of what happened which really wouldn’t have happened.  Putting those complaints aside, the movie will be remembered for the surreal dream sequence which was really odd and for the wonderful cast.  Ingrid Bergman does a nice job with a somewhat silly role.  As a woman who doesn’t believe in love who falls in love on sight, it’s a tough role to bring off.  The film’s sexist script also has one of her colleagues kiss her to see if it gets a reaction with no repercussions from her or his boss.  Try that today and you will discover a different experience.  The fact that she just brushes it off as proof that she is immune to passion and therefore superior, just makes it worse.  I’m a big fan of Gregory Peck and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him look so young, as this is one of his earliest movies.  He has a difficult role too as the amnesiac man who may or may not be a killer.  Leo G. Carroll is also good as Dr. Murchison while Michael Checkov brings a lot of humor to the movie as the feisty Dr. Brulov.  Spellbound is a decent movie but it’s dated approach and attitudes towards women will limit its appeal to a wide a modern audience.

Video  

Spellbound’s 1080p (1.37:1) transfer isn’t one of the better ones as it struggles against looking overly soft and diffused.  I think Hitchcock deliberately made it look this way to make the movie appear more dream-like, but whatever the reason, the film’s transfer doesn’t fare too well compared to the other recent Hitchcock Blu-ray releases.  There’s some sharpness to be found intermittently, but overall this transfer looks soft.  The black levels aren’t that strong and the contrast could have been better.  Overuse of DNR isn’t an issue here, as there is quite a bit of grain present throughout the movie.  There aren’t too many scratches or evidence of print damage visible, so it looks like it was cleaned up but not to the level that fans of the film desire, but it is better than the previous DVD release.

Audio  

So far, out of the three recent Hitchcock movies that I’ve watched to review (Notorious, Rebecca, and this one), this movie has the worst sound mix.  Like the others, this Blu-ray comes with a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mix, but where the others didn’t have the hiss that older films tend to have, this one does and it’s very noticeable.  Musical cues sound slightly distorted (especially during the opening Overture) which is a shame since this score won Miklos Rozsa an Academy Award for Best Score.  The film’s dialogue isn’t crisp but it is easy to hear and understand.  Overall, this is an okay mix but I think it could have been a lot better, especially after seeing the other Hitchcock movies from that era on Blu-ray.

Special Features  

There’s some pretty good extras on here but they are in standard definition.

• Commentary with Film Historians Thomas Schatz and Charles Ramirez Berg – This is a uncoordinated but informative discussion about the movie.  The two seem to be trying to top each other so be prepared for them talking over one another but they do have some interesting info about the making of the film.
• Running With Scissors: Hitchcock, Surrealism and Salvador Dali- A look at how Salvador Dali came to be a part of the film.  With both Selznick and Hitchcock looking to bring in a marquee name to help sell the movie, Dali added the surreal dream sequence that was eventually deemed too long and poorly shot by Selznick who cut twenty minutes from it and hired someone else to re-shoot it.  The original footage that was cut is now lost but there are still pictures still available to see what was done.
• Guilt By Association: Psychoanalyzing Spellbound – A look at how the film was the first movie to really address psychoanalysis and how World War II affected its returning soldiers who suffered from post traumatic stress.
• A Cinderella Story: Rhonda Fleming – Ms. Fleming talks about getting discovered and shooting her first movie and how nice Ingrid Bergman was to her and her husband as well as her charitable causes she supports.
• 1948 Radio Version of Spellbound Directed by Alfred Hitchcock – An hour long radio program of the movie starring Joseph Cotten and Valli.
• Peter Bogdanovich Interviews Alfred Hitchcock – I always love this part of the extras because you get to hear from the master himself.
• Original Theatrical Trailer

Final Thoughts  

This isn’t Hitchcock’s finest work, but it does have some great sequences including the razor scene I mentioned earlier and the final shot of a closeup of a gun following a target that ends with something I’ve never seen on film before.  It’s shots like that that make Hitchcock still relevant today it provides enough of a reason that I  recommend it.

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Film  

Alfred Hitchcock is known as “the master of suspense,” which is a title he rightly deserves, but not a lot of people realize that his work was just as good in other genres too.  Notorious doesn’t really fall into his usual comfort zone since it’s more of a love story than anything else.  Sure, there’s a off-screen death and an attempted poisoning, but the core of this movie is a love story between two people that are ill-equipped to deal with it.

The movie opens with a scene in a courtroom where we witness a verdict and the defendant’s daughter leaving the courtroom before we learn that the woman’s father was just convicted of being a Nazi spy and sentenced for treason.  The young woman named Alicia (Ingred Bergman) promptly goes to a gathering and gets drunk, all the while being watched by a tall man who has his back to the camera.  When the camera finally reveals the man named Devlin to be Cary Grant, the movie kicks into gear since he is obviously looking after Alicia for some reason.  When she decides to take a drive, he accompanies her which is fairly risky since she is drunk and determined to make him nervous with her driving.  When her speeding catches the eye of a police officer and they are pulled over, Alicia isn’t hauled to jail or even given a ticket once the officer sees Devlin’s badge.

Finally understanding that her passenger is in some kind of law enforcement, Alicia freaks out and Devlin is forced to subdue her and drive her back home.  When she recovers the next morning he explains that he is with the F.B.I. and that they want Alicia to perform a job for her country.  When Alicia scoffs at the idea of doing something out of patriotism, Devlin plays a secret recording of a conversation she had with her traitorous father once she discovered what he was up to and told him how disgusted she was for what he was doing against their country.  Chastened by hearing her own words about how much she loves America, Alicia tells Devlin she will help him.

They travel to Rio de Janeiro and Devlin is updated by his superiors on exactly what the job will be which infuriates him once he learns that the F.B.I. wants to pimp out Alicia to one of her father’s Nazi cronies named Alex Sebastian (Claude Rains).  Devlin learns that Alex fell in love with Alicia long ago but that love was never reciprocated back by Alicia and his boss wants her to make it happen now.  They are hoping that by baiting Alex with Alicia, that she might worm her way into his life and possibly learn what Alex and his German friends are doing in South America.

Devlin is conflicted since he wants to do his duty, but he’s also started to fall in love with Alicia which makes it difficult for him to finally tell her the plan.  Strangely enough, Alicia is less concerned about prostituting herself with a Nazi than the fact that Devlin doesn’t try to stop her from doing it.  When she doesn’t get the response she wants from Devlin, she tells him she will do it which only makes Devlin even more bitter and caustic to her.  In trying to provoke each other, both start down a path neither wants to walk, but there’s no turning back especially once she has to marry Alex.

The rest of the movie ratchets up the tension between the three of them as Alex is aware that Devlin frequently contacts Alicia which only makes him more and more jealous.  There’s a great sequence where Alicia must steal a key, smuggle it to Devlin, and then both of them have to discover what Alex and his compatriots are hiding down in a wine cellar during a party.  Not only do they have to avoid detection, but they are also in a race against time as the champagne is going quickly and sooner or later someone will come down the cellar for more.  Of course, things go wrong and in a bravura scene that shows of the talents of Rains and Hitchcock, we see Alex work out exactly what happened and put it all together without a single line of dialogue.

While many of the movie’s plot points pop up just to keep the movie moving (including a uranium plot-line that’s never resolved), the cast is so good that it really doesn’t matter.  Cary Grant was able to break free of his usual glib and smooth kind of characters with Devlin and his performance is excellent.  Devlin spends the movie conflicted about his feelings and his duty and it’s only at the end that he makes his choice which comes off beautifully.  Ingrid Bergman is also very good in her difficult role.  Alicia is portrayed to be very unlikable at the start of the movie but Bergman is talented enough to generate sympathy for her character even if we don’t really understand her motivations other than to make up for her father’s treason and possibly to provoke Devlin to declare his feelings for her.

And last but not least, is the wonderful Claude Rains who is good in every movie he’s in.  For awhile, despite being a Nazi, Alex engenders some sympathy from the audience because he truly does love Alicia and even treats her better than Devlin does.  Of course by the end, he shows his true colors (poisoning people kind of does that), but he’s great in the role and adds a lot to the movie.  While this isn’t the genre he is the most famous for perfecting, Notorious bears the unmistakable fingerprints of Alfred Hitchcock.  His use of tension and some incredible camera shots guarantee that the master was fully engaged on this movie.  This is one of my favorite Hitchcock movies just because it is so different and because of this incredible cast.

Video  

The film’s 1080p (1.37:1) transfer is the best I’ve seen released so far but it’s not perfect.  The black and white footage has some nice detail which in some scenes is excellent, but in others it can look soft.  There’s also a lot of rear projection footage in the movie which stands out even more in high definition.  As for print damage, there’s still some specks and some minor scratches along with some flicker issues but none of them are obtrusive enough to really complain about. Film grain is present but it’s not too heavy and it simply gives it a film-like look that hasn’t been scrubbed away by DNR. We all have to keep in mind that this is an old film after all and for it’s age, it looks pretty good in high definition.

Audio  

Notorious‘ lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mix is appropriate for a film it’s age but it’s a shame that it couldn’t be more improved.  Dialogue is the most important focus for this film and I’m happy to report that it’s clear and easily understood.  There’s no hiss or other sound defects which frequently plague older films.  Roy Webb’s score isn’t overshadowed by the rest of the movie but it is fairly subdued.  For a film this old, just like with the video quality, I can overlook a lot since this is probably as good as it’s ever going to get and I’m just glad to get it in high definition.

Special Features  

There’s a nice mix of extras on here that are balanced well and I especially liked hearing from Hitchcock directly.  The bad part is that they are all in standard definition.

• Commentary with Film Professor Rick Jewell - This is a pretty comprehensive commentary but Jewell seems more interested in talking about the history of RKO and Selznick than the movie.  When  he finally does start talking about the movie, he does have a lot of good info but fans of the movie may not like the film history detours.  Of course, if you are into film history, then you will really like this one.
• Commentary with Film Professor Drew Casper – Another commentary that’s more on point but it isn’t as effective as Jewell’s since it seems that Casper is reminiscing more than commentating.
• Isolated Music and Effects Track - The score for Notorious‘ may not be up to the usual Bernard Herrmann standards, but it is effective and this isolated track shows just how well it supported the film.
• The Ultimate Romance: The Making of Notorious - They either could have focuses on the thriller aspect of the film or the romantic side and they went with romance which makes sense since it’s the core of the movie.  With that as it’s focus, this featurette covers how the romance played into the film.
• Alfred Hitchcock: The Ultimate Spymaster – A short but nice look at how Hitchcock contributed and influenced the spy genre through his films.
• The American Film Institute Award: The Key to Hitchcock – A very short but touching look at clips of Hitchcock receiving an AFI award that’s hosted by his granddaughter.  We also see Ingrid Bergman present the infamous key to the wine cellar from Notorious to him as well which is pretty cool.
• 1948 Radio Play starring Joseph Cotton and Ingrid Bergman
• Hitchcock Audio Interviews – I’ve listened to hours of Bogdanovich talking to Orson Welles and was always fascinated by the conversation so I was happy to see a collection of chats on here with Hitchcock.  The bad news is that the one with Bogdanovich is only a little over two minutes long but the good news is that Truffaut one is a lot longer.  I really liked this extra!
• Restoration Comparison – A before and after look at the restoration efforts for this release.
• Theatrical Trailer

Final Thoughts  

This is a very mature film that is still surprising to audiences today with its unusual storyline that was really ahead of it’s time.  The cast is wonderful in this and Hitchcock’s many touches including that incredible shot with the key, keep audiences and film students happy.  This Blu-ray looks great and sounds pretty good but combined with a bunch of fantastic extras, makes this one easy to recommend as a blind buy purchase.

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Film  

After the huge success of Annie Hall (read my review here), Woody Allen went a new dramatic direction with Interiors which wasn’t received as well but it’s pretty hard to top Annie Hall.  Allen’s next movie would bridge both movies as it would have the comedic one-lines like Annie Hall but it would be grounded as well much like Interiors.  Manhattan is another one of Allen’s relationship movies, a concept that seems to have fascinated him throughout his long prolific career.  Instead of focusing on just one relationship like in Annie Hall, Allen and co-writer Marshall Brickman expanded it to two couples, each with their own issues.

The movie opens sans titles to black and white images of New York City accompanied by “Rhapsody in Blue” by George Gershwin.  By the time the song is over, Allen has already set the mood for the movie and did it without a single bit of dialogue.  Even the title of the movie is only given to us through a neon sign outside a building that flashes “Manhattan.”  In this movie, Allen is still playing the same character he usually plays but this time he’s called Isaac Davis and he’s an unhappy writer for television.  Isaac is currently dating a seventeen year old girl named Tracy (Mariel Hemingway) which is somewhat unsettling to see for many reasons but the two seem happy.  Isaac’s best friend Yale (Michael Murphy) is happily married to a woman named Emily (Anne Byrne) but later confides to Isaac that he’s not only a serial cheater, but that he’s currently cheating on her with a journalist named Mary (Diane Keaton).

Ironically, while Isaac has no problem having sex with seventeen year old girls at his age, he does draw the line on cheating on your wife and he tells Yale he should break it off.  Yale doesn’t listen and even introduces Mary to Isaac and Tracy at an art exhibition.  Right away the opinionated Mary drives Isaac crazy as she insults the art he likes, but when she badmouths Ingmar Bergman, it’s the last straw for Isaac who wants nothing to do with her.  After his divorce from Jill (Meryl Streep), Isaac unconsciously avoids strong experienced women (which is partly why he’s comfortable with Tracy) because Jill crushed him when she decided she was a lesbian and got involved with another woman named Connie (Karen Ludwig).  It doesn’t help that Jill is writing a tell-all book about her relationship with Isaac which he knows will reveal every personal thing that happened between him which makes him angry and anxious.

Issac accidentally runs back into Mary at a fund-raising event and this time they hit it off better.  He accompanies her back to her place and goes on a walk with her that culminates in a sublime shot of the two of them on a bench near the Queensboro Bridge as night shifts to early morning.  Despite his growing attraction and interest in Mary, he doesn’t act on it because he want to be a loyal friend to Yale.  So he continues to see Tracy but keeps telling her not to get too serious about him since she is too young to worry about that at this point in her life.  He advises her to go to London to study acting.  When Yale finally decides the risk isn’t worth his marriage, he breaks up with Mary and then later tells Isaac to ask her out.  Now that he can see Mary without feeling like he was betraying Yale, Isaac breaks up with a heartbroken Tracy and starts up a relationship with Mary.

Time passes and Yale tries to get Mary back even though she’s dating Isaac and Mary confesses to Isaac that she still loves Yale.  When Yale separates with Emily to be free for Mary, Mary decides to join him which leaves Isaac feeling betrayed by both of them.  At this point, the film abandons any effort at comedy and becomes a pure drama as Isaac confronts Yale for his treachery and later realizes that he misses Tracy who is about to take his advice and fly to London to study acting.  I won’t go into any further details about the ending other than to say that it’s a lot more ambiguous than Annie Halls and leaves many plot threads dangling with no resolution at all.

I have mixed feelings about the film as I love the comedic moments but I’m not so thrilled with the melodrama that takes over the last half of the film.  I think it’s fairly sad that the most stable and grounded character in this movie is the seventeen year old Tracy.  She knows exactly what she wants, who she loves, and is completely unselfish and more giving than any other character in the movie.  It’s a quiet and understated role and Mariel Hemingway was so good in it that she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.  Diane Keaton as Mary is a polar opposite of Annie Hall.  Mary is focused, opinionated, pushy, and thinks she’s smarter than she really is.

I didn’t care much for the character of Yale as played by Michael Murphy since he seemed like a scumbag due to how he treated his wife but at least he seemed like a good friend to Isaac until the end revealed the sum total of all of his douchebaggery.  Allen is always good playing Allen and he seems even more assured as an actor and as a director for this movie.   It’s interesting to note that Allen was initially unhappy with it and asked United Artists not to release it.  He even offered to make another movie for free in exchange since as he said later, “I just thought to myself, ‘At this point in my life, if this is the best I can do, they shouldn’t give me money to make movies.”  Fortunately for movie audiences everywhere, United Artists declined his offer and Allen’s tale of troubled love in New York City was shared with the world to much acclaim.

Video  

This 1080p (2.35:1) transfer is beautiful to watch as you can see Allen’s love for New York captured in every frame. This transfer is a lot better than the previous home video releases and it’s even better than the recent Blu-ray release of Annie Hall.  The black and white cinematography shot by cinematographer Gordon Willis is gorgeous to look at and Allen really let him do his thing since a good portion of the movie takes place in shadows.  Thankfully, the black levels are suitably inky which is a good thing since several scenes are pitch black in this new transfer.  It’s hard to say if MGM went overboard or if this is how the film was supposed to look but it is a big difference over past releases.

Audio  

Manhattan’s DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono mix isn’t as good as the high definition transfer but it is faithful to the original intentions of Woody Allen.  At this point, most fans should be aware that Allen isn’t that worried about adding a powerful 7.1 mix to his movies which to be honest isn’t as bad as it sounds.  All of his movies are notoriously dialogue driven and this 2.0 mix does a nice job delivering it clearly and without any hissing or other defects.  Even with this being a 2.0 mono mix, the multiple George Gershwin songs sound very good and it’s rare to hear this much music in a Woody Allen movie and it adds a lot to the experience.

Special Features  

While I can live with the 2.0 mono mix, I am not happy at this trend of Woody Allen movies not having any special features other than the trailer for the movie.  There’s been a ton of interviews with the man so how hard would it be to add a couple of those?  It’s also unfortunate because it keeps lowering my final score too.

Final Thoughts  

While I don’t have the same love for Manhattan that I do for Annie Hall and the ”earlier, funnier movies” that he referenced later in a line in Stardust Memories.  People seem to be split on Allen’s catalog of films with half usually preferring his early ones, while others like his more somber darker later films.  Yes I am one of those early film supporters but that’s not to say that I haven’t enjoyed his later films too.  Woody Allen has such a unique comic voice that I love his early work the most because his sole goal at that point was to make you laugh as much as possible. Manhattan represents the point where he still had one foot in the comedy world as he moved towards more dramatic work.  Fans of all phases of Woody’s career should find something to enjoy in this dramedy!

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Alvy Singer: Don’t you see the rest of the country looks upon New York like we’re left-wing, communist, Jewish, homosexual pornographers? I think of us that way sometimes and I live here.

Film  

Annie Hall is just about every-one’s favorite Woody Allen movie and there’s a good reason for it.  It’s hilarious, deep, ground-breaking, and has enough unrequited angst to balance out the non-stop witty one-liners.  There’s also a ring of truth to the movie which may not be as far-fetched as it sounds since Allen and Keaton were in a relationship and Keaton’s real last name is Hall and her nickname was “Annie.”  And of course, Allen is basically playing Allen no matter what role it is, since he’s always the same funny, neurotic, kvetching character who has a constant running commentary on his own life.  In Allen’s earlier films, they were light and focused on the comedy, but with Annie Hall Woody Allen decided to go a new direction and take some more chances.  As he said, “…’I think I will try and make some deeper film and not be as funny in the same way.  And maybe there will be other values that will emerge, that will be interesting or nourishing for the audience.  And it worked out very, very well.”

In Annie Hall, Woody Allen plays Alvy Singer who happens to be a gag writer and occasional stand up comedian. The movie starts with Alvy talking to the audience and relating to us the story of his doomed relationship with a woman named Annie Hall (Diane Keaton).  Through flashbacks and return visits we not only see his relationship with Annie, but also scenes from his childhood as well.  Allen’s use of flashbacks and jumping around in his own timeline which includes imaginary group trips into each of their history’s makes Annie Hall much more unpredictable and fun than the usual romantic comedy.  It struck while watching it again that Annie Hall is almost a comedic precursor to Pulp Fiction in a lot of ways because of the somewhat similar approaches.

We witness Alvy and Annie’s relationship from start to finish inter-cut with scenes of them with other people as well. For Alvy, it’s easy to see his consistent pattern with women where he wins them over and then drives them away with his constant questioning of them or in the case of Allison (Carol Kane), because she didn’t believe in his theory about the Kennedy assassination.  Alvy’s friend Rob (Tony Roberts) tries to keep things simple and inadvertently introduces Alvy to Annie during a tennis match where the two hit it off quickly.  Annie is from a well to do family and seems kind of scatterbrained and uninhibited while Alvy over-analyzes everything and disapproves of flighty ways especially when he later complains about her needing to smoke marijuana every time before they have sex.

Despite the constant fluctuations in their relationship, Alvy supports Annie’s desire to sing which backfires when a laid back record producer named Tony Lacey (Paul Simon) hears her sing and wants to get to know her better.  Alvy does his best to keep her away from Tony by feigning that they had a previous “thing” to do, but when he is supposed to give out an award in California later on, they see Tony again at a party.  By now, Annie has fallen in love with California and its atmosphere and she decides she would rather live there.  Alvy will never leave New York and hates California with a passion (“I don’t want to move to a city where the only cultural advantage is being able to make a right turn on a red light.”) and between that and their other issues, they break up and Annie moves into Tony’s mansion.  It doesn’t take long before Alvy realizes how much he wants Annie in his life and he even returns to California to try to bring her back to New York, but discovers that sometimes things don’t always work out the way we hope.

This is probably my favorite Woody Allen movie because it all came together so beautifully.  The comedy is first rate with an extremely funny script by Allen and Marshall Brickman, it has a great cast, the cinematography from Gordon Willis is amazing, and all of the stylistic choices Allen made as a director make this a classic.  I loved seeing Woody “break the fourth wall” to address the audience after having to listen to a pompous know-it-all in line behind him expound incorrectly about Marshall McLuhan’s work.  We’ve seen that device done before, but Allen raises it to a new level when the man Woody is complaining about also addresses the audience to defend himself.  Allen then takes the gag to an even higher level when he brings out Marshall McLuhan himself to tell the pompous man that he doesn’t understand his work at all.  Then there’s other creative touches like using humorous subtitles that convey not what the characters are actually saying, but rather what they are really thinking which makes it even funnier.  Allen even includes an animated segment with Annie as the evil Queen from Snow White.  Combine all that with the flashbacks and the imaginary visits back into the past and you have a very unique romantic comedy that was way ahead of its time.

Alvy Singer: They did not take me in the Army. I was, um, interestingly enough, I was, I was 4-P. Yes. In the, in the event of war, I’m a hostage.

Video  

This 1080p (1.85:1) transfer looks a lot better than I expected it would although that’s not to say that it’s perfect.  This is a soft looking movie and it’s filled with grain but it doesn’t bother me for this release since that’s how I imagine it should look.  The grain hasn’t been scrubbed away with DNR so it still retains the cinematic feel of the movie which I believe reflects that aesthetic of Woody Allen.  I believe this is how he would want the film to look – it’s like looking at an original print but with the benefit of seeing it in high definition.  I think MGM could have done a better job but I would worry that to achieve that, it might change the look and feel of the movie.  Colors are decent but aren’t overly vivid since the movie has a mute palette, but the black levels are deep, dark, and very satisfying which is great since cinematographer Gordon Willis loves to shoot everything in darkness.  This is a pretty good transfer and one that fits in well with the movie.

Alvy Singer: I was thrown out of N.Y.U. my freshman year for cheating on my metaphysics final, you know. I looked within the soul of the boy sitting next to me.

Audio  

My reaction to Annie Hall’s DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mix is exactly the same as my feelings about the high definition transfer.  It could have been better but what’s there is perfectly suitable for the film.  Since this film is filled with non-stop dialogue, it doesn’t really need a 7.1 mix.  As it is, the dialogue sounds crisp and clear with no distortions of any kind.  There’s also Dolby Digital mono mixes in Spanish, French, Italian, German, Catalan, and Portuguese as well since Woody Allen has a lot of international fans.  This is a simple mix but it works for the movie and I’m pretty happy with it.

Annie Hall: You never want to try anything new, Alvy.
Alvy Singer: How can you say that? Whose idea was it? I said that you, I, and that girl from your acting class should sleep together in a threesome.
Annie Hall: Well, that’s sick.
Alvy Singer: Yeah, I know it’s sick, but it’s new. You didn’t say it couldn’t be sick.

Special Features  

Sadly, there is only the theatrical trailer in high definition which is a travesty for fans of the film and it will bring down the final score too.

Alvy Singer: Don’t knock masturbation, it’s sex with someone I love.

Final Thoughts  

This is one of the best comedies ever made and it’s not afraid to end on a non-traditional note.  The movie cemented Allen’s reputation as an actor, writer, and director and also gave a bunch of unknown actors their first big break too.  Part of the fun watching the movie is spotting well known actors in the tiniest of roles.  You will see Jeff Goldblum, Christopher Walken, Sigourney Weaver, Colleen Dewhurst, Shelley Duvall, John Glover, Mark Lenard, Beverly D’Angelo, Tracey Walter, and more in roles that might not even have a line! Annie Hall ended up winning four Academy Awards including Best Picture (over Star Wars! grumble grumble) and its influence is still being felt today. This is without a doubt, Woody Allen’s masterpiece and I highly recommend it!

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Film  

In director Shawn Levy’s Real Steel, the year is 2020 and in this not so distant time the sport of boxing has been taken over by robots.  Humans were phased out since bloodthirsty audiences wanted more spectacle and more punishing fights that would have endangered humans so robots are now the big draw.  For a former boxer like Charlie Kenton (Hugh Jackman), that change brought nothing but trouble to him.  He’s in debt to loan sharks, he doesn’t have a viable robot boxer, his on again off again girlfriend Bailey (Evangeline Lilly) isn’t happy with him, and then he find out that the girlfriend he left long ago has died and that he has a son named Max (Dakota Goya) that wants to reconnect with him.

Charlie’s life is already spinning out of control before Max re-enters his life since he bet everything he had (and a lot more that he didn’t have) on his last robot named Ambush in the hopes that Ambush could defeat a bull.  The owner of the Bull is a ruthless promoter named Rickey (Kevin Durand) who warns Charlie that he better pay his debt if he loses or he will regret it.  Unfortunately for Charlie, he does lose because in the brief instant Charlie starts trying to impress some girls, the bull starts destroying Ambush.  Knowing that there’s no way that he can pay his $20,000 loss, Charlie hightails it out of the fair before Ricky and his men can catch him.

Now on the run from Ricky and others, it’s at that point Charlie learns about the death of his ex-girlfriend and the fact that he is required to attend a court hearing to determine the fate of his son Max.  When he arrives at the hearing he meets his ex-girlfriend’s sister Debra and her wealthy husband Marvin.  Debra wants custody of Max since she doesn’t think very highly of Charlie and Marvin is intent on making his wife happy but at the same time doesn’t want Max to accompany them on their second honeymoon.  When he tries to talk to Charlie about making a deal, Charlie tells him that he will waive his parental rights for $100,000 and offers to take Max off their hands so Marvin can get his second honeymoon kid free.  Marvin agrees and pays Charlie half up front which Max witnesses and grows angry about.

Charlie never really had any intention on taking care of Max for the duration as he was counting on his ex Bailey (who inherited the gym that Charlie grew up in) to watch Max for him.  All Charlie wants to do is buy a new robot so he can try to win some money quickly to pay off the loan sharks before it gets even more serious than it already is.   Bailey is just as disappointed as every one else is of Charlie but she becomes friends with Max.  With his new-found money, Charlie is able to buy a once famous robot named Noisy Boy that he takes to an illegal robot fight club to fight the current champ known as Midas.  Thanks to Charlie’s inexperience with the robot’s control scheme and his overconfidence, Noisy Boy loses and is completely destroyed by Midas along with Charlie’s dreams of paying off his debts.

Left with little choice but to break into a junkyard to salvage parts to build a new robot, Charlie and Max surreptitiously steal parts until Max accidentally falls down a slippery slope only to be caught from going over a chasm by a half buried robot’s arm.  Max demands that they take the robot with them but Charlie makes him do all of the work.  After returning to the gym, they discover that the robot, named Adam, is an obsolete Generation-2 sparring bot that was designed to take a lot of punishment.  Atom also has another feature that sets him apart from other robots – he can shadow movements and remember the sequences and use them in fights later.  Max convinces Charlie to let Atom fight in an underground fight and amazingly enough, Atom wins the fight and Charlie recoups some of his money.

Mazx turns out to be a little mechanical genius and he upgrades Atom to accept vocal commands, the two start to train Atom in their respective ways.  Charlie drills in some boxing routines while Max teaches the robot how to dance with him which raises their popularity with audiences.  Before long, they are offered the chance to an official sanctioned fight with the WRB against a robot named Twin Cities.  Atom wins again thanks to Charlie’s boxing advice and Max takes the opportunity to challenge the world champion Zeus which is owned by Farra Lemkova who had tried to buy Atom before the match before being rebuffed by Max.  The Kentons’ good fortune is short-lived since Ricky and his men ambush them and beat Charlie up and steal their winnings.  Finally realizing how much danger he’s putting Max in, Charlie takes Max back to Debra and Marvin and leaves him behind along with the other half of the money that he no longer wants.

The rest of the movie is completely formulaic but at the same time it still works thanks in large part to Hugh Jackman’s performance.  Not many actors could still engender goodwill after selling their son for $100,000, enlists a child to steal parts, and takes him to underground fights, but somehow Jackman pulls it off effortlessly.  Charlie Kenton may be a scumbag overall, but underneath all of his selfish actions there is still a good man within.  The appearance of Max is the catalyst that saves Charlie’s soul and he starts to realize how low he’s allowed himself to sink and his mistreatment of those that cared about him.  Of course, he’s going to go back for his son and obviously he’s going to try to redeem himself, but despite being able to recognize every emotional signpost along this well-traveled road, it still worked for me.

Seeing Charlie reconnect with Bailey and even more importantly Max and then witnessing their mistrust and antagonism give way to love for each other was touching.  Especially when the unlikely duo take on the massive Zeus at the end of the movie in a fight that for all intents and purposes, should be a suicide mission.   The robot fights are all impressive (Sugar Ray Leonard was an adviser) but it’s the final fight that is the most emotionally involving, especially when for the final round, Charlie employs the shadow-boxing mode and essentially fights the last round himself.  Being able to see his father boxing in all his glory the way he used to, makes Max incredibly proud and we see the full redemption of Charlie as he we see him at his best once again.

Video  

Disney triumphs again with an impeccable 1080p (2.35:1) transfer that is simply amazing to see.  The clarity and detail on display is very impressive and I especially liked seeing all of the many details on each robot along with the realistic sheen on their frames.  This transfer is beautiful to see as it shows off every strand of hair, every spot of rust, and every piece of textured clothing in a pristine fashion.  Colors are vibrant and plentiful and black levels are suitably inky and dark.  Flesh tones are natural and realistic and the robots’ metallic gleam shimmers in fine detail.

Audio  

Real Steel‘s DTS-HD MA 7.1 lossless mix is just as impressive as the high definition transfer!  I really liked how the film felt real no matter what scene was on the screen.  Whether it was at a local rodeo or in a gym, an underground robot fight club with raucous beats, or an over-sized arena filled with thousands of fans, this mix captured the atmosphere and replicated it so well that you might as well have been there.  Directionality is also handled extremely well with all of the channels joining in on the action and following the action accurately.  Hearing the metal grinding punishment of robot on robot fighting was awesome to listen to and my inner child rejoiced at the robotic destruction.  Dialogue is crystal clear and understandable throughout the movie even during fight scenes or when there’s music playing.  Fans of the movie will be very happy with this 7.1 mix!

Special Features  

These are pretty good special features but I don’t understand why the audio commentary with Director Shawn Levy isn’t included on the Blu-ray but shows up on the DVD instead.  If you ask me that’s crazy.

• Real Steel Second Screen: Ringside with Director Shawn Levy - This features is supposed to help you “interact with the movie on your iPad or computer while you watch the movie on your Blu-ray player,” but I didn’t get a chance to try it as it wasn’t ready for me to check out.
• Countdown to the Fight: The Charlie Kenton Story – Some footage filmed in a mockumentary style with footage from the movie’s cast talking in character about themselves and the upcoming fight between Atom and Zeus.
• Making of Metal Valley – This is an almost fifteen minute look behind the scenes of the filming of the scrapyard scene where Charlie and Max eventually find Atom.  I wish more of the movie was covered like this and filmed.
• Building the Bots – A look at the building of the robots both practically and through CGI.  This was really interesting and I wish it had been longer because fighting robots are cool.
• Sugar Ray Leonard: Cornerman’s Champ - Boxing Hall of Fame star Sugar Ray Leonard served as the film’s adviser in both the fight sequences and he also helped train Hugh Jackman so he would look like a real fighter.
• Deleted & Extended Scenes – A look at some footage that was cut including: “Extended Meet Ambush” and “Deleted Butterfly Storyline”.
• Bloopers
• DVD Copy (includes the commentary track that should be on the Blu-ray).
• Digital Copy

Final Thoughts  

Maybe I’m a sucker for these kind of movies because of my own wonderful son and because I love comeback movies, but I really enjoyed Real Steel even if it was predictable.  The animatronics by Legacy Effects are amazing, the special effects from ILM are up to their usual impeccable standard, and the cast is also excellent especially the multi-talented Hugh Jackman who makes every movie he’s in better than it should be.

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Film  

The Ides of March is a movie about the modern day political age where the candidates may not live up to the packaged image they present to the public and their morals may not be as untainted as they would like us to believe. With the title of the movie referring to the March Presidential Primary that’s held in Ohio and of course referencing the elimination of Julius Ceasar by his underling, co-writer, actor, and director George Clooney sets the tone of the movie right away.  Watching the movie, it struck me that the movie seemed like an update to Michael Ritchie’s The Candidate that starred Robert Redford as the well-intentioned candidate who sacrificed his ideals to win.  For The Ides of March, it’s focused more on an adviser than the candidate, but both movies cover similar thematic territory.

George Clooney plays Pennsylvania Governor Mike Morris, a Democrat who’s trying to become the President of the United States.  Morris is ably supported by a crack political team that includes the veteran Paul Zara (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and his razor sharp protege Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling).  With Paul supplying the tactical strategies and Stephen maintaining image control, they are a tough team to beat.  That’s not to say that the other side is lacking since Morris’ Democratic opponent in the primary, Arkansas Governor Ted Pullman (Michael Mantell) has the equally good Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti) as his Campaign Manager.

Both campaign managers are wooing North Carolina Democratic Senator Franklin Thompson (Jeffrey Wright) since he alone can sway his 356 pledged Democratic convention delegates to either side, which depending on which way it went, would either guarantee a complete win for Morris or a much needed boost for Pullman.  While Pullman’s campaign is willing to bribe Thompson by offering him the position of Secretary of State for his delegates, Morris refuses to do that since it would compromise his beliefs too much since he knows that Thompson hates the United Nations and wouldn’t be a good fit there.

Stephen truly believes in what Morris stands for and he’s mocked by New York Times reporter Ida Horowicz (Marisa Tomei) who warns him “He’s a nice guy.  He will let you down sooner or later.”  Stephen soon finds himself being propositioned by a young campaign intern named Molly Stearns (Evan Rachel Wood) and he willingly allows himself to be seduced.  Molly isn’t the only one to try to seduce Stephen, since Duffy calls him directly to meet and once they do, he offers Stephen a job working for the Pullman campaign.  Stephen rejects the offer but doesn’t realize that he’s already walked into Duffy’s Machiavellian trap which will ensnare him later.  It won’t be too long before the Morris camp’s collective bad decisions and indiscretions not only threaten to derail the campaign but each of their jobs. Backed against the wall, every person will shed their public persona and reveal their true character which will end in a loss of idealism for some and compromised ideals for others.

After watching The Ides of March, you get the sense of George Clooney’s disappointment with politics as they are being practiced today.  He deftly gives us the surface level look at politics we are accustomed to seeing on our TV and then takes us behind the scenes of the process where we see the anything goes dirty war that we’ve always suspected but only occasionally seen.  These political operatives will do just about anything to win and he shows that even candidates with principles will throw them away if that’s what it takes to win.  It’s a cynical but sadly accurate look at our modern day politics, which continues with every election by both political parties.  Clooney does an excellent job as a director and especially as an actor whose role requires many different layers to be revealed.  He makes his character entirely believable as a candidate who in private may or may not be all that he seems, while maintaining a public profile of a charismatic politician that the media and audiences can’t resist.

The rest of the cast is also very good with Ryan Gosling showing a great deal of charm during his scenes with the equally talented Evan Rachel Wood as they flirt with each other.  Over the course of the movie, we watch Stephen’s beliefs and values slowly disappear and Gosling makes that descent apparent as Stephen retreats into himself and becomes little more than a political machine.  Both Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti are fantastic as they cynical political warriors who harbor no illusions on what it takes to win nor any hesitation cross any line to do so.  While this basic movie has been seen many different times in various ways, Clooney and his incredible cast make this better than it should be.  Clooney also wisely uses real talking heads from a variety of political shows that add another layer of authenticity to the movie.  The Ides of March is a slow burn movie that will depress you on the state of politics if you aren’t already.  This movie offers a clear eyed view of the entire political process and the people and candidates that wade through it and how each sells their soul in different ways in the end to achieve their goals.

Video  

The Ides of March’s 1080p (2.40:1) transfer is stunning with a cinematic and moody look that offers some impressive clarity and colors.  Fine detail is present in every shot and textures also look realistic and natural.  The film’s colors are also varied and the hues are vivid and pop off the screen.  There’s many low light scenes and Clooney uses light and darkness to emphasize the drama and it’s fortunate that the black levels are deep and solid which makes those scenes look fantastic.  Flesh tones are natural looking and consistent throughout the movie and I didn’t notice any kind of print damage or defects on this transfer at all.  Sony has delivered a superlative transfer for this movie!

Audio  

The Ides of March’s DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix is also very good but being a dialogue driven movie, it doesn’t get the chance to really call attention to itself.  Dialogue is clear and razor sharp from the front channels while the rear channels offer atmosphere and ambiance.  This mix’s strength is achieved with it’s subtle effects that add a lot of immersion for the viewer.  Whether it’s doing a sound-check in an empty auditorium or a public debate with a crowd, it all sounds dead on accurate and makes it seem as if you are there.  This is an excellent mix that transcends the usual effort that’s done for this kind of a movie.

Special Features  

This Blu-ray offers a decent amount of extras the cover the basics of the making of the movie.  I would have liked to have had more in depth extras but I’ll take what I can get especially when they are in high definition.

• Audio Commentary - A talk with co-writer/actor/director/producer George Clooney and co-writer/producer Grant Heslov where they talk about making the film, the locations they shot in, the casting of the actors, how they converted the play “Farragut North” into the movie, and more.  The track never gets too deep or serious, but it’s a fun listen since the two men are good friends and have a good time making fun of each other and themselves.  If you are a fan of Clooney or the movie, you will most likely enjoy listening to this track.
• Developing the Campaign: The Origin of The Ides of March – A seven minute look at how the play inspired the movie and the background genesis of the movie.
• Believe: George Clooney – A short look at how the cast viewed Clooney as an actor and as a director.  Of course they praised him but it seems genuine and it’s easy to believe after seeing the movie.  We also hear from Clooney himself talk about the challenges of working on both sides of the camera and why he chose to do it anyway.
• On the Campaign: The Cast of The Ides of March – Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ryan Gosling, Max Minghella, George Clooney, Paul Giamatti, and Evan Rachel Wood discuss why they wanted to be in the movie and talk about their characters that they play.
• What Does a Political Consultant Do? – We hear from Political Consultant Stuart Stevens (who used be a consultant on Clooney’s K Street show) who talks about being a political junkie and how he can’t get enough of elections.
• Ultraviolet Copy – For the record, I hate ultraviolet copies and wish that the studios would go back to just offering an iTunes or Windows Media Player copy which are a lot easier to obtain and you don’t have to use an additional App to view them.  It’s better than nothing but I really wish every studio would stop trying to do their own thing and just use iTunes.
• BD-Live

Final Thoughts  

This movie was marketed as being a taut thriller which it really isn’t since this kind of narrative has been done many times before, but it is a smart look at politics – both in front of the camera and behind it.  The movie’s cynical and fairly bleak ending may turn off some viewers but it’s true to this day and age’s political world where ideals, people, and morals are tossed aside for any chance of victory.  The movie is well directed by Clooney and the superb cast offers some very strong performances and this Blu-ray continues that excellence with its stunning audio and video quality.

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Film  

The Josephine Baker Story originated as a 1991 television broadcast that was shown on the HBO network.  The movie covers Josephine Baker’s life as a young girl until her death and the ups and downs she encountered throughout her life and career.  Born Freda Josephine McDonald, we learn of Baker’s impoverished youth and her humble beginnings growing up in St. Louis, Missouri.  Her mother worked a washerwoman and her father was a drummer who would abandon them not long after her birth.  As a young girl, Baker was full of life and loved to dance and make silly faces which later helped her find her destined career path.

Josephine Baker (Lynn Whitfield) got her start performing comical skits with troupes and later went on to become a chorus girl after learning their routines in the hopes of taking over in the event of one of the girls getting sick.  Her preparations paid off and the audience loved her comic mugging and pretend clumsiness and she became a popular draw.  Her moderate success in New York was dwarfed however when she traveled to Paris for a new show called “La Revue Nègre.”  After posing nude for a Parisian artist, Baker discovers the power of sensuality and incorporates it into a new routine in her show called the “Danse Sauvage” by appearing topless wearing only a skirt of bananas or feathers.

Her new-found blockbuster success in Paris allowed her to finally have a lot of money and we witness her many purchases that include a leopard, a mansion, nice clothes, jewelry, and more.  She meets a self styled “count” named Giuseppe Pepito Abatino (Ruben Blades) who eventually becomes her lover and manager.  While their personal relationship will sour over time due to Baker’s moodiness, paranoia, and infidelity, her professional life continues to improve as she opens a new show called “La Folie du Jour” at the Follies-Bergère Theater which is a massive hit.  Thinking that she was now ready to win over audiences in New York, Abatino convinces Baker to star in ”Ziegfeld Follies” which doesn’t bring her the success she desired.  Angry that she wasn’t received by American audiences the way she expected, she fires Abatino and cheats on him just to spite him and then returns to Paris.

When World War II breaks out, Baker volunteers to spy on the Nazis and the Italian Fascists for the French Resistance. She reports on overheard conversations and smuggles secret documents in her underwear and more.  When the Nazis invade France, Baker journeys to Morocco where she suffers from another miscarriage and ends up getting an emergency hysterectomy.  While recovering in the hospital, she meets Sidney Williams (Louis Gossett Jr.), a military man who convinces her to entertain Allied troops which she does after imploring the segregated soldiers to sit together as one group.

After facing her fears about her reception in America, we see Baker go to the famous Stork Club where the club refused to serve her, she notices that the well known columnist Walter Winchell (Craig T. Nelson) does nothing to intervene with her treatment and she begins a media war of words with Winchell.  That war is fairly one-sided since Winchell has built up a media empire that drowns her out and she decides to leave America for Paris again.  One party that appreciated her fight against the Stork Club and Winchell was The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), which later named May 20 Josephine Baker Day in honor of her efforts.

Back in Paris, Baker starts adopting children left and right, irregardless of their race and calls them her “Rainbow Tribe.”  She marries her French conductor Jo Bullion (David Dukes) and eventually pushes him away too when she ignores his pleas to stop adopting children since he knows they can’t afford it.  Once again, Baker has to do everything her way and lets him leave and divorce her instead of bowing to his wishes and reality.  It’s not long before she does run out of money and we watch her send her children away to family in the country before she is forcibly thrown out of her chateau and all of her possessions are taken away to clear her debts.  Time moves forward and thanks to friends like Princess Grace (who provided Baker and her children a place to live in Monaco), Baker slowly recovers and we witness her big comeback show in Paris, the place that always supported her and she enjoys one last moment in the sun before dying days later.

This movie does a good job covering both Baker’s professional and personal life and balancing the two.  As portrayed by this movie, Baker doesn’t come off too sympathetic since she continually sabotages both her career and personal life due to her inability to listen to others or to care what their opinion is.  Even her noble fight against the racism she encountered in the Stork Club and her fight with Winchell carries with it a tinge of self-destruction. Lynn Whitfied (who won an Emmy for this role) does an excellent job portraying the mercurial Baker, especially during the later stages of her life.  She is surrounded by a group of superb character actors including Craig T. Nelson and Louis Gossett Jr. in small roles.  Director Brian Gibson (who later married Whitfield) offers a complex look at Baker that’s not afraid to show her flaws as well as her strengths.

Video  

This 1080p (1.78:1) transfer looks surprisingly good for an older television movie.  The many colors of Baker’s dresses pop off the screen and there’s a decent amount of detail present.  That’s not to say that this is a perfect transfer, since there are many soft looking shots throughout the movie.  There’s also a light layer of grain present which gives the film a more cinematic look to it but the transfer is free from major blemishes.

Audio  

The Josephine Baker Story’s DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix is serviceable but nothing special.  This is almost an entirely front channel affair with hardly any attention paid to the rear channels.  That works fine for the dialogue which is clear and understandable, but it doesn’t do the musical numbers any justice.  There’s no major audio defects like hissing or the audio dropping out, but this could have been a lot better.

Special Features  

There’s only one extra on the disc so fans of Baker are sure to be disappointed.

• Audio Commentary – Lynn Whitfield, writer Ron Hutchinson, and associate producer Alisa Taylor share this commentary track with the bulk of the talking done by Whitfield who is very proud of the movie.  She also talks about making the movie and how the movie brought so much into her life since she won an Emmy, married the director, and had a child with him.  This is a pretty good and informative commentary and it’s too bad that the director died before adding his thoughts to this too.

Final Thoughts  

As a biopic movie, The Josephine Baker Story works very well as it covers the bulk of the star’s life and many of her travails and successes.  Lynn Whitfield throws herself into the role and convincingly lip-syncs the songs and pulls off the many dance routines.  While the Blu-ray itself could have been better, fans of the late singer/dancer will still most likely enjoy this high definition disc.

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Film  

Paul McCartney was sitting in a plane as it sat on a tarmac awaiting approval to take off when he witnessed firsthand the attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001.  From his vantage point he could see one of the twin towers on fire and then was shocked along with the rest of the nation when he heard of the other crashes.  McCartney had been headed back to England to be present for his daughter’s birthday party, but once the attacks happened, he remained in the United States because he wanted to help in some way.  Remembering stories that his parents and grandparents told him of how music and entertainment had helped with morale in bombed out London during WWII, he thought what had worked before could work again.  As he later said, ”There was a feeling of shock and fear in the air that I thought we could help alleviate with music and the fact that so many people stepped up to join us made for a very uplifting evening for us all.”

Thus, The Concert for New York City came to life.  Fortunately, others felt as McCartney did and they were eager to join him on stage to raise funds for the families of the lost firefighters and policemen who died trying to save the victims of the burning towers.  Just to give you an idea of just a sample of who was involved in the concert, it starred McCartney, The Who, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, Billy Joel, Elton John, James Taylor, Janet Jackson, Bon Jovi, John Mellencamp, and Kid Rock among others.  The show also had plenty of stars and comedians too including Harrison Ford, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael J. Fox, Robert DeNiro, Jim Carrey, Jerry Seinfeld, Jimmy Fallon, Billy Crystal and more.

Much like he did in 1964 when he and his brother David filmed the clamor of The Beatles first visit to America, Albert Maysles along with co-director Bradley Kaplan filmed the background of the concert in a cinéma vérité style of the concert coming together.  What makes The Love We Make so interesting is watching the genesis of the concert and how McCartney deals with the tragedy and how others react to seeing him walk the streets of New York without an entourage of bodyguards.  I can honestly say that watching him do that after what happened to John Lennon (in New York) and George (in his own home), made me nervous for him, especially when a apparently crazy homeless person wouldn’t let go of him.  How he is able to keep his cool is beyond me since the loss of his partner John Lennon can’t be too far from his mind.

Maysles does a great job showing us a day in the life of Paul McCartney as he follows the star from gig to gig which ranges from appearing on the Howard Stern show, interviewing with Dan Rather, and then rehearsing for the concert with his band.  We also witness the great respect the other celebrities and musicians have for McCartney as they constantly make their way to him to pay their respects as the show goes on.  It’s still impressive that even after all of these years of success and coming from the greatest and most successful band the world has ever seen, McCartney still seems grounded and genuinely friendly to the people he meets.  It’s apparent that he isn’t untouched by his fishbowl life since a couple of times during the movie, we see him instruct his driver to try to lose the paparazzi that follows him constantly, with him even jumping out of the car to escape through the park so he can have some alone time.

McCartney’s efforts weren’t in vain as the concert was a financial and emotional success.  It was touching to see the grieving families holding up pictures of their family that was lost due to their attacks during the show.  We also witness emotional firefighters and policemen thank McCartney and the others for their efforts and join in for the final song.  The concert lasted 5 1/2 hours and it not only improved morale for New York but also much of the world and raised over $35 million for the charities.  It was a blockbuster success and as McCartney said later, “It was an honor to be able to help New York and America at that time in its history.”  Not only does this documentary capture the massive humanitarian efforts made by McCartney and the others, but it also gives the viewers a better understanding of McCartney himself who as famous as he is, has somehow remained somewhat elusive through the years.  Thanks to Maysles film, we’ve gained a little more understanding of McCartney the man but also a reminder that this is the Beatle who once sang “And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.”  It’s nice to see that he still believes that.

Video  

This 1080p (1.34:1) transfer is pretty impressive considering how many different sources the footage was assembled from.  The bulk of the documentary that was shot on black and white film by Albert Maysles looks sharp but it has a film-like grain that old school documentary fans will love.  There’s also some color film included during the Howard Stern segment and also during the concert itself that also looks pretty good.  The black and white film offers some very nice contrast and the detail of the picture is evident during close-ups.  The aged appearance of the black and white film may turn off some viewers, but I’m sure a lot of cinephiles will love it.

Audio  

Three audio tracks have been recorded for this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English LPCM 2.0 and English Dolby Digital 5.1 and they all sound pretty good.  This is primarily a dialogue driven documentary (until the end concert) and appropriately enough, this is a front channel heavy mix.  There isn’t much difference between the tracks but I think they could have done a better job with this mix.  It’s fine for the talking scenes as the dialogue is delivered clearly and with no distortion, but the concert with the amount of talent assembled should be presented with a better mix than this one which doesn’t deliver the goods per se.  That’s fine for the documentary part but most people are going to expect the concert part of the mix to take it up a notch  which it does not.

Special Features  

There are no special features on this disc which is too bad since that will drag down the final score.

Final Thoughts  

The Beatles are my favorite band and Paul McCartney has always been my favorite Beatle, so my liking this was never really a concern.  However, The Love We Make isn’t just about Paul McCartney and his efforts to raise money for charity, but it’s also about New York City itself and it’s resilient residents.  This is a great documentary and I highly recommend it!

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Film  

Thurgood originally started out as a play starring James Earl Jones at the Westport Country Playhouse and then later on Broadway in April 2008, with Laurence Fishburne performing the lead role at the Booth Theater.  Fishburne’s stellar performance earned him a Tony nomination for the role.  The play was written by Peabody and Emmy award winner George Stevens, Jr., who made his playwriting debut with Thurgood.  The play was directed and produced by Emmy winner Michael Stevens.  When the play was performed at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, it was filmed by HBO to be shown on their network and resulted in this Blu-ray.

Video  

This 1080p (1.78:1) transfer is the best looking play captured for film that I’ve seen.  It was recorded in high definition and combined with the excellent lighting and razor sharp images, this is a very impressive transfer.  Colors are well defined as are textures.  Detail is also excellent and you can see each individual hair in Fishburne’s mustache.  Black levels are also deep and there’s really no blemishes to report.  The picture quality is extremely impressive considering that it was captured live and in a theater.

Audio  

Another tricky prospect of recording a live play is capturing and balancing the sound.  The actor’s voice must be clear and understandable while the crowd needs to have a presence but not overwhelm the action on the stage.  I’m happy to report that Thurgood’s DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix performs those tasks admirably.  It’s no surprise that this is a mostly front channel affair since it’s dialogue driven, but the rear channels provide a sense of the audience and atmosphere that makes it feel like you are there.  The sound effects that are used to transition the scenes and stories also sound good and occasionally offer some directionality as well.  Rob Mathes intro and exit music also sounds good and is well balanced with the rest of the show.

Special Features  

Sadly, there are no extras on this disc which seems like a lost opportunity since the play does such a good job in building interest in Thurgood Marshall’s life that you’d think they would offer some extra historical information at least.  I’ve read that this disc was intended to be sent out to schools which makes the lack of extras even more unfortunate.  Extras  could have provided some additional looks into Thurgood’s struggles with racism and segregation and would have provided more learning opportunities.  It’s a real shame.

Final Thoughts  

I requested this movie based on the positive reports that I had heard about the play and I’m glad I did.  This one man show with it’s first person story-telling technique works perfectly for this man and his history.  Fishburne well deserved those Emmy and Tony nominations and he is ably supported by a wonderful script by Stevens.  The icing on the cake is this fantastic presentation on Blu-ray that makes you feel as if you are in the audience.  It’s a shame that the lack of special features brought down my final score.  Despite that, I highly recommend this film!

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Film  

The film opens in 1965 with Airman Adrian Cranauer (Robin Williams) arrives in Saigon to work as a DJ for the Armed Forces Radio.  He’s met by his new assistant Private Edward Garlick (Forest Whitaker) to meet his new superiors including Lt. Steven Hauk (Bruno Kirby) and Sergeant Major Dickerson (J.T. Walsh).  It isn’t long before they let Adrian know how unhappy they are with his behavior on the air.  They resent his irreverent comedy and his choice of rock and roll music for the troops which goes against their wishes.  The only thing that keeps Adrian on the air is the fact that his show is enjoyed by Brigadier General Taylor (Noble Willingham) who has final say.

Adrian quickly notices the pretty Vietnamese girls around and follows one of them to an English class where she along with some others are learning English from one of the American officer.  After bribing the teacher to allow him to take over the class, Adrian puts his plan into action to learn as much as he can about the girl.  He learns that her name is Trinh (Chintara Sukapatana) and that she has a brother named Tuan (Tung Thanh Tran).  Instead of teaching them the normal English curriculum, Adrian starts to teach the class American slang to much humorous effect.  After being warned by Tuan to stay away from his sister, Adrian tries to befriend Tuan by taking him to Jimmy Wah’s, a local bar that’s frequented by the American soldiers.  When two soldiers try to kick Tuan out of the bar, a bar-fight starts which gets Adrian in even more hot water with Dickerson.

Adrian’s show continues as does his teaching and things are going well overall and even Tuan finally agrees to set up a date for Adrian with his sister that includes the whole family.  The friendship between Tuan and Adrian has grown over time and Adrian finally starts to get to know Trinh who remains somewhat remote.  Between his unrequited attraction to Trinh and the stress of dealing with his superiors, Adrian goes for a drink in Jimmy Wah’s but is urgently enticed outside by Tuan who tells him that his sister wants to see him.  Moments later, the bar explodes from what is later determined to be from a bomb that was planted within it.

Shaken and shocked at the devastation the bomb caused, Adrian runs back to the radio station to report on it, only to be told that he can’t report it since the whole incident has been censored.  Infuriated, Adrian locks himself in the studio and reports the bombing until Dickerson cuts off the broadcast and suspends him.  Hauk, who always thought himself to be funnier than everyone else around him (including Adrian), takes over the show but his lame attempts at comedy and his choice of polka music drive the listening soldiers crazy.  Soon, a ton of letters from servicemen arrive demanding that Hauk be removed from the air and for Adrian to be re-instated.  General Taylor (who always liked the show) orders that Adrian be put back on the air much to Dickerson and Hauk’s anger.

When Garlick finds a despondent Adrian in a bar drinking, he tells him the good news only to find that Adrian doesn’t want to return to do the show.  He’s had enough of being censored and always having to worry about Dickerson and Hauk.  Garlick reminds him how much the servicement fought for him to return to his job, but it’s only during a traffic jam that Adrian starts to understand how much he means to the GIs once they discover who he is.  Adrian does an impromptu live show for the men before they are sent off to fight and is touched by how much laughter seems to help them on their way.  Knowing that many of those men won’t return, Adrian is re-energized and returns to the air to do what he does best – making people laugh and forget their troubles for awhile.

Soon, Adrian will learn that in wartime, everyone has their own agenda and that danger lurks around every corner, even in forms that one may not expect.  Friends may not be all they seem and enemies may be more ruthless than anticipated.  We see just how far Dickerson is willing to go to remove Adrian from the air and also learn the truth about others as well.  By the end of the movie, Adrian is more than happy to leave Saigon and its surreal and frightening atmosphere.  The war continues along without Adrian, but he knows he did his best to make things better for the men while he was there.

Good Morning Vietnam is a perfect showcase for Robin Williams’ talents.  As a world famous comedian, it allowed him to do the improvisations that he’s famous for, but it also gave him a chance to show his dramatic range as well. Unlike a completely dramatic movie like Good Will Hunting, (that he won an Oscar for) this movie was a perfect blend of comedy and drama.  Williams is surrounded by some of the best character actors in this which only makes the movie even better.  When you’ve got Forest Whitaker, J.T. Walsh, and Bruno Kirby in supporting roles, that’s a powerhouse group that raises the quality to a new level.  I especially like Walsh’s vindictive Dickerson and Kirby’s clueless Hauk who were on a completely different but entirely realistic wavelength than Adrian.  The last half of the movie comes as something of a shock where the tone of the movie shifts into a darker place when we learn how far some people will go to achieve their goals.  This is one of Robin Williams best roles (if not the best) and his best collaboration with director Barry Levinson.

Video  

This 1080p (1.85:1) transfer isn’t perfect but it’s a lot better than the previous DVD release.  DNR has obviously been used but not entirely abused with closeups looking pretty good and not overly waxy.  Colors fare better and the lush green jungle looks especially good when Adrian is sent outside of the studio.  Black levels are decent but not as deeply solid as I would have preferred.  I think most people will be happy with this picture quality as it is an improvement over the earlier releases but it could have been better.

Audio  

Good Morning Vietnam’s DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix is also decent but nothing special.  This is a front heavy mix that almost entirely uses the front channels with only a token effort to use the rear channels.  During scenes in the bustling city of Saigon, there’s some atmosphere captured along with some directionality, but not as good as it could have been.  The only aspect of this mix that comes off well is the fantastic songs from artists like The Beach Boys and James Brown that are peppered throughout the movie.  When the songs are on the mix comes to life and they sound great and I wish the rest of the mix matched that presentation.  The mix is acceptable but should have been a lot better especially since Disney usually provides incredible sound on their discs.

Special Features   

There’s not a lot here but what is here is pretty good.  The production diary is the highlight of the extras with a comprehensive look at the production of the movie and it’s path to the big screen.

• Production Diary - This is a fairly extensive look behind the scenes of the movie, with a running time of 35 minutes that covers just about every aspect of the making of the movie.  We primarily hear from director Barry Levinson, producer Larry Brezner, the real Adrian Cronauer), and a lot from screenwriter Mitch Markowitz. There’s also some interviews with some of the cast and crew who talk about making the movie.  This diary is broken into the following segments including: “How the Movie Came to Be,” “Actor Improv,” “Music of the Movie,” “Origin of the Good Morning Vietnam Sign-On,” “Shooting in Thailand” and “Overview of the Film a Year Later.”  This is a great behind the scenes look at the movie and it was interesting to learn how the movie and what really happened were different.
• Raw Monologue – A thirteen minute look at one of Robin Williams uncut monologues where he improvised his radio address and tried different approaches.  As a fan of Williams, I liked this look at his process where we see him trying out jokes and impressions and seeing what worked and what didn’t and refining it.
• Teaser  Trailer
• Theatrical Trailer

Final Thoughts  

This is a fun movie and it’s one that Robin Williams fans will enjoy but I wish Disney had put out a better Blu-ray and had spent time restoring the video and remastering the audio.  The extras are pretty good but it would have been nice to have a commentary with the cast and director and it seems like a no-brainer to offer a Williams commentary which would have been hilarious.  Despite its limitations, I still recommend this disc since this is still the best way to see and hear the movie at this time, at least until the next big anniversary edition is released.

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The Must-Own Movie For The Entire Family Debuts on Blu-ray ™ Combo Pack, Digital and

On-Demand March 20, 2012

Debut Release Offers Fans the Full Movie Soundtrack with DVD Release and as part of  a ‘Wocka-Wocka’ Pack for the Ultimate Muppets Experience!

BURBANK, Calif., January 19, 2012 –– One of the year’s best-loved family comedies and among the best reviewed films of 2011, Disney’s “The Muppets,” starring Jason Segel, Academy Award^®-nominee Amy Adams, and favorite celebrity couple Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy — debuts March 20 on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, DVD, Digital Download and On-Demand formats.  A must-own movie the entire family can enjoy, Disney’s “The Muppets” in-home release includes the DVD and music soundtrack packaged together and also offered as the ultimate Muppets experience, a ‘Wocka-Wocka Value Pack,’ which contains the movie on Blu-ray high definition, DVD and Digital Copy (three discs), plus a download card which allows fans to own all the songs from the film’s hugely popular soundtrack.

Disney’s “The Muppets” Blu-ray Combo Pack, with its flawless picture and pitch perfect sound, comes with a fantastic slate of bonus content including the laugh out loud “The Longest Blooper Reel Ever Made (In Muppet History––We Think).”  The exciting release also includes the hilarious featurette “A Little Screen Test on the Way to the Read Through,” which follows Jason Segel, Kermit, The Great Gonzo, Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy and others asthey get ready for the first day of production, and much more fun.

“Blu-ray is a great way to bring the Muppets into your home without having to worry about cleaning up after us,” said Kermit the Frog, commenting on the announcement. “And the behind-the-scenes extras are a revealing tell-all look at what it took to bring our movie to the big screen. It’s a must-see for fans of bloopers, flubs and slip-ups – which pretty much describes our act.”

Miss Piggy is equally thrilled at the movie’s Blu-ray release, “Now you can watch moi whenever you want! Ooh! Lucky vous!”

Additional fun-filled features on Disney’s “The Muppets” Blu-ray include a groundbreaking industry first — ‘Disney Intermission,’ a hilarious all-new feature that allows viewers to press Pause on their remote control and watch as the Muppets take over the screen and entertain until the movie resumes playing.   The release also includes “Explaining Evil: The Full Tex Richman Song,”  an extended version of the rollicking rap song by villain Tex Richman (Academy Award® winner Chris Cooper)  who provides the hilarious backstory of why he hates the Muppets.  Audio commentaries with screenwriter and star Jason Segel, director James Bobin and screenwriter Nicholas Stoller are also included.

With the Muppet’s signature irreverent comedy, songs and dancing, Muppet fans of all ages will cheer as the gang reunites to put on a benefit show to save the crumbling Muppet Studios from being razed by nefarious oil baron Tex Richman. New fans and long-time devotees will find the rainbow connection when they bring Disney’s “The Muppets” into their very own homes.

3-Disc ‘Wocka-Wocka Value Pack’

(1-Disc Blu-ray + 1-Disc DVD + Digital Copy + Soundtrack Digital Download Card)

Includes:

• The Longest Blooper Reel Ever Made (In Muppet History––We Think) – A laugh out loud look at the actors’funny gaffs and gags from behind the scenes of making Disney’s “The Muppets.”
• Disney Intermission – Groundbreaking Blu-ray feature. Pausing a movie will never be this much fun, as the Muppets take over the screen every time you stop the disc!
• Scratching The Surface: A Hasty Examination of the Making of Disney’s “The Muppets.” Hosted by unit production manager monster J.G., the cast and crew take a behind the scenes look at making Muppet and movie history.
• Explaining Evil: The Full Tex Richman Song. Rapping his way through the story of his miserable life, Tex tells audiences why he turned out to be such a rotten guy.
• A Little Screen Test on the way to the Read Through. This hilarious footage follows the Muppet gang as they go to their first table reading of the script.
• Eight Deleted Scenes
• Audio Commentary with Jason Segel, James Bobin and Nicholas Stoller
• The Combo Pack also comes with the popular theatrical spoof trailers
• The Complete Soundtrack

2-Disc Combo Pack (1-Disc Blu-ray + 1 Disc DVD)

Includes:

• The Longest Blooper Reel Ever Made (In Muppet History––We think).
• Disney Intermission
• Scratching the Surface: A Hasty Examination of the Making of Disney’s “The Muppets”
• Explaining Evil: The Full Tex Richman Song
• A Little Screen Test on the Way to the Read Through
• Deleted Scenes
• Audio commentary with Jason Segel, James Bobin and Nicholas Stoller
• Hidden Easter Eggs

1-Disc DVD + Soundtrack Digital Download Card

Includes:

• The Longest Blooper Reel Ever Made (In Muppet History––We Think)
• Complete Soundtrack

1-Disc DVD

Includes:

• The Longest Blooper Reel Ever Made (In Muppet History––We Think)

Digital Bonus Exclusive
Includes:

• Inside Walter’s Trailer. Take a peek inside Walter’s star trailer as he prepares to play his big role.
   

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The Tuskegee Airmen

Film  

This story of the challenges and racism faced by the men who made up the Tuskegee Airmen is an early effort to tell their story.  The newest effort coming soon, will be Red Tails which is being produced by George Lucas and will have the effects done by ILM.  I was already excited about seeing Red Tails, but after watching The Tuskegee Airmen, my excitement has grown since I’ve learned more about their history.  The one thing that this movie is missing is unified aerial combat which isn’t dependent on stock footage, which I know Red Tails won’t suffer from.

The movie introduces us to a core group of men who have enlisted in the hopes that they will be allowed to fly.  The new recruits include Hannibal Lee (Laurence Fishburne), Walter Peoples III (Allen Payne), Billy “A-Train” Roberts (Cuba Gooding Jr.), and Leroy Cappy (Malcolm-Jamal Warner).  When they arrive for their training, they are met with a variety of superiors who each have different beliefs.  The commanding officer Colonel Rogers (David Hugh Kelly) wants to give the recruits a fair chance while his subordinate Major Joy (Christopher McDonald) is determined to make sure each of them fail since he believes they are wasting his time and the taxpayers’ money.  However, the air combat instructors Lt. Glenn (Courtney B. Vance) who is also black, tries to help the men the best he can without appearing to make excuses for them.

The normally rigorous training to become a pilot is even harder for the men who also have to suffer from Major Joy’s repeated attempts to set up situations where they could fail.  When Walter decides to showboat while flying, during which he knowingly breaks several rules, Joy is happy to have another reason to try to convince Col. Rogers that the Tuskegee experiment should be ended.  Rogers disagrees, but is forced to kick Walter out of the program because of the violations.  For Walter, who was already a licensed pilot before arriving, that decision is basically a death sentence which he carries out himself when he steals a plane and commits suicide by crashing it.  His death isn’t the only one to occur during training since we see another cadet accidentally kill himself and his instructor when he lost control of his plane.

The pressure for the men is enormous since they are trying to succeed for themselves, their families, and even their race since the nation is watching to see how this “experiment” will turn out.  Their fortunes are lifted when the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt arrives for an inspection and requests to be taken for an airplane ride.  Rogers orders Joy to take her but she forces them to allow a black pilot to fly her instead.  With the publicity of the First Lady’s trust and the successful flight, it gives the men and the program a much needed boost.  The fight behind the scenes continues as opponents of the Tuskegee program including Senator Conyers (John Lithgow) do their best to end it.

Eventually, the remaining cadets graduate the program and are deployed to North Africa to join the 99th Pursuit Squadron.  Even out in the field, they discover the same racism and mistrust they faced in Tuskegee.  They are still segregated and there’s still attempts to make them look bad and they are relegated to ground attack missions.  During one of their missions, Cappy notices a group of German Messerschmitt Bf 109a and ignores orders not to attack them.  He manages to shoot one of the Germans down but is shot down himself which only gives Senator Conyers more ammunition that black aviators are too impulsive and shouldn’t be allowed to fly.

A congressional hearing is called and a questionable medical study is used to claim that “Negroes are incapable of handling complex machinery.”  The hearing is decided in the Tuskegee airmen’s favor thanks mostly to a speech given by their superior officer Lt. Colonel Benjamin Davis (Andre Braugher) and the end result is that the 99th Pursuit Squadron is merged with two new squadrons out of Tuskegee to create the all black 332nd Fighter Group.  The 332nd is assigned bomber escort duty which they initially complain about until their track record in successfully protecting the bombers is noticed and their reputation improves.  Soon they aren’t being ordered to escort bombers but instead they are specifically being requested to do so by the bomber crews themselves.  During this time, they even manage to sink a German Destroyers solely with gunfire from their planes which hadn’t been done before.  More and more losses happen before they join the big bombing run against Berlin, but we see that they’re finally appreciated and honored for their record and service even if it’s not universal.

The film does a pretty good job in showing the good and bad aspects of both races in the movie.  While many of the white characters are racist and ignorant, they are balanced out with characters like Colonel Rogers who believes that the men deserve a fair shot.  Not all of the black characters are without flaws either since Walter’s arrogance ends up costing him his dream and his life, as does Cappy’s decision to ignore orders.  The aerial footage filmed for this is excellent but the constraints of being a low budget film pop up every time there’s any combat since any combat footage is obviously taken from real footage which never meshes well with the rest of the movie.  That reliance on stock footage really distracts the viewer every time it switches back and forth since the quality veers drastically.  I’m not sure if the Red Tails cast will be as good as this one, but one thing I know for sure is that the aerial combat will be much better integrated and done a lot better than this movie’s.  It’s too bad since Fishburne and Braugher especially do a great job in this and it’s too bad that the rest of the film doesn’t come off as strongly as they do.

Video  

This 1080p (1.78:1) transfer looks far better than it should considering its age and the budget the film had to work with at the time.  Colors are striking and there’s some very nice detail present that’s good enough to allow you to read the cadet’s names off their uniforms.  Black levels are decent but not completely solid but textures are pretty good.  There’s some light grain present but it doesn’t detract from the picture quality as it just gives it a film-like look.

Audio  

The Tuskegee Airmen’s DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix is decent but nothing spectacular.  This revamped mix does offer some clear and concise dialogue but lacks the punch that modern audience crave.  I was hoping that this would be an immersive mix especially when it came to the aerial combat, but unfortunately that’s not the case.  There’s some minor rear channel use for planes but it was pretty disappointing.  This is primarily a front channel affair for better or worse and a new remastered mix would have added a lot to this Blu-ray.

Special Features  

The only extra found on this release is the digibook commemorative booklet that is part of the Blu-ray case.  It offers some photographs of the actual aviators and even has a picture of the First Lady at Tuskegee.  Unfortunately, there’s no trailers, no commentaries, or even any behind the scenes EPK fluff on this disc which is fairly surprising.

Final Thoughts

The Tuskegee Airmen is a well made film with a lot of good intentions and a good cast.  The film’s reliance on stock footage hurts it as does the overall low budget feel of the movie.  This Blu-ray offers a surprisingly good video quality but it could have benefited from a remastered audio mix and some special features.  Other than that, this is a movie that I would recommend due to the performances.  HBO was smart to release this movie days before Red Tails to drum up some publicity for themselves.  Check this out and then go see Red Tails!

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Here are some clips from the movie:

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When the staff of New York City’s most expensive and luxurious condominium discovers that the billionaire investment advisor living in the penthouse has plundered their retirement fund, they take matters into their own hands.   Convinced that light-fingered Wall Street Titan Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda) has stashed his ill-gotten millions in his apartment, building manager Josh Kovacs (Ben Stiller) rallies his troops and enlists the help of small-time thief Slide (Eddie Murphy) to make sure they get back what’s rightfully theirs.  These rookie thieves—including high-strung concierge Charlie (Casey Affleck), broke ex-Wall Streeter Mr. Fitzhugh (Matthew Broderick), new bellhop Dev’Reaux (Michael Peña) and feisty maid Odessa (Gabourey Sidibe)—know the building better than anyone.  It turns out they’ve been casing the place for years…they just didn’t know it.

Ben Stiller & Eddie Murphy Lead an All-Star Cast in the Year’s Most Hilarious Action-Comedy

TOWER HEIST

Own the Special Edition Blu-Ray Combo Pack That Includes DVD, Digital Copy & UltraViolet & Features Two Hilarious Alternate Endings & Exclusive Bonus Features February 21, 2012

Universal City, Calif., January 3, 2012—A wealthy Wall Street swindler gets his just desserts at the hands of the employees he stiffed in the year’s most uproarious action comedy, Tower Heist, coming to Blu-ray Combo-Pack with UltraViolet, as well as DVD, Digital Download and On Demand February 21, 2012 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment.  Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy lead an all-star comedy cast in this hilarious tale of sweet, sweet revenge. The film’s stellar ensemble cast includes Casey Affleck (Ocean’s Eleven trilogy), Alan Alda (The Aviator), Matthew Broderick (The Producers), Stephen McKinley Henderson (“Law and Order”),  Judd Hirsch (A Beautiful Mind) Téa Leoni (Fun with Dick and Jane), Michael Peña (Battle: Los Angeles) and Gabourey Sidibe (Precious).  The film is produced by Academy Award winning-producer Brian Grazer (8 Mile, A Beautiful Mind, American Gangster).  The Tower Heist Blu-ray Combo Pack delivers the film in perfect hi-def picture and perfect hi-def sound and features over an hour of bonus features including two alternate endings, deleted scenes, a gag reel and exclusive behind-the-scenes features on the making of the film.

Included in the Blu-ray^™ Combo Pack is an all-new UltraViolet copy of the film. UltraViolet is the revolutionary new way for consumers to collect movies and TV shows, put them in the cloud and stream instantly to computers, tablets and smart phones and soon, consumers can download to devices of their choice too.  The Tower Heist Combo Pack also includes a DVD and Digital Copy of the film which is compatible with iTunes, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Android or other retail partners.  So now, consumers can truly enjoy their movies and TV shows anytime, anywhere, on the platform of their choice!  The Blu-ray also includes Universal’s Second Screen—a technology that enhances the viewing experience by allowing viewers to simultaneously control and interact with the film and bonus material on a WiFi-connected tablet or computer as the movie plays on the television screen.  The new Flick View Feature will allow fans to interact even more with the movie and be able to move content from their tablet to their TV screen.

BONUS FEATURES

Bonus features that appear on the both the Blu-ray and DVD versions include:

Two Alternate Endings – not seen in theatres!

Hilarious Deleted & Alternate Scenes

Gag Reel

Plotting Tower Heist—Following the structure of a classic caper movie in three acts, director Brett Ratner, producer Brian Grazer and the entire cast bring this heist film to a whole new level. Viewers will learn how the project started, as well as meet the screenwriters and cast.  This exclusive feature reveals the secrets of the set design, special effects and more, including what it took to create the iconic sequence involving Steve McQueen’s car!

Feature Commentary with director Brett Ratner, editor Mark Helfrich and co-writers Ted Griffin & Jeff Nathanson

The following features are exclusive to Blu-ray:

Tower Heist Video Diary – Director Brett Ratner takes fans through the filmmaking process with these personal video production diaries from the set.

U-Control:

• Picture-in-Picture – featuring pre-visualization and storyboard comparisons of some the film’s most exciting scenes.
• The Music of Tower Heist

pocket BLU^™ App: The popular free pocket BLU™ app for smartphones is now even better with newly updated versions for iPad^®, Android™ tablets, PC and Macintosh computers, with features made especially to take advantage of the devices’ larger screens and high resolution displays.

• Advanced Remote Control: A sleek, elegant new way to operate your Blu-ray™ player. Users can navigate through menus, playback and BD-Live™ functions with ease.
• Video Timeline: Users can easily bring up the video timeline, allowing them to instantly access any point in the film.
• Mobile-To-Go: Users can unlock a selection of bonus content with their Blu-ray™ discs to save to their device or to stream from anywhere there is a Wi-Fi network, enabling them to enjoy content on the go, anytime, anywhere.
• Browse Titles: Users will have access to a complete list of pocket BLU™-enabled titles available and coming to Blu-ray™.  They can view free previews and see what additional content is available to unlock on their device.
• Keyboard: Entering data is fast and easy with your device’s intuitive keyboard.

And with UNIVERSAL’S SECOND SCREEN, viewers can enjoy an innovative and interactive viewing experience, that allows them to control, interact and explore Tower Heist with groundbreaking new features right on a networked tablet or computer, in synchronization with the movie on the television screen! While the movie plays, experience features such as:

• Flick View: Interact with the movie; move content from the Tablet to the TV screen; and compare storyboards, animatics and other executing content by “Flicking” them from on their tablet to their TV screen, simply by gesturing their fingers upwards on their tablets.
• Behind the Scenes w/Flick View: Viewers get an all access look at the making of the film featuring interviews with cast and crew.
• Storyboards w/Flick View: Viewers will be able to take a closer look at the storyboards created for some of the amazing sequences in the film.
• The Music of Tower Heist—Songs from the Tower Heist soundtrack are highlighted with the option to add to a playlist and purchase.

BD-LIVE^™ – Access the BD-Live^™ Center through your Internet-connected player to access the latest trailers, exclusive content, and more!

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Film  

Much like their previous series WWII in HD (see my review here), The History Channel covers the Vietnam War by focusing on the stories of thirteen men and women who served there, rather than try to cover every aspect of the conflict.  By limiting its focus, it allows the viewers to gain a deeper understanding of the war through these men and women’s personal stories.  We meet Karl Marlantes a marine who was involved in some of the worst fighting in the war; Arthur Wiknik, a draftee who participated in the 10 day assault on Hamburger Hill; Bob Clewell, a helicopter pilot that was involved in extremely dangerous missions into Laos;  Charles Brown who bravely led his men into Pleiku and Dak To; Elizabeth Allen, an Army nurse who volunteered to serve on the front lines; Joe Galloway, a United Press International reporter who went to Vietnam twice to cover the war and ended up saving lives himself; Anne Purcell, the wife of the highest ranking prisoner of war; and Barry Romo who entered the war as a supporter and later ended up being a dedicated anti-war protester.

This series offers a comprehensive view of the entire war from start to finish, with a focus on both the hardships that faced the military personnel and the turmoil back at home.  The United States originally got involved in the conflict between the communist North Vietnamese (Viet Cong) and the South Vietnam forces as part of their policy of containing the spread of communism.  We see additional military advisers arrive to help the South Vietnamese and the escalation of the war that necessitates more and more personnel.  The draft is reinstated to achieve the required quota which is highly unpopular in the long run.  Unlike World War II, the American public now has a constant barrage of newsreel footage that dominates the news non stop which also fuels that anti-war movement.

Showing the horror and brutality of the war, galvanizes many people who start protesting in Washington, D.C. and at their colleges.  The public grew even more disillusioned with the President and the military after the Tet Offensive occured since they had been led to believe that the Viet Cong were crippled enough that they couldn’t ever mount an attack that large.  Ironically, we see that the political and public pressure to end the war, actually made achieving their military goals that could have ended the war quicker even harder to accomplish.  After finally allowing the U.S. forces to attack Viet Cong bases in Cambodia, the soldiers are told to stay within 19 miles of the Vietnam border which prevented them from attacking the suspected main Viet Cong base which was just outside of the directed limit.

It’s hard to compare the events onscreen to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, since there seems to be quite a bit of history repeating itself.  What set this war apart from say World War II, is that the enemy wasn’t easily recognizable. The Viet Cong didn’t have uniforms and they deliberately blended in with the civilian population.  As one of the soldiers  says, “We’re told the VC threaten these people with their lives unless they help them, so you gotta figure it’s not really their fault. But at the same time when you find a bunch of AK-47s hidden in some villagers’ chicken pen, you can’t help but feel that they’re the reason your buddy is dead.”  We also see the soldiers’ frustration with the Viet Cong strategy of firing on American troops while being shielded by civilians, since they knew any counter-attack by the Americans  would inevitably kill civilians and only make them more hostile to the U.S. forces.   This series does a great job showing the daily life of a soldier with their moments of leisure on white sandy beaches and then the sheer terror of being ambushed in the jungle.   The series also does an admirable job showing just how instrumental helicopters were in this war and we fly along with the pilots as they are being shot at or passing over hundreds of corpses below.

This six-hour series is narrated by Golden Globe Award winner Michael C. Hall and voiced by some of Hollywood’s top talents: Adrian Grenier as Barry Romo, Edward Burns as Joe Galloway, Kevin Connolly as Keith Connolly, Blair Underwood as Charles Brown, Tempestt Bledsoe as Elizabeth Allen, Jerry Ferrara as Raymond Torres, Zachary Levi as Karl Marlantes, James Marsden as Arthur Wiknik, Jennifer Love Hewitt as Anne Purcell, Glenn Howerton as Donald DeVore, Armie Hammer as Gary Benedetti, Dylan McDermott as Jim Anderson, and Dean Cain as Bob Clewell.  While many of these people initially made me wonder why they were involved, but honestly they all did a good job portraying these real life heroes.  Here is the breakdown of the episodes as originally described:

• The Beginning (1964-1965) - In 1965, Operation Rolling Thunder roars across the skies over North Vietnam and the first U.S. ground troops land in the South. American soldiers are outnumbered in the Ia Drang Valley, the first major battle of the war.
• Search & Destroy (1966-1967) – American troops launch widespread “search and destroy” operations; body count, not territory, becomes the measure of success in Vietnam. Charles Brown fights for survival on the bloody slopes of Hill 875 and at home, the American public begins to question U.S. military strategy.
• The Tet Offensive (1968) – The enemy gains ground when the massive Tet Offensive catches the Americans by surprise. At Khe Sanh and Pleiku, U.S. troops are under siege. Americans mount a counteroffensive but the shock of the assault ignites anti-war fervor at home.
• An Endless War (1968-1969) – The turmoil of 1968 helps Nixon win the presidency. Troop strength in Vietnam peaks and the draft accelerates. Karl Marlantes endures bitter jungle fighting on Hill 484, and draftee Arthur Wiknik gets a grim introduction to combat on “Hamburger Hill”. But shortly after “winning” both hills, US troops abandon them.
• A Changing War (1969-1970) – Troop withdrawals begin as the Americans train their ARVN allies to take over the war. Gery Benedetti patrols the hostile waters of the Mekong Delta. James Anderson leads a battalion into Cambodia after Nixon’s controversial order. Don DeVore struggles to survive a fierce night attack, and Anne Purcell gets promising news about her husband. Then, Bob Clewell’s helicopter crew comes under intense fire in one of the final operations of the war.
• Peace with Honor (1971-1975) - Joe Galloway returns to Vietnam and in Washington, D.C., Barry Romo throws down his medals in protest. The last American troops return home and POW wife Anne Purcell awaits word of her husband’s fate. The fall of Saigon brings the unification of Vietnam.

Video  

Like all of the other historical series, it’s hard to rate the video quality of the show because it varies so much due to the variety of film stock used to make up the show.  A lot of this footage was taken from 8mm home movies and film recorded out in the field, so the quality is as varied as the film stock used.  This 1080p (1.78:1) transfer looks rough in some parts and very good in others.  The modern day interviews look sharp and in fine form but the older material has been stretched from 1.33:1 to 1.78:1 which doesn’t help.  For a transfer made up of old footage, this looks pretty good overall but it would have been better if they hadn’t stretched a 4×3 image to fit a 16×9 frame.

Audio  

Vietnam in HD’s lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix is very satisfying to hear especially when you consider that a lot of the footage was originally silent so the effects had to be added in later.  The audio team does an excellent job bringing in accurate and realistic sound effects that makes the footage come alive.  The dialogue comes through clearly through the front channels, while the rear channels provide some nice atmosphere and directional effects.  One thing I will also mention is that throughout the show, the voices from the cast blend in with the actual voices of the people they are portraying.  It gives a nice reaching back in history vibe, but sometimes some of the dialogue is lost when the two voices are blending together.  Narrator Michael C. Hall does a decent job but I think someone else with more gravitas would have been a better choice.  There’s also a lot of period songs included in the series which help transport the viewers to that time period and they all sound great.

Special Features  

Sadly, there are no special features on the Blu-ray edition which is really surprising since the DVD set comes with a bonus disc with an additional 51 minutes of extras.  The decision not to include them on the Blu-ray too is beyond me and will also hurt the set’s final score.

Final Thoughts  

Because this war was extremely unpopular, the public resentment over the war has somewhat diminished the efforts of the military men and women who did their duty.  As Barry Romo points out, he’s glad the the Iraq and Afghanistan vets got a proper welcome home since he believes that the public at large now can separate their feelings between how they feel about the war itself and the military who were ordered to participate.  If you ever wondered what it was like to serve in Vietnam, this show gives you a pretty good idea of the stress, hardships, and the constant threat of death these men and women had to endure daily.  It also gives a nicely balanced view of the war in Vietnam and the public and political war that took place at home and how each affected the other.  Much like WWII in HD, this series will give you more of a reason to be thankful to those that served their country on Veteran’s Day.

Order your copy today!

Will’s Top 10 3-D

Blu-rays of

2011

10. Drive Angry 3D - The Nicolas Cage live-action flick was impressive with a third-dimension. Depth made highway and action scenes appear deep. Pop-out was a bit gimmicky with objects flying at you for no apparent reason. The movie wasn’t great but was definitely watchable. The visual transfer was very impressive in high def, plus the price on this disc always seems to drop and that’s when this flick becomes a no brainer to purchase.

9. The Smurfs 3D- I had no interest in watching this in 2D or 3D. Grew up a fan of the beloved 80’s cartoon series but Hollywood has damaged too many of my favorite childhood cartoons. Barely any Jokey Smurf, Hefty only has 1 line, no Johan and Peewee and no Christmas Carol special like the 2D combo set. The Smurfs was actually not that bad. It’s pretty entertaining, with a shout out to creator Peyo and a small tribute to the cartoon series during the end credits.

8.  Tron Legacy 3D - Tron is back, well sort of. Actually, Kevin Flynn is back but with his son Sam, now as the lead. Tron Legacy is a beautiful Blu-ray disc with great visual effects. Even though the whole movie isn’t in 3D, it’s still a spectacular film to watch in 3D.

7. Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Film Trilogy (UK) – A must own set for all marine life fans. You don’t receive 1 great 3D documentary, not 2, but 3 of them in 1 set. You’ll have fish, sharks, sea turtles and many other marine-life animals floating across your living room for an amazing experience. It’s a region free set and worth importing when you get a chance.

6. How to Train Your Dragon 3D - At first this was a hard 3D movie to get. You had to purchase a Samsung Starter kit, but now you can find this title at any BestBuy. What I thought was the animated movie of the year for 2010 has been under the radar for 3D adopters. Get your hands on this when you can.

5. Yogi Bear 3D – I know this isn’t a great movie but your children may like it. I know Yogi doesn’t look realistic and scenes with humans just appear so far off. Still I can’t knock how great this looks in 3D. There are some well added depth and slow-motion pop-outs. This is a great watch once, with the added dimension of 3D.

4. Arabia 3D and The Ultimate Wave Tahiti 3D – IMAX and Image Entertainment 2 best documentary releases of 2011. I can’t even tell you which one is superior; they are so close running neck to neck needing a photo finish to decide the winner. One film is on land and the other in water. Both are very educational and not even that long to watch.

3. Tangled 3D – Disney is on top of their game right now with their 3D combo sets. They are also have the best post-converted and shot in 3D Blu-rays around. They may not have the #1 title on my list but they are #1 as a studio.

2. Meet the Robinsons 3D – This is my favorite Disney animated featured that’s a non-Pixar title. Meet the Robinsons is so underrated I think, because it deals with a child from poverty. I may be biased, because I enjoy the film so much, but this was a great 3D disc as well. Constant pop-out and depth added to an already great experience. Meet the Robinsons 3D is movie that I truly enjoyed.

1. Sammy’s Adventures: The Secret Passage 3D (Hong Kong Version) – In the UK it’s called A Turtle’s Tale-Sammy’s Adventures. The same movie with a different title, if you don’t have a region free player then the Hong Kong Version is the only way you can go. This was a tough find for me to get since I don’t have a region free player. Sammy’s Adventures is the best 3D release by far. You can pick your #1 choice for 2010 and Sammy will beat it. The plot is average but with 80% of the movie in your living room with the realistic water depth, I can only imagine what Finding Nemo would look like in 3D. I know Avatar 3D fans will be in denial or even refuse to believe me, but Sammy’s Adventures takes 3D on Blu-ray to a whole different level.

Honorable Mentions:

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides 3D, Bolt 3D, Toy Story trilogy 3D, Captain America: The First Avenger 3D, G-Force 3D, Lion King 3D, Kung Fu Panda 3D, Kung Fu Panda 2 3D and The Nightmare Before Christmas 3D

Top 10

10. The Conspirator – James McAvoy is the man. Actually Daniel Day-Lewis is the man, but he wasn’t in this movie.  Nevertheless, McAvoy gave an award-worthy performance as Civil War vet turned lawyer Frederick Aiken.  Aiken was assigned the daunting task of defending Mary Surratt, who allegedly housed assassin John Wilkes Booth.

9.  Thor – Director Kenneth Brannagh takes a swing at pop culture as he manned directing duties for the Marvel film about the Norse god of thunder.  Chris Hemsworth expertly plays Thor with great chemistry provided from supporting actors Natalie Portman, Stellan Skarsgard and Anthony Hopkins.  This movie could have easily been overly hokey, but instead struck gold.

8.  Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol – The American ‘Bond’ is back as Tom Cruise leads the cast of Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner and the drop-dead gorgeous Paula Patton.  The movie featured an awesome chase, new spy toys, wicked FX and an arsenal of espionage.  I was hooked from start to finish.

7.  Kill the Irishman – A film about the late Cleveland mob boss Danny Greene proved to be a small but strong movie with a great cast.  Headlined by Ray Stevenson, Vincent D’Onofrio, Val Kilmer and the great Christopher Walken, this true story combined impressive acting with real life news footage and a relentless circle of vengeance.

6.  Transformers: Dark of the Moon – Michael Bay does it again and brings satisfying closure to the super budget trilogy.  There was a little more nonsense than there needed to be, but the final battle was Braveheart with robots.  Epic.  Absolutely epic.

5.  Drive - Who knew?  This movie didn’t get a whole lot of coverage and I almost let it slip from my 2011 viewing grasp.  Ryan Gosling plays a man of few words who is a stunt driver by day, getaway driver by night.  Walk softly and carry a big stick.  If you can’t find a big stick, drive a black Mustang like the devil’s chasing you.

4.  The Help – Incredible acting and an even more incredible story brought this film from obscurity in my mind to one of the most dramatic and best films of the year, as it focused on the mistreatment of black maids in the south by their white family employers in the 1950’s.  Watch for the small golden statues to grace this title.

3.  J. Edgar – Though some of the historical details were skewed in this film, it was truly fascinating and nothing short of an Oscar-worthy performance by Leonardo DiCaprio.  This bio-pic covered a lot of ground over the course of the late FBI Director’s career and personal life.

2.  Rise of the Planet of the Apes – After an initial viewing in a really bad movie theater, I wasn’t overly impressed.  After reviewing it with some clarity on a better screen and intelligible sound, I was to the moon over this film. James Franco stars in the best Planet of the Apes material from any decade.  The story, writing and directing just rocked, equating to one of the best films the summer had to offer.  Oh yeah, Andy Serkis was pretty freakin’ amazing too.

1.  X-Men: First Class – I’m not a huge X-Men fan but I’ll be damned if this movie didn’t kick some serious tail.  James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender were awesome in their roles as was the supporting cast around them.  The flow of the story didn’t waver, and as a result, kept me glued from start to finish.  X-Men had a lot of competition to contend with this year, but it never fell from my top spot after the moment I watched it.  Kudos to a Marvel film that actually took itself seriously.

Honorable Mention

The Muppets – I grew up with these guys.  When I found out the story was about the Muppets fading from the limelight and trying to get back together, I thought, “How apropo.”  It’s been more than a couple years since the last film (which I thoroughly enjoyed), so the timing was right for a new one.  Like Aaron mentioned in his top 10 list, the smile-inducing qualities of this movie were infectious.  The best part?  Hearing their theme song for the first time in years.  For me, it was 1981 in front of the TV all over again.  I loved it.

Crazy, Stupid, Love. – Romance comedies, or rom-coms as they’re annoyingly called, are typically not my thing.  This movie, however, took a couple on the verge of divorce, a player turned faithful and a smart ass kid with raging hormones and combined them for one very clever and fun film.  Sure Steve Carel is usually the same character.  Let’s be honest though.  The guy does one thing and does it extremely well.  Add Julianne Moore, Ryan Gosling and Kevin Bacon and you got yourself a good movie.

Biggest Disappointment

Cowboys & Aliens - (runners-up include Captain America and War Horse) – The title ‘Biggest Disappointment’ doesn’t necessarily mean the movie was bad.  It just means it seriously fell below expectations.  Green Lantern was one of those films this year, though I didn’t have high hopes for that boring disaster to begin with.  With a tag team of Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford, however, I did expect Cowboys & Aliens to be a whole lot better than it was (especially with Jon Favreau as director).  The movie was uninspiring and lacked enough punch to be the blockbuster it could have been.

Worst Film of the Year

Arthur – (runners-up include Paul, Season of the Witch, and Priest) – I love Russell Brand.  I hate Arthur…proof that your favorite entertainers do not always have the King Midas touch.  This remake of the 1981 version (which starred Dudley Moore) did nothing to equal, let alone one-up, its predecessor.  The story focused around one very wealthy man-child who had everything done for him in life.  Things change when he finds true love.  Yay.  I had too much of a headache from the crap this movie unloaded to decipher what its downfall was; the directing, the story…it doesn’t matter.  The movie stunk (really badly) from start to finish.  How bad was it?  I’d rather watch Jonah Hex.

Special Mention – Documentaries:  Beats, Rhymes, & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest and Project Nim – Putting documentaries and films together on the same list is quite difficult, so I needed a separate place to mention two great docs.  I am a huge fan of the innovative hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest and the Michael Rapaport-directed documentary that covers the group’s past, present, and possible future was entertaining, insightful, and full of great beats (Trailer HERE).  Additionally, from the director of one of my favorite documentaries ever, Man on Wire, James Marsh made a new documentary this year that focused on the life of a chimpanzee named Nim.  Nim was the subject of an extended study involving sign language and living with humans, which was followed by a life of turmoil.  Project Nim is a deeply affecting documentary that goes over Nim’s story.  (Review HERE)

Another Special Mention:  Bellflower – Not a film that I am in love with, but I really admire it quite a bit and it was one of those that I kept thinking about after having watched it, then watched it again.  Made for $17,000 as a debut film, using a custom built muscle care (equipped with actual flamethrowers), and filmed on custom made cameras, Bellflower is a unique sort of love story with a hipster meets post-apocalyptic atmosphere, which I grew quite fond of. (Review HERE, Interview HERE)

And One Last Special Mention:  Take Shelter – I wanted to specifically point this film out as well, because while it did not make my top 10, I do think it contains the two best performances of the year from Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain.  This is the story of a man who may or may not be slowly going crazy, due to intense nightmares, and decides to devote a vast amount of time building an expansive tornado shelter under his backyard, to the alarm of his wife and young daughter.  Both lead actors do tremendous work in a film that I would love to see get more acclaim because of it.  (Review HERE)

And now for the top 10…

10.  The Muppets – I am kicking things off with the movie that had me smiling the most this year.  The Muppets gave me all the joy I wanted in a movie that featured these timeless characters.  Complete with wonderful songs, Muppets-style self aware humor, call backs, and tons of cameos, this was one of my most anticipated films of the fall and it completely delivered.  Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller managed to put together a script that lived up to the spirit of the Muppets.  Bringing on the Flight of the Conchord’s Bret McKenzie to collaborate on and write the songs, along with director James Bobin to add his Conchord-style visual sensibility only further helped to capture the fun and witty spirit of the film.  A purely enjoyable film that that brought me lots of happiness.

“Maniacal laugh!” (Review HERE)

9.  Another Earth – The first of the two existential, sci-fi dramas that I will have on this list.  While I thought the premise was interesting enough – what if a duplicate earth suddenly appeared, relatively close, in our universe? – I was really surprised as to how into this film I was.  This surprise was especially due to how the sci-fi nature of the premise is essentially pushed into the background for the majority of the film, as a more low-key drama emerges, based off of a tragedy, and becomes the film’s focus.  Made as a fairly independent feature, only to receive studio backing later on, this feature film from co-writers Mike Cahill (also the director) and Brit Marling (also the star) really got to me with its intriguing ideas and well handled tone.  It was certainly enough to make a lasting impression.

“What would we really like to see if we could stand outside ourselves and look at us?” (Review HERE)

8.  Hanna – I love talking about Hanna.  It has so many cool aspects to go into.  Saoirse Ronan is kick ass as a young girl, raised to be the perfect assassin, who discovers what the real world is like for the first time.  Eric Bana continues to show how badass he can be in action.  Joe Wright’s direction leads to some well shot sequences, many involving slick action.  The undercurrent of fairy tale-related imagery and characters added a neat thematic element as well.  And the awesome score by The Chemical Brothers made things all the better to enjoy.  Hanna was a cool little sleeper that hit during the early spring and I totally dug it.

“I just missed your heart” (Review HERE)

7.  Hugo – A film that I grow to love more and more every time I think about it.  Hugo is an affecting adventure/drama of sorts that involves the quest for a young, orphaned boy, who lives in a Paris railway station, to find out the secret behind a broken gift from his father.  In discovering more about this gift, the narrative segues into another fantastic story about the history and inventiveness of early cinema.  Martin Scorsese not only brought a popular children’s novel to life, he also managed to make one of the best directed films of the year, based on the technical accomplishments he achieves in areas like production design and the fact that his film is completely enhanced by his decision to film in 3D (which actually makes sense, when applied to the narrative) and make it the best 3D experience I have had in theaters.  I can’t emphasize enough how this movie should be seen in theaters, in 3D, as Scorsese made a film that literally serves as a tribute to cinema.

“So I figured, if the entire world was one big machine, I couldn’t be an extra part. I had to be here for some reason.” (Review HERE)

6.  Martha Marcy May Marlene – Along with Insidious (the best pure horror movie I saw this year), Martha Marcy May Marlene kept me incredibly tense throughout its running time.  It definitely helped that the film was exceedingly well acted, contained a story structure that managed to deliver just enough information through dialogue, and communicated so much more visually and through nuances within the characters and their interactions.  Superb editing is a specific area I hope this movie gets awards recognition for, given the deliberate flow of the film.  This is the darkly intriguing story of a girl who has escaped a cult and attempts to readjust back to normal life with family, crossed with flashbacks to her time in the cult.  It has a moody atmosphere, which perfectly establishes a sense of paranoia to match the viewer with the mind of Elizabeth Olsen’s Martha.  I easily joined the cult of this movie’s fandom.

“I know who I am. I am a teacher and a leader; you just never let me be that.” (Review HERE)

5.  Rango – Still probably the strangest movie on my list.  Rango is just as much a fun adventure movie about talking animals as it is a surreal western about a chameleon going through an identity crisis.  Director Gore Verbiniski and Johnny Depp reteamed (after ‘Pirates’ 1-3) to make this incredibly well-animated film that gave me a lot of sheer joy.  It is easily a film that can be off-putting to many, but I was completely taken by its weird charm.  The fact that a mainstream “kids” film could incorporate elements of westerns, existentialism, a Star Wars-like chase sequence, and a plot incredibly similar to Chinatown is kind of amazing and it left a great impression on me.  I am completely hoping For A Few Rangos More.

“Now, we ride!” (Review HERE)

4.  Midnight In Paris – I was completely taken by this year’s Woody Allen film.  Not only did he make one of my favorite films of the year, complete with a top-notch cast, wonderful photography, and a creatively fanciful story; Allen managed to make one of my favorite films that he has ever made.  I managed to see this film without knowing what the early twist of the story was (which I alert people of in my review) and was wonderfully surprised with a very arresting story that calls back to past Allen films like The Purple Rose of Cairo.  Headed up by Owen Wilson, the cast is wonderfully well-suited to this film, given the great script that they get to play out and the beautiful setting they get to occupy.  Similar to Martin Scorsese and Hugo, a director more advanced in their age does not mean they have no more ambition.

“What is it with this city? I need to write a letter to the Chamber of Commerce.” (Review HERE)

3.  Melancholia – The second existential, sci-fi drama on my list and the one that left me practically floored.  There were two things I was definitely not expecting to have done, film-wise, this year.  One was being caught up on all of the Twilight films, but that is for another discussion.  The other was not only seeing the latest feature from director Lars Von Trier, who always seems to be going for a sucker punch to your emotions, but completely embracing it and being fully taken by what it had to offer.  Melancholia offers a long study concerning the end of times, with a visually stunning opening prologue, a “part one” that deals the emotional drama (and sometimes hilarity) of a wedding, a “part two” that delves into the possibility of a rogue planet colliding with earth, and an ending that had me completely wrapped up in its dark, visual splendor.  And I wasn’t even depressed afterward, as I was too taken in by the beauty of Melancholia.

“Hold my hand.  Close your eyes.” (Review HERE)

2.  Attack the Block – A lot of people familiar with me may have been able to see this one coming, as I have been talking and posting incessantly about his movie ever since I saw it early in the summer.  Attack the Block is creative genre madness at its finest.  The story of a gang of South London teens taking on an invasion of nasty aliens is met with stylish direction, a clever and constantly humorous script, a sweet score from the electronic group Basement Jaxx, and sufficient thrills based around the fantastic and practical effects work in the design of the aliens.  At a quick-paced 88 minutes, Attack the Block is the movie I have watched the most this year and it continues to deliver each time.  And here’s a little bonus, believe.

“This is too much madness to explain in one text!” (Review HERE)

1.  Drive – Stylish, smart, and super cool, Drive is my real hero, my real number 1.  I was easily gripped by this film.  This was the incredibly familiar story of a part-time stunt driver/part-time wheelman (Ryan Gosling) taking matters into his own hands, when it came down to protecting a woman (Carey Mulligan), yet director Nicolas Winding Refn completely made it his own.  Certainly not resting on cruise control, Drive is a slick action drama with plenty of appeal.  Gosling’s intensity matched with the surprising intimidation factor of Albert Brooks.  The fantastic soundtrack and score by Cliff Martinez.  The thrilling and crazy-violent nature of some of this film’s key sequences.  The fact that this film has one of the best romantic narratives of the year.  Drive had all of this and kept me extremely satisfied throughout (and enough so to have me see it again the following day as well).  In a year full of great films, Drive managed to stick out to me as the one that deserved my top spot and I will be excited to receive the night-call to watch it again.

“…I don’t carry a gun.  I drive.” (Review HERE)

With the Top 10 out of the way, here are a batch of other notable films, disappointments, and a worst of the year list:

11-20 (Alphabetical):

13 Assassins, 50/50, The Artist, Insidious, I Saw the Devil, Kung Fu Panda 2, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, The Skin I Live In, The Tree of Life, Win Win

Honorable Mentions:

The Adventures of Tintin, Beginners, Bridesmaids, Contagion, Fast Five, Fright Night, I Love You Philip Morris, The Illusionist, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Red State, Submarine, Warrior, X-Men: First Class, and of course Captain America: The First Avenger

Films I Wish I Had Seen:

Being Elmo, Certified Copy, A Dangerous Method, Terri, Tyrannosaur, We Need to Talk about Kevin

Most Disappointing Films:

Cowboys and Aliens – There was so much potential and promise in this film.  Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig as leads; Jon Favreau directing; Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard, and Brian Grazer producing; a ridiculously fun idea for a story; all of this and the movie was still a big bore.  As this was near the top of my most anticipated list, I was saddened to not enjoy it as much as I would have wanted. (Review HERE)

Drive Angry 3D – I was not as saddened by this movie as ‘Cowboys’, but I was still hoping for much more given the combination of the team behind the surprisingly entertaining My Bloody Valentine 3D and Nicolas “Rage” Cage.  Somehow, the movie titled “Drive Angry” did not feature nearly enough angry driving and had a fairly low-key Cage, when his wild-man nature was really needed.  At least William Fichtner was awesome in this film, but not much else was.  (Review HERE)

Top 10 Worst Films of 2011:

Luckily I was able to avoid a number of movies, including two terrible looking Adam Sandler films, whatever the hell Bucky Larson was, a movie about a married horse mother that was supposed to make us imagine how she does it, the arrival of a full-sequenced centipede, and Season of the Witch – starring Nic Cage’s hair.  Still, I found a number of pretty bad flicks to list out here:

10.  Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides – As a person who really likes the first three ‘Pirates’ films, I was supremely disappointed with what ‘On Stranger Tides’ had to offer.  Lackluster and boring, everything that people were ironically expecting before the fun surprise that was the first ‘Pirates’ film, is exactly what we got in this fourth entry.  Deadly mermaids were not enough to save this one for me. (Review HERE)

9.  Sanctum – A film that could have been a decent B-movie, with a James Cameron stamp of approval, based on the use of 3D, turned out to be terrible due its clichéd disaster plot-like story and having the worst performance I have seen this year.  Mr. Fantastic himself, Ioan Gruffud, is so bad in this movie that I almost wanted to crawl into an underground cavern to escape him.  (Review HERE)

8.  No Strings Attached – Well it made me either more or less curious about watching Friends with Benefits…moving on (Review HERE)

7.  Straw Dogs – Pointless remake of a movie I don’t even care for that much, but was at least aware of its controversy and themes.  This remake might have been better received by me if it did not brand itself within the same guise as the Sam Peckinpah-directed predecessor, given that it practically reverses the original’s purpose, but no, it’s just a trashy story that builds to a violent climax, designed to appeal to audience desires.  Cyclops himself, James Marsden, might as well have said, “Gotcha suckers!” at the end.  (Review HERE)

6.  The Thing – I was on board with the idea of this film from the outset.  The fact that I heard good things about the practical effects usage early on was also promising.  The result?  A really stale story that had none of the foreboding paranoia that made John Carpenter’s The Thing so effective, along with laughably bad CGI effects.  Bonus points for having the laziest prequel/sequel title this side of I Still Know What You Did Last Summer.  (Review HERE)

5.  I Am Number Four – Hey, it’s Twilight with Aliens!  (Review HERE)

4.  Priest – During this movie, Paul Bettany rides alone on his futuristic motorcycle for days before arriving at his destination.  It is one of the more humorous montage scenes of the year.  And then there’s the rest of this fairly lame sci-fi/vampire/horror/action/western film to sit through, featuring verbal sparring between Bettany and Cam Gigandet, a wasted Karl Urban, and horrendously bad dialogue.  (Review HERE)

3.  Red Riding Hood – This movie is amazing according to my favorite review comment thread participant – HERE

2.  The Roommate – At least this movie didn’t call itself Single White Female.  Not being a remake is a plus, but being a really terrible rehash of a film, featuring a story that’s been done to death is not much better.  The only suspense here may come from deciding on the amount of time it takes before you turn the film off.  This is the film that featured a murdered kitten to shock audiences and also features Cam Gigandet in his second appearance on this list.

1.  Larry Crowne – Almost as insultingly nice as it is bad.  Despite being well-meaning, Larry Crowne, to me, is the biggest dud of the year.  Tom Hanks’ second theatrical feature he has directed pales in comparison to That Thing You Do and offers next to no entertainment value.  Instead, we get Hanks in his whitey tighties, That 70s Show’s Wilmer Valderama as the head of a scooter gang, Julia Roberts looking miserable, and the great Bryan Cranston somehow playing beneath himself, with dialogue that seems on par with lines from The Room.  Not even co-star George Takei’s, “Oh My’s” were enough to save this utterly sad film.  (Review HERE)

Not quite top 10 worst, but still pretty bad:

Apollo 18, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, Scream 4, Sucker Punch

And that should do it for me, with this year’s wrap up.  Have a Happy New Year Everyone! (here’s a hint for my most anticipated of 2012):

Matt’s Top Ten Films

of the Year and Awards

10. Horrible Bosses – Starting it off at number ten, we have Horrible Bosses. This is the fifth comedy to be included on this list. Don’t think this is a good movie? How about asking fellow writer Brian (review HERE), I’m sure they will have nothing but good stuff to say about it! While my bosses have been pretty chill, I would hate to work for these crazy nutjobs (except Jennifer Aniston).

9. Rise of the Planet of the Apes – If you have yet to watch Rise of the Planet of the Apes, you are missing out on some of the most brilliant special effects of all time. No extensive uses of CGI, no bullsh!t. Andy Serkis IS Caesar. Utilizing WETA’s spectacular motion capture technology (used on Avatar) to create an ape might result in the first person to win an oscar without actually appearing on screen. Caesar is home. Check out our theatrical movie reviews HERE and HERE and a most excellent Blu-ray recap HERE.

8. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol – Listen up Michael Bay, THIS is how you make a proper action flick. Not only is Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol a fantastic entry into the Mission: Impossible franchise, but it successfully outdoes it’s predecessors. Tom Cruise, who did his own stunts in this film, including climbing Burj Khalifa, the worlds tallest building, proves he has the balls to do anything. A powerhouse film. Check out our theatrical review HERE.

7. Cedar Rapids – Ever since I watched Cedar Rapids, I have not been able to get it out of my mind. Ed Helms is so harmlessly outstanding in this role that it makes the film near-perfect. I have watched this movie fifteen times and counting, and I’m never going to be sick of it. Read Aaron’s Blu-ray review HERE.

6. Super – When crime screams through the city, it’s up to the man with a wrench to shut the crime up. With the help of his sidekick, Boltie, the Crimson Bolt fights the corruption. Like Kick-Ass, this film takes the premise of ordinary becoming extraordinary, yet makes it way darker. James Gunn is one of the most twisted and brilliant directors out there. His movies are all great (Slither is in my top twenty of all time) and Super is a superb addition to my James Gunn collection. Read our theatrical review HERE.

5. X-Men: First Class – I’ll cut straight to the chase here; X-Men: First Class is my favorite Marvel film since Spider-Man 2. How does Matthew Vaughn follow up his megahit Kick-Ass? He reinvents a dying franchise using a wide variety of impressive effects. We have powerhouse performances here from James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender, as well as a great ensemble cast. This movie is the bomb, yo! Read our Blu-ray review HERE.

4. Bridesmaids – Bridesmaids is comedy gold. This is in NO way a chick flick; and if it is, you mine as well call me a chick! Kristen Wiig is outrageously funny in a totally committed role, and Melissa McCarthy has certainly made a name for herself. Is there anything that Judd Apatow cannot do? Read my Blu-ray review HERE.

3. Red State – Red State seems to have audiences split apart. To fully enjoy the flick, you should probably be a Kevin Smith fanatic; otherwise, you may not understand what all of the hype is about. Red State is a frantically shot, well-acted thrill ride. Michael Parks and Melissa Leo are standouts here in Oscar-worthy performances. In my mind, Red State is a classic.

2. Drive – Nicolas Winding Refn not only crafted the perfect cast, he also managed to craft a P-E-R-F-E-C-T film. I don’t like throwing the term “masterpiece” around (although I do it a bunch), but when a film involves Ryan Gosling stomping a mans head in an elevator shaft playing to a killer soundtrack, the phrase is applicable. Read Aaron’s review HERE.

1. Attack the Block – Well, folks, here we are. My number one film of the year. Attack the Block came out of nowhere and completely blew me away. Not only that, but it manages to be one of the most entertaining horror-Sci-fi films of ALL-TIME. This is easily my favorite british film next to Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. Attack the Block daftly blends horror and comedy into one fantastic film. Believe, bruvs. Thank you Aaron Neuwirth for letting me know about this film! Read his Blu-ray review HERE.

Honorable Mentions:

Hugo
50/50
The Muppets
Melancholia
Crazy, Stupid, Love
Rango
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
Source Code
The Last Circus
The Hangover Part II
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Ten Worst Films of the Year:

1. No Strings Attached
2. The Mechanic
3. Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son
4. Unknown
5. Jack and Jill
6. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
7. Green Lantern
8. Puncture
9. Breaking Dawn Part 1
10. Cowboys & Aliens

Best Film: Attack the Block

Best Director: Matthew Vaughn (X-Men: First Class)

Best Screenplay: Joe Cornish (Attack the Block)

Best Cinematography: Hugo

Best Actor: Ryan Gosling (Drive)

Best Actress: Kirsten Dunst (Melancholia)

Best Supporting Actor: Andy Serkis (ROTPOTA)

Best Supporting Actress: Chloe Grace Moretz (Hugo)

Best Visual Effects: Hugo

Most Pleasant Surprise: Attack the Block

Best Comedy: Bridesmaids

Biggest Twist: Source Code

Most Underrated Film: Super

Biggest Disappointment: Cowboys & Aliens

Best Soundtrack: Drive

So, what did you think? Did I surprise you? Did you expect this? Let me know in the comment section below. Here’s to a great year of film, and here’s to another great year of film in 2012!

Kung Fu Panda 2

Film  

I enjoyed the first Kung Fu Panda but I didn’t really see the need for a sequel but I wasn’t too surprised when another one was made since that’s the modus operandi of Dreamworks Animation.  I also wasn’t enamored with the concept of kung fu animals but the first film worked in large part thanks to a believable villain who happened to be a tiger voiced by the great Ian McShane.  This time the villain is still voiced by an incredible actor (Gary Oldman) but he’s as threatening as a wet dish towel since he’s just a preening peacock.  We see his “traumatic experience” that happened years ago when his character Lord Shen gets himself in trouble with his parents who rule Gongmen City.  Shen wants to use the explosive power of fireworks to seize power but he’s warned by the goat soothsayer (Michelle Yeoh) that a warrior of “black and white” would defeat him one day, Shen orders the extermination of the pandas around the city.  His parents don’t take kindly to that and banish him which makes him so bitter at his exile that he swears revenge.

Thirty years pass, and Po (Jack Black) has become the Dragon Warrior and his fellow Kung Fu “Furious Five” comrades and him spend their days training and protecting the Valley of Peace and the people within it.  While Po has learned a lot during his time there, Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) tells him that he needs to achieve inner peace for a problem that the audience hasn’t seen until it was convenient to do so for this movie.  Suddenly, the easygoing Po has inner turmoil over where he came from and who is parents were and it’s these troubles that prevent him from reaching inner peace.  When Shen’s wolf thieves come to the Valley of Peach to steal every bit of metal for his war plans, the Furious Five go into action to stop them.  Normally, this kind of fight wouldn’t be a big deal for the Dragon Warrior and his friends but Po gets distracted by the symbol on the wolf leader’s (Danny McBride) armor, which triggers a flashback to his mother which is enough of a distraction that the wolves escape.  Now troubled by thoughts of his mother, Po asks his adoptive father Mr. Ping (James Wong) about where he came from and is told that he was found in a radish crate.

When Shifu learns that Master Thundering Rhino (Victor Garber), the head of the kung fu council that protects Gongmen City was killed by Shen and his new weapon, he tells his students that Shen intends to destroy kung fu and take over the world.  How a cannon can destroy kung fu isn’t really explained but I’ll go into that later.  Po and the Furious Five are dispatched to defeat Shen and once they sneak into Gongmen City, they discover the two remaining Council members Masters Storming Ox (Dennis Haysbert) and Croc (Jean-Claude Van Damme) imprisoned in the dungeon.  The two are too scared to join forces to defeat Shen and remain in jail by choice.  It’s not long before Po and the others are captured by Shen’s army and they are brought before Shen in his tower.  They quickly escape their shackles and attack Shen and his men, but once again, Po is distracted by Shen’s symbol and allows Shen to escape.

Angry at Po’s continual failure, Tigress (Angelina Jolie) confronts Po and he tells the group that he now knows that Shen was involved with his parents’ fate and wants to find out what happened.  Even though she understands his distress, Tigress tells him to remain behind for his own safety.  Ignoring her command, Po goes to Shen’s cannon factory to confront him once and for all but as usual, things go badly and he not only gets his friends captured, but he’s blasted out of the factory when he’s hit by one of Shen’s cannon shots.  He lands in the ruined village where he was born and he is cared for by Shen’s former soothsayer who he’s banished.  After recovering, Po is told by the soothsayer to embrace his past and finally remembers his parents sacrificing themselves to protect him while he hid in a radish crate.  Having finally achieved inner peace from this understanding, Po gets ready to rescue his friends and to stop Shen and his army.

The movie’s plot is contrived and the villain laughable, but there’s no denying the quality of the animation or what the actors bring to their roles.  While it makes no sense that Shen can believably take over the world with some heavy cannons since unless the kung fu masters oblige him by standing in one spot like Master Thundering Rhino, it’s very difficult to hit them.  The whole idea of a vicious peacock is pretty silly but that doesn’t mean that Gary Oldman isn’t good in the role because he is, but I wish the material was equal to his performance.  Jack Black and the rest of the this impressive cast are good in their roles and their personalities add a lot to the movie, especially Black who has made Po a replica of himself in panda form.  There’s a lot more action here than in the previous movie which is welcome, but a better script would have been nice.  This movie asks the audience to suspend their disbelief quite a bit at several eye-rolling moments that would have been more appropriate for a soap opera.

Video  

One of the reasons I love seeing these animated movies is because lately they always look so good when they are released on Blu-ray and this movie is no different.  This 1080p (2.35:1) transfer looks amazing with exceptional detail and vivid colors that jump off the screen.  Every tuft of fur and every feather is visible and sharply defined  in this movie and it looks incredible.  The movie is basically a color explosion with hues of every color in every frame and it’s eye-catching visuals kept my three year old transfixed on the screen.  Black levels are solid and pitch black and the textures are impressive too.  There’s no defects present so I can happily rate this one as reference quality!

Audio  

Kung Fu Panda 2′s Dolby TrueHD 7.1 mix is just as perfect as it’s visuals.  Dialogue is crystal clear, with every growl, squawk, roar, and line well delivered by the front channels.  The rear channels are also well utilized since they provide a pleasing surround experience with very accurate directional effects that bounce around the room.  The sub-woofer also gets in on the action with some considerable power.  The movie’s score is also balanced well within the mix and never overshadows the dialogue or effects.  This too is reference quality!

Special Features  

Kung Fu Panda 2 arrives with a ton of extras which is always nice, espcecially when they are also in high definition like these!  Included is an episode of the TV spinoff series “Legends of Awesomeness”, a picture in picture commentary track, a filmmaker commentary track, featurettes, and three bonus extras “Animation Inspiration”, “The Animators’ Corner”, and “Trivia Track” are included exclusively for the Blu-ray release.

• Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Masters – A bonus cartoon starring Po that expands on his story.
• Animation Inspiration – A behind the scenes look at the production team’s trip to China for inspiration.  Through photos and narration, we visit a collection of locations that were visited for the film which are available through an interactive map with select-able spots that include: Panda Village, Musicians Village, Valley of Peace, Journey Across China, Gongmen City, Tower of the Sacred Flame, Valley of Peace Town, and The Harbor.  Once a selection is made, the location is revealed through film clips, pictures, and their commentary about it.
• The Animators’ Corner – A comprehensive look at the making of the film from the animator’s perspective through a picture in picture commentary track.  A discussion on the film’s themes, technical challenges, and more is covered by a lot of participants, including Jack Black.  This is a pretty cool track with a lot of information that’s delivered along with storyboards, rough animation examples, and more.
• Trivia Track - A pop-up trivia track that offers a lot of information about the film including info about the characters, the making of the movie, the connections between the two movies, and some random trivia as well.
• Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness – A full episode from the Nickelodeon television series that is a spin-off from the movies.  I wasn’t aware that there was a show out there, so it was nice to see it and my son really liked it.  The animation is surprisingly good for a television show.
• Kickin’ It with the Cast – A short featurette that has some clips of the cast talking about the movie and their character.
• Deleted Scenes – A collection of deleted scenes introduced by the director including: Fight Club – Bartender Scene, Po Chasing the Crow, and Po in Gongmen City.
• Panda Stories – A look at the conservation efforts to save Pandas and a look at how the movie was influenced by real pandas and how the movie affects real life.
• Kung Fu Shuffle – Two fun games for kids including ”Barrels of Bunnies!” and “Baby Po’s Great Crate Challenge.”
• Ni Hao – An introductory look at writing and speaking Mandarin with the movie as an example.
• Filmmakers Commentary – A jam-packed commentary with Director Jennifer Yuh Nelson; Producer Melissa Cobb; Production Designer Raymond Zibach; and Supervising Animator, Kung Fu Choreographer, and Story Artist Rodolphe Guenoden.  They talk about the genesis of the movie and their intentions for it as well as the challenges they faced during the making of it.  This track is more technical than the animation picture in picture track, but it is just as interesting.
• World of DreamWorks Animation – A look at other Dreamworks productions including: Shrek, How to Train Your Dragon, Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar, and Megamind.
• Kung Fu Panda World Online Game Memberships.
• Digital Copy
• DVD of the film

Final Thoughts  

The movie could have benefited from a better script but it was still an enjoyable movie even though it played it fairly safe since it was essentially the first movie all over again but with some added mysticism.  The animation is excellent and if you love these movies, I can easily recommend this Blu-ray with it’s perfect video and sound and it’s extensive special features!

Order your copy today!

Gerard’s Top 10 Films of

2011

10. The Adjustment Bureau – The Adjustment Bureau is on my list, because 2011 was a turbulent year for me on a personal level and the film was there as sort of a comforter. It’s a love story rolled up into science fiction with a twist. What really sealed the deal for me was the chemistry that Matt Damon and Emily Blunt had onscreen. It was electric! I can’t remember the last time I saw an onscreen couple that played off of each other like a real life couple would. It was great!  The Adjustment Bureau was a film that won me over with performances as opposed to what the subject matter was, but I enjoyed the film’s subject matter anyways. It all worked out.

9. Bellflower – “Lord Humungus cannot be defied.”  —Lord Humungus

8. Melancholia – It’s the end of the world and I feel…depressed as hell. Okay, not really, but only someone like Lars Von Trier could make a film about the end of the world and have it be good. I mean, the world ends in the opening scenes, so what else could the film possibly tell me? There’s so much stuff to digest here, but what makes it a good film is the talent involved behind the camera and in front of it. If you’re down for it, I would suggest watching Tree of Life and Melancholia as they deal with subject matter that sort of correlates with one another. One film is about the beginning of all things and the other film is about the end of all things.  Make a weekend out of it.

7. Warrior – Warrior is a bit of a stunner. Meaning that it came out of nowhere and made it on my list. I saw the promotional materials and really didn’t care for the film. It also had people that I liked in the film, but I still didn’t care. Enter the Blu-ray format. I watched it and was blown away by how great it was! I see several Oscar nominations for the film itself and actors involved. The best way to describe Warrior would be to say that it’s Rocky meets the MMA. That’s also simplifying it a bit, but if you’ve seen the endless promotional blitzes for the film then you’ll already know what the film is all about. It also reaffirms my faith in the Bane character who is being played by Tom Hardy. Hardy was a monster in Warrior, but keep an eye out for Nick Nolte.

6. Tree of Life – Terence Malick made his triumphant return to film in 2011 with his philosophical look at the beginning of the universe. It revolved around the actual creation of the universe, dinosaurs, and a family set in the 50′s, along with one character who seemed to be drifting through life in the present or near past. What did it all mean, or what was it all about? Tree of Life is one of those esoteric films that cannot be explained, because they go much deeper than than a simplistic meaning. Malick films are never simplistic. I will say that no matter who you talk to about Tree of Life, you will get a different answer every time.  It’s a phenomenal piece of filmmaking, though.

5. The Skin I Live In – Being an Almodovar novice, but actually knowing a lot about him and his themes and techniques, The Skin I Live In would be one of those thrill rides that kept me on the edge of my seat until the end. When the end hit, the rug was pulled from right from under me. Well, that’s sort of a lie. The rug was pulled from under me halfway through the film, but you understand. I expect that Antonio Banderas will get some recognition from the Academy, and I also hope that more people give the film a shot when it hits Blu-ray in the coming months. You will be talking about it for a while a afterwards, I assure you.

4. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo – Here’s the newest entry into my Top 10, because I just saw it this morning. I have a built in love for all of David Fincher’s work, and I kind of knew that The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo would be no different. I’ll also admit that I was a virgin going into the world of author Stieg Larsson. I own, but have not read the trilogy of novels, and I have not seen any of the Swedish language films. What I do want to emphasize on is that I believe Fincher has taken this dark material about a young girl who vanished forty years and made it his own. Fincher is one director who is style AND substance rolled up into one. I cannot wait for the next two films which he will film back-to-back.

3. Insidious – Up until the middle of this past summer, Insidious had the number one spot on my list, but ended up being dethroned by a couple of other films. Insidious is the story of a young boy who is being “haunted” by demonic forces and it’s up to his family to save him. Insidious was scary all around. I saw it in a packed house and what made it stand out was how the crowds reacted to it. You had some hardcore grown ass men screaming in their seats. Literally. It was funny to walk out of the theater and hear these “tough guys” mumbling to their friends or significant others things like ” naw man, I wasn’t scared,” or “naw, I wasn’t screaming, that wasn’t me.” It just goes to show you what kind of power a great horror film has over people.

2. The Devil’s Double – Me and some of my fellow Why So Blu crew members caught a screening of The Devil’s Double when we were all down covering Comic-Con in the summer time. I will say that the film did heat up the screen and stuck with me for a while after watching it. Dominic Cooper gave us a dual performance as one of Saddam Hussein’s sadistic sons and the man who would be drafted to be his body double. It was a performance for the ages, and I do hope he is not overlooked by the Academy. I don’t think the film was properly marketed, because it never opened in wide release and it quickly went away. The good news is that it is now available on Blu-ray and it is your duty to check it out for yourself.

1. Drive - I saw Drive the week after it opened and I was FLOORED, pardon the pun. It’s an art house film disguised as a mainstream film, and rightfully so, because it actually crossed over the barrier. Audiences embraced the film even if it was a bit unconventional and went against what they were normally into. Me, I was hooked on the film about a stunt driver who moonlights as a getaway driver. I also bought the soundtrack to the film, and even drove around my city a couple of nights a week like Ryan Gosling’s character in the film. It also helps that I live in L.A., so I know where all of the locations used in the film were. Here we are several months later and I am still thinking about the freakin’ film! It just shows what kind of power it has over certain film-goers, and it’s that kind of power that makes it my number 1 film of 2011.

Honorable Mentions:

I Saw The Devil, Limitless, The Lincoln Lawyer, Super, Hanna, Thor, X-Men: First Class, Crazy, Stupid, Love., Horrible Bosses, The Help, Killer Elite, Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows, The Ides of March, Immortals.

Film  

The Rocketeer is a throwback to the serials of the thirties which is a good thing in my book since it captures some of the feel of other movies like Raiders of the Lost Ark, which was also a homage to the fun and adventurous movies that Lucas and Spielberg grew up on.  The director of this movie is Joe Johnston who worked for George Lucas for years and clearly shares the same affinity for the period as Lucas does.  (In fact he later returned to this period when he directed Captain America- The First Avenger).  Like the old serials, this movie focuses on an unlikely protagonist who becomes hero during his swashbuckling adventures while avoiding death at every turn by evil villains.   In fact, this originated as a comic book by Dave Stevens and was one of the first to make the transition to a film, beating Batman, Spiderman, and the rest.

The movie opens during 1938 in Los Angeles, with a rocket pack being stolen from Howard Hughes (Terry O’Quinn) by some henchmen who work for a mobster named Eddie Valentine (Paul Sorvino).  With the FBI hot on their trail, the mobsters race to a nearby airfield where they are caught but not before the rocket pack is hidden in one of the planes.  The rocket pack is later found by stunt pilot Cliff Secord (Billy Campbell) and his mechanic “Peevy” Peabody (Alan Arkin) when they go to look at the damaged plane.  Cliff wants to use it right away, but Peevy cautions him to wait until they understand how it works and was put together.  When he learns that his men failed to return the rocket pack to him, Valentine is forced to inform his movie star employer Neville Sinclair (Timothy Dalton) of their failure and he’s dispatched to get it again.

The movie really gets moving when Cliff finally dons the rocket pack along with the helmet that Peevy made, to rescue a friend in a malfunctioning plane which is witnessed by a crowd.  Since Cliff was anonymous because he had on the mask, he is dubbed “The Rocketeer” by the media.  When Cliff visits his actress girlfriend Jenny (Jennifer Connelly) on the set she is working on along with Sinclair, he accidentally gets her fired after he accidentally causes an accident.  Sinclair, who had been listening to their conversation, overhears Cliff trying to tell Jenny about the rocket pack he’s been searching for.  As soon as Cliff leaves, Sinclair invites Jenny to join him for dinner at the South Seas Club while he sends his hired muscle Lothar (Tiny Ron Taylor) to the airfield to find Cliff and retrieve the rocket pack.

Lothar tracks Cliff and Peevy down and manages to steal the rocket schematics that Peevy had made while Cliff and Peevy escape with the rocket pack in the midst of gunfire from the FBI.  They are followed by Valentines’s men to a diner where overhears one of them call Valentine and learns that Jenny is with Sinclair and that Sinclair is the one working with Valentine.  Realizing that he needs to save Jenny, Cliff escapes but during the gunfight, the rocket pack is hit by a ricochet bullet which Peevy patches up with gum.  Cliff manages to sneak into the Club, but before he can rescue Jenny she is kidnapped by Sinclair, who takes her to his place and tries to seduce her.  Jenny catches him off guard and knocks him out and discovers that he is a Nazi spy but before she can escape she is captured again.

Sinclair leaves a message for Cliff, telling him to bring the rocket pack to the Griffith Observatory, which he will trade for Jenny.  After getting caught by the FBI and taken to Hughes, Cliff learns that the Nazis have been trying to build their own rocket packs to aid their efforts to take over the United States.  Since he has no intention of returning the rocket pack to Hughes until Jenny is saved, Cliff manages to escape the FBI but accidentally leaves the details of the exchange behind, telling the FBI where to intercept him.  When Cliff arrives at the designated spot, he sees Sinclair, Lothar, and Valentine and his henchmen waiting for him.  It’s not long before Nazi commandos and the FBI enter the fray as well and an all out melee occurs.  It will be up to Cliff (fully dressed in his Rocketeer outfit) to save Jenny and stop the Nazis from getting their hands on the rocket pack!

I’ve always liked this film and its old-fashioned charm.  Cliff radiates an all-American every-man charm and the bad guys are bad guys, with no moral ambiguities.  While the first half of the movie moves fairly slow as it builds up, once Cliff starts using the rocket pack it’s a lot of fun.  Billy Campbell was an unknown actor at the time and an excellent choice to play this kind of am earnest role which is hard to pull off.  Jennifer Connelly makes for a very beautiful girlfriend that has some spunk to her while Alan Arkin is great as the gruff mechanic Peevy.  This was the first time I was introduced to Terry O’Quinn long before he became my favorite on “LOST” and he does a great job as the brilliant Hughes.  I also remember being somewhat surprised to see Timothy Dalton as a dastardly villain (he was James Bond after all) but he does a great job as the movie star turned spy Sinclair.  A big reason this movie has resonated with me over the years (and still does) is the fact that every boy dreams of having a rocket pack to fly around with.  That dream grew even more when we saw Boba Fett fly around in Return of the Jedi before being unceremoniously wasted as Sarlacc show.  This movie taps into that collective dream and combined with some winning performances, cool effects, and a retro 30′s era charm, this adventure is still a lot of fun to watch!

Video 

Making it’s entrance in high definition, this 1080p (2.35:1) transfer of The Rocketeer looks better than it ever has, but it’s not perfect.  There’s some nice detail present but there’s also some light softness from time to time that doesn’t really detract from the movie, but it is noticeable.  Colors are well represented here in all of their variety and black levels are fairly solid.  Flesh tones are natural looking and consistent and Jennifer Connelly has never looked lovelier in this movie.

Audio  

The Rocketeer’s DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix doesn’t fare as well as the video quality as it shows its age with dialogue that’s hit or miss.  In some scenes, the dialogue is clear and clean, while in others it’s muffled and weak.  It’s still better than the previous DVD’s audio quality, but I was hoping for something more.  The rear speakers offer some decent directionality which adds some excitement and James Horner’s score gets the most attention which is ok with me since it’s a great score.  This mix could have been improved a lot more but I will take what I can get.

Special Features  

For the 20th Anniversary Edition, you’d think you get some cool extras.  There’s got to be a ton of vintage interviews at the very least out there that could have been included, but no all that’s on here is the theatrical trailer.  How this happened is beyond me, since I’m pretty sure Joe Johnston, Billy Campbell, and probably the rest of them would have participated in preparing some new material or at least a commentary.  This decision is even more mystifying since the last D23 Expo had a whole display of the original costumes to show off to eager fans.  The home video division has completely dropped the ball on this one and they should be ashamed.  Normally I would give one star for a trailer but since this is being marketed as an Anniversary Edition, which was deliberately done to invoke the hope of something special, I’m taking that star away.

Final Thoughts  

As one of the best early comic-book adaptions of it’s time, The Rocketeer is a fun combination of Indiana Jones derring-do, Iron Man aerial acrobatics, and a Flash Gordon-esque hero.  If you want to see the audition movie that won Joe Johnston his job directing Captain America, this is that movie.  I really wish they had made some sequels to this since it would have been great to continue this series.  Note to Disney: it’s not too late!!

Order your copy today!

For my top ten I’ve decided to rate them based on a variety of reasons including: my affection for them, their audio/video quality, and what kind of special features were offered.  This year, since all of the movies on my list are fairly equal when all of the factors are added up, it came down to simply which movies that I love and will watch the most, which resulted in the following list which would make excellent holiday gifts:

10. Tron Legacy - Both TRON movies used cutting edge special effects to tell a real human story about technology and its place in our lives.  Kevin Flynn focused so much on his electronic world that he ended up trapped within it.  These movies serve as a cautionary tale but also work purely as entertainment.  Disney has once again released an incredible set with perfect picture and sound and fully restored TRON to the glory it deserved.  With every 3D release by them I wonder if that title will be the one to tip the scales enough to encourage people to buy a 3D TV and this one is no different.  If you are looking for an immersive experience, then this is the movie for you.  I highly recommend this set!  End of line.  Read my Blu-ray review here.  You can purchase it here.

9.  Buster Keaton – The Short Films Collection 1920-1923 - Authorized by the Buster Keaton estate and mastered in HD from 35mm archival film elements, The Short Films Collection gathers all of Keaton’s solo silent comedies in one monumental three-disc set.  Widely considered to be among Keaton’s finest work, the nineteen two-reel shorts are loaded with laughs, punctuated by breath-taking stunts, and bursting with raw creativity.  Over the course of this three-year period, Keaton evolved from a successful slapstick comedian into one of cinema’s most inventive visual stylists, and became an enduring icon of American popular culture and my favorite silent comedian.  (See my Blu-ray review here).  You can purchase it here.

8. The Complete Sherlock Holmes Collection - I’m a huge fan of this series, especially of Basil Rathbone’s performance as Sherlock Holmes.  He was perfectly suited to the role and despite my unhappiness with the way Dr. Watson was portrayed by Nigel Bruce, they both had great chemistry together.  It’s just unfortunate that they made Watson such a bumbling old coot.   In any case, this set is a must own for any Sherlock Holmes fan!  These movies will never look or sound better than this so I highly recommend this purchase which you will not regret! It’s elementary! (See my Blu-ray review here).  You can purchase it here.

7. Band of Brothers/The Pacific Special Edition Gift Set - Considered two of the finest depictions of the sweeping panorama of World War II, the HBO Miniseries Band of Brothers and The Pacific are being offered, for the first time, in one ultimate collector’s edition – just in time for holiday gift giving.  Band of Brothers / The Pacific Special Edition Gift Set, is now available in this all-new premium packaging that includes both ten-episode miniseries, all the special features from previous editions, plus the exclusive never-before-seen documentary He Has Seen War featuring surviving veterans of Easy Company and the 1st Marine Division, whose stories are told in Band of Brothers and The Pacific.  (See my Blu-ray review here).  You can purchase it here.

6.  Thor – I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this movie since this was one of the few superhero comics that I didn’t read growing up and the whole idea of bringing in magic into the Marvel universe seemed pretty risky.  But then I started hearing some reassuring news – Kenneth Branagh was going to direct it and Chris Hemsworth who was so good in his brief role as James T. Kirk’s father in Star Trek was going to play the Norse God.  All of my fears were settled once I finally saw the movie and really enjoyed it.  Branagh found the perfect balance and tone for the movie and other than a rushed ending, it turned out great.  The Blu-ray was also a nice surprise with  a very nice picture and an audio mix that brings the thunder!  Read our Blu-ray review here.  You can purchase it here.

5.  Captain America - I was excited to see this and was very happy to be a part of the world premiere audience with Chris Evans introducing the film, along with my fellow reviewer Aaron during Comic-Con.  While my seat placement sucked and I didn’t get a free shirt or the Mondo poster, it was still a lot fun.  I don’t think any other movie has divided the Why So Blu staff more than this one since Aaron and I thought it was a lot of fun, while Brian and Gerard hated it.  Thanks to where I was sitting and because it was in 3D, the actors looked like cucumbers so I’m very happy to finally have this on Blu-ray so I can enjoy this movie properly!  Even though Chris Evans is Johnny Storm, he’s a great choice to play Captain America even though I still think that Ryan McPartlin from “Chuck” would have been the perfect choice.  I also loved seeing the movie’s version of Cap’s classic uniform in this movie, which I think looks a lot better that the Ultimate version in the upcoming Avengers.  You can read our Blu-ray review here.  You can purchase it here.

4.  Toy Story 2 - This is my favorite Toy Story movie so I am little biased in favor of it.  It’s full of action, adventure, humor, and a cold dose of reality that makes the sweeter stuff even sweeter.  The cast does another incredible job in their roles and combined with a fantastic script and direction, this movie really couldn’t lose.  Now that this has been packaged with a new 3D transfer that looks and sounds perfect, this movie is even better and can safely be categorized as a must own title.  Pick this movie up and you won’t be disappointed!  (See my Blu-ray review here).  You can purchase it here.

3.  The Incredibles - For a movie based in such a fantastic superhero environment as this, it was a smart move to make it as grounded as possible with a realistic family dynamic. They may be superheroes but they have the same worries, fights, issues, and loves as the rest of us.  For a family movie from Pixar, there’s a lot of adult themes included in this movie which adds another layer of enjoyment for parents to appreciate while their kids just enjoy the action and humor.  This stellar set offers brilliant video and audio quality and the extensive special features will keep you happy and busy for a long time.  This is a fantastic movie that the whole family will love! (See my Blu-ray review here).  You can purchase it here.

2.  The Lord of the Rings Extended Edition Set - There are many reasons why I love this trilogy, but one of them is the attention to detail and the little character touches like Aragorn wearing Baromir’s wrist guards to honor him.  Knowing Aragorn’s resistance to lead his people, the simple fact of him doing that and later wearing the full armor of his kingdom makes me happy.  I also loved the progression of the character’s relationships and it adds quite a bit emotional depth to the end of the movie.  Whether it’s Legolas and Gimli’s goodbyes to each other in the face of certain defeat, or Sam carrying Frodo up Mt. Doom after Frodo cannot go any further, or Gandalf trying to ease Pippen’s fears about dying,  all of them were performed masterfully by the cast and made even more touching by the history we’ve had with the characters.  Make sure you pick up the Extended Edition Box Set since not only are those versions better, but their audio, video, and extras are considerably better than the theatrical editions.  Read my Blu-ray reviews of theatrical versions of The Fellowship of the Ring here, The Two Towers here, and The Return of the King here.  As a bonus, you can find the trailer for the next amazing journey called The Hobbit right here.  You can purchase the extended set here.

1.  Star Wars: The Complete Saga – My all-encompassing love for the Star Wars universe is well known so it shouldn’t be a surprise that this is #1 on my list.  Not only is the greatest franchise finally on Blu-ray, but it was done well especially with Episodes III-VI (Revenge of the Sith thru Return of the Jedi).  I’m one of those people that has bought every single release of these films through time, starting with Beta, VHS, LaserDisc, more VHS releases, the first DVD release, the second DVD release (for the bonus original cut of the movies), and now this.  I know for a fact that there will be another Blu-ray release down the road for the 3D versions and I will be ready with my wallet in hand.  For as long as I can remember, I have loved these movies and they mean a lot to me.  The scores by John Williams are incredible, the movies introduced me to my still favorite actor Harrison Ford, and George Lucas kick-started my imagination.  While I didn’t like everything about the prequels, I still enjoyed them (see my thoughts here), but nothing can touch the original trilogy especially The Empire Strikes Back which is tied for my favorite movie of all time with Raiders of the Lost Ark.  These Blu-rays look and sound amazing, especially the reference quality surround mix.  Add in the deleted scenes from every movie we’ve waited forever to see and a bunch of other goodies and you have yourself the best Blu-ray release of 2011!  I highly recommend that you buy this set right away if you haven’t already.  You can purchase it here.

Here is more of my choices that I wish could have been in my top ten.  If you’d like to purchase any of them, feel free to click on their title.

Honorable Mention: X-Men: First Class,  Fast Five,  The Lion King, and The Big Lebowski.

Movies that probably would have made it on my list if I had seen the Blu-rays: The Jurassic Park Trilogy,  Citizen Kane, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, pretty much any Criterion Collection movie, and West Side Story.

TV: Twilight Zone,  Farscape: The Complete Series, Justified Season 2, and Robotech: The Complete Original Series

If you’d like to purchase any of my Top Ten movies please click on the links below!

10. Tie!  No, that’s not the name of the movie.  There’s actually a stalemate for the 10th position.  I just couldn’t bring myself to axe one of these from my list so it inadvertantly became a top 11.  Leave it up to me to complicate things.

I Spit on Your Grave – This film was a remake of the 1978 version based around an innocent female who faces horror beyond belief at the hands of her male attackers.  Revenge is the name of the game and this holy hell ride displays it in an unparalleled gripping  and graphic manner. I just wish it had more extras.

Platoon – What I feel is the second greatest movie covering the Vietnam conflict (Full Metal Jacket being my #1) came to Blu-ray in 2011.  This Oliver Stone classic with its notable cast made for an impressive transfer to 1080 and contained a heap of featurettes.

9.  Being Human: Season 1 – The series has been revamped in a Canadian/U.S. version (originally of British origin) for the Syfy Channel…and it rocks.  A vampire, a werewolf and a ghost are all roommates in the same house.  Sound silly?  Think again.  With an occasional bout of humor, this show delivers drama as its primary genre.  The disc extras are slim but the show is grand, doing exactly what True Blood isn’t; staying focused.

8. Rise of the Planet of the Apes - I have never been a big fan of this franchise, but director Rupert Wyatt brought us this incredible piece of work this year.  The movie refused to dabble in the realm of hokey that other films have become known for.  The Blu-ray comes with a digital copy, high def extras and one bad ass, emotionally-driven film.  Andy Serkis and the FX team outdid themselves.

7.  The Big Bang Theory: Season 4 – I’m still trying to figure out which one of these comic book-loving, sci-fi guys I am, but I know one of them is me…and the other cast may even have some parallels with a few of the staffers here on WSB.  Season 4 was arguably the best one yet while making an equally impressive transition to Blu-ray with some enjoyable special features.

6.  Dexter: Season 5 – Quite possibly the greatest show on television (IMO), Dexter kept up the hype in season 5.  It didn’t quite have the punch of season 4, but wasn’t far off either.  Michael C. Hall retains his title as America’s favorite dark passenger as Julia Stiles guest stars. I just wish there were better extras on these discs.

5.  African Cats – There are a ton of lion and cheetah documentaries out there.  Here is arguably the best one.  Samuel L. Jackson narrates this Disney creation which has some of the most stunning African wildlife imagery captured on film.  The pristine picture quality and clever credits only magnify the exemplary content.

4.  X-Men: First Class – Though the movie displayed a somewhat altered origin of the mutant super team, it was still portrayed impressively, contained a great cast and included a nice helping of decent extras.

3.  The Crow – This film was previously released via import Blu-ray, but it became official in the States in 2011 (stay clear of the Walmart version as it does not come with the digital copy).  The picture quality made for a great transfer to high def and the film remains as riveting for me today as it did when I was in high school.  R.I.P. Brandon Lee.

2.  Dances With Wolves – Long overdue on its release to Blu-ray, we receive the director’s cut featuring additional footage to an already amazing piece of work.  I’m not a fan of westerns, but this film is just too profound to not like.  Eat your heart out Avatar fans.  Here’s the real movie.

1.  Star Wars – Three words:  Christmas in September.  Ah, the changes.  Ah, the blaspheming.  Some of the “updates” are welcomed.  Some are tolerable.  Some didn’t need to be there.  Regardless, we have all drooled in anticipation over George Lucas’ brilliance to finally arrive on Blu-ray and now that it’s here, I feel like a kid again.  It did not disappoint (just remove that damn CGI song and dance in Jabba’s palace).

Honorable Mention

Irish dance made its way to Blu-ray for the first time in 2011 on not one, but two different titles.  The first was the documentary titled Jig.  However, I’m not paying $35 for a one-disc Blu-ray feature, so I never did get a chance to see that.  Either way, the age-old art form wasn’t going to escape this article.  Mr. Flatley, take it away…

Lord of the Dance – The most successful touring production of all time comes to Blu-ray in the form of the at-home version of LOTD in 3D that was in theaters during the week of St. Patrick’s Day (though the Blu-ray is not 3D…thankfully).  Michael Flatley is a little older, but the lad’s still got some kick left in his step.  Hell, if I’ll be able to dance half as well at age 52 as he does, I will be ecstatic.  The only thing keeping this Blu-ray from making the list was its omission of multiple numbers from the actual live show.

Special Mention for TV Series Blu-rays:  Justified: The Complete First Season, Louie: The Complete First Season (Review HERE), Spartacus: Gods of the Arena (Review HERE), The Walking Dead: Season 1 – Special Edition

10. Kung Fu Panda 2 – A wonderful sequel to an already great first film.  This new adventure features Po and the gang taking on the malevolent Lord Shen and his newfound weaponry for the sake of saving kung fu.  As this was both stunning in terms of its story and in its action and animation, the Blu-ray for the film does amazing justice to the film.  Fantastic picture and audio quality highlight both the brightly colored animation and show off the wonderful action choreography on the small screen, accompanied by the great score and kung fu sound design.  Add to that a plethora of extras that detail both the production of the film, while also providing additional fun features for younger audiences, and all new stories for everyone to enjoy.  A very impressive package that will help you find inner piece.

“Tell those musicians to start playing action music, because it is on!” (Order HERE)

9.  Criterion Tie: Blow Out, Broadcast News, The Killing, Kiss Me Deadly – Once again, it is always tough to narrow down between the many great Blu-ray releases from The Criterion Collection, so I feel I have no choice but to narrow it down to a few of my favorites.  Criterion always delivers and the movies I have chosen are all fantastic.  Their Blu-rays are all designed to look and sound great, while also informing the viewer of the film’s history with brand new special features on the disc and the little booklets always included in the package.  The picks I have listed include a comedy, two classic film noirs, and a De Palma thriller, all the variety one would need to really enjoy what Criterion has to offer.

“I think we have the kind of friendship where if I were the devil, you’d be the only one I would tell.” (Order HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE)

8.  The Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy – Extended Editions – I am not the biggest ‘Ringer’; I have not even read the books.  However, I do admire the acclaimed motion picture trilogy that is The Lord of the Rings and the work that Peter Jackson and his entire team had put into these films.  I had not seen all of the ‘Extended Edition’ versions of these films up until this year, where I got to experience the Blu-rays in action, projected onto a movie theater screen.  Even regardless of my opinions on each of the films (they get better as the progress for me), these films look and sound great.  Along with the wonderful cinematography, the fantastic effects work by WETA still holds true and the audio presentation is there to match.  All of the special features previously available on the DVD versions are here as well; unfortunately all in SD, but it is still an all-encompassing look at the creation of these films.  A great package for anyone desiring a near definitive Lord of the Rings set.

“All our hopes now lie with two little hobbits, somewhere in the wilderness.” (Order HERE)

7.  The Big Lebowski – Another release of The Big Lebowski is always a time to celebrate.  With the number of releases of The Big Lebowski that have come out so far, we may never get a definitive one, but at least it is now available on Blu-ray.  It helps that the film is among my top films of all time, because it is not as fantastic a video and audio presentation as some of the other films on this list, but it is very good and the disc even manages to pack in all of the old special features and a few new ones.  Honestly, I would rather just stop talking about the Blu-ray and just quote this constantly hilarious film, but I will make a shout out to all the other Coen Brother films, which are now almost all available on Blu-ray.  The Coen’s have always had a keen eye when it comes to cinematography, and ‘Lebowski’ is no exception, as it is a very good looking film to watch on Blu-ray, let alone a great one to hear all of the memorable quotes in wonderful lossless DTS-HD.  Far out man.

“That rug really tied the room together.” (Review HERE and Order HERE)

6.  X-Men: First Class – I am still very pleased with how this all managed to come together.  Despite the rushed production schedule (and I still believe another few months could have made this film near flawless), X-Men: First Class was a very exciting film matched with great direction from Matthew Vaughn, an impressive handling on the source material, and of course the secret weapon that is Michael Fassbender.  The Blu-ray that this film is available on is also quite exciting, as it boasts stellar sound and video, along with a terrific documentary that goes over the making of the film.  Given that I tend to check out the extras on superhero movies almost immediately when they come out, I was quite happy to feel so involved with the making of this film, based on the quality of the extras.  First Class certainly passes the test.

“Listen to me very carefully, my friend:  Killing will not bring you peace.” (Review HERE and Order HERE)

5.  The Social Network – One of the best films from last year (review HERE) will now receive a bit more praise this year due to its fantastic Blu-ray presentation.  Director David Fincher’s films have continued to receive wonderful treatment when it comes to their home releases (with the exception of The Game), and The Social Network is no different.  It is a fantastic looking film, with a fantastic score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross and this is all very well captured on Blu-ray.  Add to that a lengthy documentary that goes over the production of the film, additional behind the scenes footage, and two commentary tracks, and this is everything you would want out of a film that was already great.  Click “Like” on this Blu-ray.

“I’m talking about taking the entire social experience of college and putting it online.” (Order HERE)

4.  The Incredibles – My favorite Pixar film (well it’s tied with two others, but I’ve watched this one the most) finally came to Blu-ray this year and it is, of course, incredible.  Pixar always delivers wonderful looking films that continue to look great at home and this Blu-ray provides a fantastic audio and video presentation.  This is great for a film that has so much going on in terms of the action/adventure plotting of the film and the wonderful music and sound effects that carry on throughout.  Further supporting the quality of this Blu-ray, the entire assortment of great special features previously available are seen on this disc (in HD!), as well as a few new ones, including a very entertaining retrospective for the film.  The Incredibles is as a great a film as always and finally having it in a superior format to view the film in is super.

“No matter how many times you save the world, it always manages to get back in jeopardy again.” (Review HERE and Order HERE)

3.  Evil Dead 2 (25^th Anniversary Edition) – Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead trilogy is my favorite horror franchise and Evil Dead 2 is one of my favorite films of all time.  Anyone familiar with this series is aware of the many many releases that these films seem to get, but decide to buy anyway.  Well now we have the 25^th Anniversary of Evil Dead 2 and it is awesome.  This film probably looks about the best it ever will on Blu-ray, which is still quite good, given the low budget nature of this series.  Additionally, there is a brand new, fantastic feature length documentary that goes over everything about the film.  It’s a very well made extra that is enough for me to buy on its own, if that were an option to begin with.  There are also several other new special features, along with the extras previously available on the other releases.  Evil Dead 2 is a wonderful, off-the-wall, horror comedy camp classic and I am glad I have what is hopefully the definitive version of this film in my possession.

“Groovy” (Order HERE)

2.  Pulp Fiction/Jackie Brown – No, I can’t separate these.  I love both of these films too much to have one out rank the other in my eyes.  Regardless, what puts these two films near the top of the list (beyond the fact that they are near the top of my list for all time favorite films) is the fact that they boast two of the best video transfers I have ever seen on Blu-ray.  Notably along with North by Northwest, of all films, these are the movies that completely show me what Blu-ray is all about in terms of making the picture look absolutely fantastic.  The audio is of course very good as well, but the picture truly stuck out to me and it is great to see that Tarantino put a lot of care into making these films come out right.  Given how much of a film nerd he is, I am sure his heavy involvement (his seal of approval is on the box) did really help the final product.  There are also a few new extra features along with all the old ones available on the disc.  So yes, it is a Tarantino tie for my number 2 spot, with only one logical choice remaining to take the crown…

“It’s like a wax museum with a pulse.” (Reviews HERE and HERE and Order HERE and HERE)

1.  Star Wars: The Complete Saga – I cannot say that this was a “without question” decision, but after thinking about it, it only seemed logical.  This is Star Wars on Blu-ray we’re talking about!  It is the biggest film franchise of all time and bitch about the prequels others may do all they like, I am a lifelong Star Wars fan.  Getting all (yes, all) of these films on Blu-ray is something fans have been clamoring for since Blu-ray’s inception and September, 2011, was the time we were all rewarded with a high def presentation of the Star Wars saga.  It was a bit curious/annoying to see that the first two prequels did not boast the best video quality in comparison to the original trilogy, but they still look pretty damn good (and the originals look great), but the audio on all of them is quite fantastic.  Add to that a giant assortment of extra features that covers every chapter, along with a lot of additional bonus extras that detail all sorts of Star Wars related material and you have a pretty expansive Blu-ray package.  The force was with this one for sure.

“I suggest a new strategy, R2. Let the Wookiee win.” (Order HERE)

Honorable Mentions: Beats, Rhymes, & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest, Black Swan (Review HERE), Bridesmaids (Review HERE), Citizen Kane, Do the Right Thing, Fast Five (Review HERE), Insidious (Review HERE), Jurassic Park Trilogy, The Lion King (Review HERE), Rise of the Planet of the Apes (Review HERE), Super 8 (Review HERE), Taxi Driver, Tree of Life, Tron: Legacy (Review HERE), True Grit (Review HERE)