Gran Torino Blu-ray Disc (Clint Eastwood, 2008)

Warner (USA)
2.40:1 1080p
116 minutes
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English, DD 5.1 English, DD 5.1 French, DD 5.1 Spanish, DD 5.1 Portuguese
Subtitles: Optional English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese
Extras: The Eastwood Way; Gran Torino: More Than a Car; Manning the Wheel; BD-Live; Digital Copy disc

Released: 9 June 2009

With the exception of a few rapid edits during the first 30 minutes of Gran Torino, Clint Eastwood is basically making movies the way that Hollywood used to make them decades ago. Eastwood’s style may be old-fashioned, though old-fashioned doesn’t have to be boring. At the heart of the matter is the fact that Eastwood actually understands the maxim about putting story first.

Goofballs teaching at or attending film school all talk about “The Story”, but they think that focusing on “The Story” is simply stringing episodic segments together. Unfortunately, that’s just plot summary. Putting story first really means developing a coherent storytelling vision--i.e. it’s not the story but how you tell the story that counts.

When Eastwood’s Mystic River was up against one of Peter Jackson’s LOTR abominations during awards season, Eastwood campaigned for his movie by saying, “It’s not about special effects.” Eastwood was right. Scripts for projects like Jackson’s LOTR cycle are special effects in and of themselves as they’re merely excuses for people to throw up a lot of visual trickery on the screen. True storytelling emphasizes character development, which is true with classical Hollywood cinema (directly motivated character reactions) and art-cinema narration (wherein strict causalities are backgrounded).

Much of Gran Torino invites viewers to absorb the daily routines and feelings of Walt Kowalski (Eastwood) and his Hmong neighbors, who have the usual pre-conceived notions about “outsiders” but develop respect and emotional bonds when dealing with a common threat. Walt is crotchety and unapologetic about his use of salty language, which is tolerable and funny because even though he means all the nasty things that he says about everyone else, his moral convictions are right. In this day and age, such an observation about the human condition is oddly daring given how much attention is paid to being “politically correct”. (“Political correctness” itself can be highly toxic when people hide behind polite euphemisms.)

Eastwood has a genuinely sweet chemistry with Bee Vang and Ahney Her, who play the Hmong brother-sister neighbors. This unlikely trio, along with Walt’s experiences during the Korean War, show how American macro policies have changed the micro details of this country’s undercurrents. What happens to the three main characters is scary, shocking, and profoundly moving.

Clint Eastwood is the greatest living American filmmaker.

Video:
The 2.40:1 1080p image does an excellent job of re-creating Tom Stern’s handsome cinematography, which is filled with creative shadows work and warm auburns (much of the movie seems to take place during sunsets). Fine detail is high, and the dark hues are deep and rich. Blacks are genuinely black and don’t look like dark grays.

Audio:
The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English audio track is about as no-nonsense and laconic as Eastwood’s persona. The mix is generally front-biased, and there’s not much music (usually diegetic hip-hop songs being played in gangsters’ cars or military-style percussion signifying Walt moving into action). Still, one should commend the Blu-ray for offering a crisp, transparent audio experience.

Extras:
Upon loading, the disc plays a promo for Warner Blu-rays.

“The Eastwood Way” is a brief overview of the production. Though there are the usual back-slapping talking heads, you get to see behind-the-scenes footage (including deleted scenes being shot), audition tapes, and other interesting bits.

“Manning the Wheel” and “Gran Torino: More Than a Car” discuss car culture and men in American society.

Those of you with Profile 2.0 players can access BD-Live extras (the press release mentions a music video).

--Miscellaneous--
You also get a Digital Copy disc and a cardboard slipcover.

Gran Torino (Clint Eastwood, 2008)

Region 1 Warner (USA)
NTSC, 2.40:1 16x9 enhanced
116 minutes
Audio: DD 5.1 English, DD 5.1 French, DD 5.1 Spanish
Subtitles: Optional English SDH, French, Spanish
Extras: Gran Torino: More Than a Car; Manning the Wheel; Digital Copy code

Released: 9 June 2009

With the exception of a few rapid edits during the first 30 minutes of Gran Torino, Clint Eastwood is basically making movies the way that Hollywood used to make them decades ago. Eastwood’s style may be old-fashioned, though old-fashioned doesn’t have to be boring. At the heart of the matter is the fact that Eastwood actually understands the maxim about putting story first.

Goofballs teaching at or attending film school all talk about “The Story”, but they think that focusing on “The Story” is simply stringing episodic segments together. Unfortunately, that’s just plot summary. Putting story first really means developing a coherent storytelling vision--i.e. it’s not the story but how you tell the story that counts.

When Eastwood’s Mystic River was up against one of Peter Jackson’s LOTR abominations during awards season, Eastwood campaigned for his movie by saying, “It’s not about special effects.” Eastwood was right. Scripts for projects like Jackson’s LOTR cycle are special effects in and of themselves as they’re merely excuses for people to throw up a lot of visual trickery on the screen. True storytelling emphasizes character development, which is true with classical Hollywood cinema (directly motivated character reactions) and art-cinema narration (wherein strict causalities are backgrounded).

Much of Gran Torino invites viewers to absorb the daily routines and feelings of Walt Kowalski (Eastwood) and his Hmong neighbors, who have the usual pre-conceived notions about “outsiders” but develop respect and emotional bonds when dealing with a common threat. Walt is crotchety and unapologetic about his use of salty language, which is tolerable and funny because even though he means all the nasty things that he says about everyone else, his moral convictions are right. In this day and age, such an observation about the human condition is oddly daring given how much attention is paid to being “politically correct”. (“Political correctness” itself can be highly toxic when people hide behind polite euphemisms.)

Eastwood has a genuinely sweet chemistry with Bee Vang and Ahney Her, who play the Hmong brother-sister neighbors. This unlikely trio, along with Walt’s experiences during the Korean War, show how American macro policies have changed the micro details of this country’s undercurrents. What happens to the three main characters is scary, shocking, and profoundly moving.

Clint Eastwood is the greatest living American filmmaker.

Video:
Perhaps due to the reduced number of extras compared to the Blu-ray version, the DVD’s 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen image is pretty good and is not too big of a step down from the Blu-ray’s video transfer. The color palette retains the cinematography’s beautiful auburn glows, though blacks are a bit washed out.

Audio:
The DD 5.1 English audio track is about as no-nonsense and laconic as Eastwood’s persona. The mix is generally front-biased, and there’s not much music (usually diegetic hip-hop songs being played in gangsters’ cars or military-style percussion signifying Walt moving into action). The DVD’s audio sounds a bit less defined than the Blu-ray’s, though the difference will go unnoticed by most people.

Extras:
Upon loading, the disc plays previews for other products.

“Manning the Wheel” and “Gran Torino: More Than a Car” discuss car culture and men in American society.

--Miscellaneous--
You also get a Digital Copy code.

The Machinist Blu-ray Disc (Brad Anderson, 2004)

Paramount (USA)
2.35:1 1080p
101 minutes
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English, DD 5.1 French, DD 5.1 Spanish
Subtitles: Optional English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese
Extras: audio commentary; Manifesting The Machinist; The Machinist: Hiding in Plain Sight; The Machinist: Breaking the Rules; deleted scenes; theatrical trailer

Released: 19 May 2009

Back when HD DVD was alive and kicking, I was amused by comments in Internet message boards discussing importing The Machinist on HD DVD from European sources. Given the lack of interesting movies on either the HD DVD or Blu-ray formats, I was intrigued by the movies available elsewhere. On a few occasions, I’ve spent more than $30 to buy one-disc DVD editions of single movies, but having been burned repeatedly by multiple dippings, I decided not to get into the importing game for HD DVD and Blu-ray. Besides, Christian Bale became a big star with Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins, so there was a good chance that Paramount would release The Machinist on high-def optical disc here in the U.S.

Paramount timed the Blu-ray release to coincide with the theatrical release of Terminator: Salvation, also starring Bale. However, those of you familiar with Bale from his action roles (including Werner Herzog’s Rescue Dawn and that dragon movie headlined by Matthew McConaughey) will be in for a shock at seeing him in The Machinist. There’s no way to describe his appearance other than to state that he looks like someone who has been in a concentration camp for years. I remember reading that he ate nothing but cabbage soup and apples in preparation for this movie.

The Machinist is a quietly absorbing mystery drama. I don’t think of the movie as a mystery thriller because it doesn’t try to shock with scares, and it derives tension from the ethical and moral dilemmas that the characters face rather than from the usual “Who’s going to die now?” approach. Much of the movie is comprised of master shots captured with locked-down cameras and conversations between pairs of lonely people speaking in hushed voices. While the story doesn’t unfold in strict linear chronology, you don’t have to wrestle with the narrative construct in order to understand where the movie is headed.

Unfortunately, The Machinist was made and released soon after Christopher Nolan’s Memento. While déjà vu is a theme in The Machinist, déjà vu isn’t a desirable feeling when you’re not making a series of related movies. Sometimes, the late arrival is better than the early one (see The Others vs. The Sixth Sense), but being Number 2 means risking the “I just saw that!” response from viewers. The Machinist is a strong effort, but your mileage may vary depending on your tastes and mood.

Video:
You get a strong 2.35:1 1080p image with a high level of detail. The transfer is excellent at conveying the stark beauty of the cinematography, and the film grain has been preserved--no excessive DNR here. The sense of depth is wonderful and puts transfers of some “A-list” titles to shame. However, be prepared to see some print damage, particularly during the first five minutes. Usually, there are a few white dots/specks, though sometimes, you’ll see what appear to be white hairs.

Audio:
Although it’s nice to have a lossless Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English audio track, the sound design is generally minimalist in nature. As such, don’t expect a lot of activity from the front mains or the surround speakers, though I would argue that a minimalist sound design can be immersive in its own way. Silence and low-key ambient effects can envelope a viewer just as much as wall-to-wall noise. You might be surprised by how well the spare music score can unnerve you.

Extras:
This Blu-ray edition includes all of the extras found on the American DVD release and adds two new featurettes to the mix.

“Manifesting The Machinist” and “The Machinst: Hiding in Plain Sight” are the two new featurettes. The former is a retrospective study of the movie, and the director and screenwriter both contributed substantive peeks into how they developed the project. “Hiding in Plain Sight” examines the clues that lead up to the ending, though this movie isn’t really as involved as what one might consider a “puzzle film”.

You can watch the movie with an engaging audio commentary by the director. “The Machinist: Breaking the Rules” is a promo fluff piece that is tonally at odds with the actual movie, though you get to see some behind-the-scenes footage as well as interviews with Christian Bale (he’s absent from the new featurettes). There are several deleted scenes, and a few of them have optional director’s commentary. Finally, you also get a theatrical trailer.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Blu-ray Disc (David Fincher, 2008)

Paramount/Criterion (USA)
2.40:1 1080p
165 minutes
Audio: DTS-HD MA 5.1 English, DD 5.1 French, DD 5.1 Spanish
Subtitles: Optional English, English SDH, French, Spanish
Extras: audio commentary; pre-production, production, post-production featurettes; photo galleries; theatrical trailers

Released: 5 May 2009

When you look at the list of movies directed by David Fincher, it seems like he enjoys entertaining a bleak worldview, one filled with extraordinary violence and emotional trauma. “A David Fincher Film” is automatically the antithesis of Hollywood banality and false assurances, right? What can one make of 2008’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, then? It really is a re-make of Forrest Gump (Eric Roth wrote both movies), complete with saccharine smarm and atrocious inanities.

Benjamin Button received 10 Oscar nominations and took home 3 awards. Even though there’ve been reports indicating that Fincher was inspired to tackle this story due to his feelings about his father, I still think there’s a chance that this movie is an elaborate joke. Perhaps Fincher decided to make an obviously “Hollywood” movie to see if he would finally get an Oscar nomination. I imagine him laughing at the AMPAS when he heard of his nomination and not laughing because of gratitude.

Brad Pitt plays the titular protagonist as an easygoing, passive dullard. Cate Blanchett is about as annoying here as she was in The Aviator. Everyone else plays a stereotype or a caricature. The script churns out master-of-the-obvious platitudes by the ton. Even though Benjamin Button looks rather disgusting in some scenes, just about every woman he meets wants to have sex with him; is this due to Roth and Fincher’s sexism or Pitt’s narcissism? Perhaps everything bad about this movie is part of Fincher’s elaborate joke?

The movie is being released on Blu-ray and DVD with the Criterion logo slapped on the cover art. This has the unfortunate effect of forcing viewers to wait forever for the Blu-ray to load because of Criterion’s disc authoring, which includes one of the worst menu systems ever to plague the Blu-ray format. Benjamin Button, alongside Michael Bay’s The Rock and Armageddon, proves that Criterion isn’t above reproach when it comes to taste.

Video:
This version presents a stunningly gorgeous 2.40:1 1080p image. Sharpness and detail are much improved over the SD transfer. The movie has a warm glow that accentuates the beauty of the pristine images.

Audio:
The DTS-HD MA 5.1 English is vigorous when it should be (such as during battle sequences and inclement weather). Otherwise, for the most part, you get dialogue accompanied by pleasantly-mixed period music. The sound design also contains subtle but noticeable ambient cues for specific locations (bars, hotels, Broadway theatres, etc.).

Extras:
Disc 1 offers an audio commentary by David Fincher.

Disc 2 contains featurettes that can be viewed as one long documentary that rivals the main feature in length. In fact, the “documentary” option is so long that some featurettes still have to be selected for separate viewing. These featurettes cover the movie’s genesis, production, and release. You also get several photo galleries and theatrical trailers.

--Miscellaneous--Paramount and Criterion opted for a standard two-disc Blu-ray case instead of the flimsy cardboard garbage that Criterion used for its first Blu-rays. An insert booklet provides an essay by Kent Jones as well as movie and DVD production credits. You also get a cardboard slipcover.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button 2-Disc DVD (David Fincher, 2008)

Paramount/Criterion (USA)
NTSC, 2.40:1 16x9 enhanced
165 minutes
Audio: DD 5.1 English, DD 5.1 French, DD 5.1 Spanish
Subtitles: Optional English SDH, French, Spanish
Extras: audio commentary; pre-production, production, post-production featurettes; photo galleries; theatrical trailers

Released: 5 May 2009

When you look at the list of movies directed by David Fincher, it seems like he enjoys entertaining a bleak worldview, one filled with extraordinary violence and emotional trauma. “A David Fincher Film” is automatically the antithesis of Hollywood banality and false assurances, right? What can one make of 2008’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, then? It really is a re-make of Forrest Gump (Eric Roth wrote both movies), complete with saccharine smarm and atrocious inanities.

Benjamin Button received 10 Oscar nominations and took home 3 awards. Even though there’ve been reports indicating that Fincher was inspired to tackle this story due to his feelings about his father, I still think there’s a chance that this movie is an elaborate joke. Perhaps Fincher decided to make an obviously “Hollywood” movie to see if he would finally get an Oscar nomination. I imagine him laughing at the AMPAS when he heard of his nomination and not laughing because of gratitude.

Brad Pitt plays the titular protagonist as an easygoing, passive dullard. Cate Blanchett is about as annoying here as she was in The Aviator. Everyone else plays a stereotype or a caricature. The script churns out master-of-the-obvious platitudes by the ton. Even though Benjamin Button looks rather disgusting in some scenes, just about every woman he meets wants to have sex with him; is this due to Roth and Fincher’s sexism or Pitt’s narcissism? Perhaps everything bad about this movie is part of Fincher’s elaborate joke?

The movie is being released on Blu-ray and DVD with the Criterion logo slapped on the cover art. Benjamin Button, alongside Michael Bay’s The Rock and Armageddon, proves that Criterion isn’t above reproach when it comes to taste.

Video:
The 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer is a huge step down from the Blu-ray transfer. Detail and sharpness drop by such a huge amount that the SD image looks “darker” (even though it probably isn’t in terms of lumens) because objects look muddy and indistinct. This has a huge impact on the make-up’s effectiveness in conveying the main character’s age regression.

Audio:
The DD 5.1 English is vigorous when it should be (such as during battle sequences and inclement weather). Otherwise, for the most part, you get dialogue accompanied by pleasantly-mixed period music. The sound design also contains subtle but noticeable ambient cues for specific locations (bars, hotels, Broadway theatres, etc.).

Extras:
Disc 1 offers an audio commentary by David Fincher.

Disc 2 contains featurettes that can be viewed as one long documentary that rivals the main feature in length. In fact, the “documentary” option is so long that some featurettes still have to be selected for separate viewing. These featurettes cover the movie’s genesis, production, and release. You also get several photo galleries and theatrical trailers.

--Miscellaneous--An insert booklet provides an essay by Kent Jones as well as movie and DVD production credits. You also get a cardboard slipcover.

Paycheck Blu-ray Disc (John Woo, 2003)

Paramount (USA)
2.35:1 1080p
118 minutes
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English, DD 5.1 French, DD 5.1 Spanish
Subtitles: Optional English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese
Extras: audio commentaries; Paycheck: Designing the Future; Tempting Fate: The Stunts of Paycheck; Extended/Deleted Scenes

Released: 19 May 2009

John Woo was essentially de-fanged when he came to work in America. His Hollywood efforts feature some of his iconography and style, but they don’t cover the same themes as his Hong Kong crime dramas. Tellingly, Woo’s most critically and artistically successful American movie, Face/Off, is the one that most-resembles A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, and Hard-Boiled.

Woo has admitted that he doesn’t like science fiction. Paycheck’s premise is obviously so far outside of Woo’s caring that you can sense that he was marking time until his next project. In Paycheck, Michael Jennings (Ben Affleck) builds a machine that allows a person to see the future. However, once a person sees the future, he can change it. Sound familiar? Yep, the same premise was used for Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report, which was released a year ahead of this movie. In fact, Paycheck plays like a remake of Minority Report, right down to the software and hardware that the main character uses.

Paycheck is a lackluster effort. Ben Affleck and Uma Thurman have little chemistry, and Aaron Eckhart had yet to convince me that he is a good actor. (Surprisingly, he was the best performer in The Dark Knight.) Since there is so little ingenuity and so much ordinariness, Paycheck never achieves any momentum or visceral excitement despite the presence of Woo’s constantly moving camera and a motorcycle chase that goes against the flow of traffic. This one’s a bust.

Video:
As with the DVD transfer, the 2.35:1 1080p image seems to have been handled carelessly. Though exhibiting a fairly high level of detail and sharpness, the picture has several instances of print damage. The vibrant color palette (more varied than usual for Woo) is served well by Blu-ray’s high resolution.

Audio:
The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English track is pretty active and features plenty of low-frequency effects, though Paycheck is more of a drama than an action movie. Therefore, the mix isn’t as aggressive as one might expect of a Woo project. The sound design isn’t particularly artful, either--everything is done professionally and competently, but everything also feels uninspired and a tad derivative.

Extras:
There’s an audio commentary by John Woo. Woo is fairly engaging, but I felt bad listening to him talk about how great the shoot was because I know that he doesn’t give a crap about science fiction. There’s also an audio commentary by screenwriter Dean Georgaris.

“Paycheck: Designing the Future” is a featurette that focuses on the production’s look. “Tempting Fate: The Stunts of Paycheck” is a featurette that shows how some of the action set-pieces were created. Finally, there are seven extended/deleted scenes.

Changing Lanes Blu-ray Disc (Roger Michell, 2002)

Paramount (USA)
2.35:1 1080p
98 minutes
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English, DD 5.1 French, DD 5.1 Spanish
Subtitles: Optional English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese
Extras: audio commentary; The Making of Changing Lanes; A Writer’s Perspective; deleted/extended scenes; theatrical trailer

Released: 19 May 2009

When I first saw Changing Lanes, I bought it hook, line, and sinker. The movie has a persuasive momentum, and I got caught up in it. Re-visiting the title for its Blu-ray release, I now find myself cringing at how over-the-top and preposterous it is.

Everything leading up to the set-up is fine. Two characters meet in a traffic accident on an important day of their lives. The accident causes both of them to experience great legal difficulties, so what do they do? Instead of trying to help each other, they start fighting each other. The script becomes a series of escalations that are so contrived that you wonder why the characters don’t just get guns and shoot each other (or themselves).

In one case, Samuel L. Jackson removes the screws from Ben Affleck’s car wheels. Amazingly, instead of falling off quickly, the wheels stay attached to the car long enough for the two fellas to meet on a highway. I guess the wheels knew that they had to stay attached until Jackson passed Affleck in traffic again, showing him the tool that he used to sabotage Affleck’s car. Yeah, right.

Video:
While clean and relatively free of print damage, the 2.35:1 1080p image looks tired. This is due in part to the muted color palette, but in general, the picture seems to lack the level of detail that one usually associates with Blu-ray presentations.

Audio:
The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English has a handful of dynamic moments (mostly during scenes with heavy traffic). Otherwise, the audio reflects the talk-heavy nature of the story. Music cues are carried by the front mains and the surround channels, though the center channel is usually the only one reporting for duty.

Extras:
There are only a handful of so-so extras, including an audio commentary by the director, “The Making of Changing Lanes”, and “A Writer’s Perspective”. You also get 3 deleted/extended scenes and the theatrical trailer.

Enemy at the Gates Blu-ray Disc (Jean-Jacques Annaud, 2001)

Paramount (USA)
2.35:1 1080p
131 minutes
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English, DD 5.1 French, DD 5.1 Spanish
Subtitles: Optional English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese
Extras: Through the Crosshairs; Inside Enemy at the Gates; deleted scenes; theatrical trailer

Released: 19 May 2009

After Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan presented armed combat in harrowingly realistic terms, several other filmmakers followed suit. Their movies, such as Black Hawk Down and We Were Soldiers, were all extremely violent, though they were not gratuitous. The seriousness of purpose on display inspired respect for the sacrifices made by brave men and women. In some cases, as with the TV miniseries Band of Brothers, I felt sad relief about my not being subjected to such dangers.

Enemy at the Gates is a valuable contribution to Western cinema’s war genre. The movie depicts the siege of Stalingrad during World War II. The German-Soviet arena is something that is generally unfamiliar to Americans due to the Cold War and general ideological differences, and Enemy at the Gates gives viewers an incipient understanding of Soviet hardships and internal political developments.

The conflict is framed around a sniper duel between a young Soviet conscript (Jude Law) and an aristocratic German (Ed Harris). Vassili Zaitsev’s success demoralizes the invading Nazis, and the propaganda stories written by a political officer (Joseph Fiennes) inspire the Soviet military to drive back enemy despite technological and logistical handicaps.

The action sequences are terrifying but necessary to convey the high costs that the Soviets paid. The script also observes the devastation wreaked by Soviet leaders on their own people. For example, Soviet officers shot their own soldiers if they retreated, and anyone who was “politically questionable” was tortured or condemned to hard labor. Late in the movie, the political officer realizes that communism is a failed dream; after all, there will always be people richer than others in terms of friendships, love, luck, and admiration.

I usually think that Jude Law and Joseph Fiennes are undistinguished, but they’re excellent in Enemy at the Gates. Ed Harris is chillingly steely as the “villain”. Rachel Weisz is believably warm and determined as a female soldier. Bob Hoskins channels Nikita Khrushchev with amusingly vulgar vigor.

Video:
The 2.35:1 1080p image is surprisingly film-like in appearance. Unlike many movies being prepped for Blu-ray, this one wasn’t DNRed to death. The picture’s fine-grain structure is noticeable but quite beautiful and not at all intrusive. Colors are suitably muted given the bleak landscapes, but nothing looks faded. There are a few instances of print damage, but they’re few and far between.

Audio:
This has always been a decent demo for home-theatre sound systems, and the new Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English audio presentation will certainly please fans. Directionality effects are plentiful and precise. Bass response is deep and resonant. Unlike some action movies, dialogue isn’t buried beneath the din. James Horner’s score is given a wide spread across the entire soundstage, so it fills the room quite nicely.

Extras:
Paramount’s Blu-ray edition carries the same extras offered by domestic DVD.

“Through the Crosshairs” features a breathless narrator and relentlessly driving music overlaid on-set interviews and film clips. This is obviously a promotional clip meant to generate viewer interest around the time of the movie’s release.

“Inside Enemy at the Gates” presents several sit-down interviews that are more substantive in nature than what you get with “Through the Crosshairs”.

There are nine deleted scenes filled with interesting character moments. Unfortunately, the video is of shoddy quality.

Finally, you get the American theatrical trailer.

Star Trek: Motion Picture Trilogy Blu-ray Disc

Paramount (USA)
2.35:1 1080p
112, 105, and 118 minutes
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 English, DD 2.0 surround French, DD 2.0 mono Spanish
Subtitles: Optional English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese
Extras: audio commentaries; Library Computer; featurettes; Starfleet Academy briefings; theatrical trailers; photo galleries; BD-Live

Released: 12 May 2009

Although James Tiberius Kirk is the first among equals in Star Trek: The Original Series, he is not necessarily always the most-compelling character. Kirk is ultimately “the hero”, and he tends to walk a narrower path than his cohorts. Couple that fact with real-life politics, and you get Leonard Nimoy threatening to walk away from Star Trek because he was bored.

What can you do to keep an integral member of the Great Trio? You let Nimoy get his way by having his character killed so that he can direct the next sequel. Since you can’t keep a good character down, you bring Spock back to life. You let Nimoy direct yet another sequel to keep him interested in reprising his role. Now, you’ve got a trilogy that focuses on Spock instead of Kirk.

Star Trek: Motion Picture Trilogy is the commercial manifestation of what Trekkies have known all along--Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home comprise a long, self-contained arc in the franchise’s continuity. In fact, Star Trek III begins with footage from the previous movie and basically ends with the words “To be continued...” This is an excellent product for casual fans who aren’t interested in the interminable Star Trek: The Motion Picture, the awful Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, or Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (one of the best big-screen outings but also one entrenched deeply in Star Trek mythos that might mean little to non-Trekkies).

Star Trek II took its inspiration from an episode of the original TV series called “Space Seed”. At the end of that episode, Kirk sent Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalban) into exile on Ceti Alpha V. In the movie, Khan escapes from Ceti Alpha V, and he commandeers the starship Reliant to destroy Kirk. Khan also steals the Genesis device, developed by Kirk’s ex-flame Dr. Carol Marcus and their son, Dr. David Marcus. Genesis, designed to create life out of nothing, can be used as a weapon since it destroys pre-existing life in order to create its own “matrix”. For the better part of 2 hours, Kirk and Khan chase each other across the galaxy. Admiral Kirk uses his experience with Starfleet ships while Khan uses his superior intellect in order to outwit one another.

Star Trek III takes place immediately following the events of Star Trek II. Spock dies while saving the Enterprise from destruction. Kirk and his crew take the heavily-damaged Enterprise back to Earth. Kirk and Co. assume that Starfleet will repair the ship and re-enter it into active service. However, Starfleet actually wants to decommission the Enterprise and ease her senior officers into desk jobs. Meanwhile, Bones begins to act strangely, as if he were suffering from a split personality disorder. Ambassador Sarek reveals that Spock might have transferred his “katra” (or non-corporeal essence) to Bones, and the ambassador solicits Kirk’s help in reuniting Spock’s “katra” and his body.

In Star Trek IV, a space probe of unknown origin hurtles towards Earth and begins to change the planet’s weather. Kirk and his crew take the Klingon bird-of-prey that they stole in Star Trek III and head for Earth to stand trial for violating various Federation regulations while retrieving Spock. The probe’s assault on Earth has made it dangerous for anyone to approach the heart of the Federation, and Kirk and Co. realize that the probe won’t leave the planet alone until a whale song responds to it. Therefore, our seven heroes journey back in time in order to take some whales (hunted to extinction) to the 23rd Century to answer the probe’s call.

“The Magnificent Seven” find themselves in the San Francisco of 1986, and much hilarity ensues when the gang is confronted with the primitive humans of the past. Military officials wonder why the Russian Chekhov is snooping around the nuclear reactor on the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. Bones bemoans the medieval medical practices that he witnesses in the 20th Century. Meanwhile, Kirk and Spock team up with Dr. Gillian Taylor, a whale specialist. Kirk and Spock amuse Gillian with their mis-use of words like hell, asshole, and damn as well as with Spock calling Kirk “Admiral” all the time.

The Wrath of Khan is the over-achieving big brother, full of bluster and intensity. The Search for Spock is the quiet middle brother who is not always noticed but plays an essential part in the family’s success. The Voyage Home is the junior brother who tells jokes to attract attention. You get a little of everything with these three movies.

Video:
As a Trekkie, I lapped up the 2-DVD special editions of the movies when they were first released. I thought that they were the greatest things since sliced bread. I praised the video transfers to high heaven.

Time has introduced reality into my perspective. The prints that were used for the video transfers obviously suffered from physical damage and neglect. The one example that always comes to mind is when Colonel West is cutting a pane of glass near the end of Star Trek VI. Black specks dance all over the place against the milk-white glass. Yikes!

These new 2.35:1 1080p video transfers are a tremendous leap in quality over the DVD presentations. However, having seen a wide variety of high-def images, it’s quite clear that these movies are not top-of-the-line. They’re excellent, but they also look like old movies. This is due in part to the soft look that was generally used for the movies up until Star Trek: Generations. This is also due to palette decisions and special-effects options of the time (i.e. matte paintings, the use of models, photographic compositing, etc.).

Star Trek II looks the best of the bunch as it was given a full restoration along the lines of The Godfather and The Godfather, Part II. Reds are robust without bleeding. The level of detail is quite eye-opening in many cases. Star Trek III and Star Trek IV are a step down from Star Trek II. It’s apparent that DNR was applied to minimize any dirt or dust (as opposed to actually cleaning the prints), though this has the unfortunate side effect of making the image too smooth and “waxy”. Still, the DNR isn’t intrusive enough to make you want to shut off your TV, and the movies look stunning after having to make do with the SD DVDs for so long.

Audio:
Even if one has reservations about the video, just about everyone will agree that the new Dolby TrueHD 7.1 English tracks get the job done. Bass response is no longer hollow, and you don’t get the “wet splooshes” that accompanied some of the Enterprise’s warp jumps as with the DVDs. Dialogue is clearer and sharper than ever. The front mains and the rear surrounds are frequent participants in the sonic fun.

Extras:
There are too many extras to digest in a brief amount of reading time; just be advised that the three discs keep just about all of the extras in the 2-DVD sets and offer several new ones.

There are three new audio commentaries. You can watch the movies with the “Library Computer” function, which presents brief explanatory texts about various in-movie objects and events as they appear on screen. The new featurettes are presented in high-def video. There are a couple of “Starfleet Academy briefings” with an actress pretending to be a Starfleet lecturer. You also get theatrical trailers and photo galleries.

Those of you with Internet connectivity can play with BD-Live options, such as trivia quizzes and streaming video from various events.

--Miscellaneous--
The discs are kept in a custom DigiPak fold-out inside a cardboard slipcase. There are some inserts advertising other products, and yet another insert explains the use of BD-Live.

Paramount Quality Control has messed up yet another Star Trek home-video release. On the Khan disc, someone left off the Roman numeral “II” in the title, which is odd considering that the “II” appears everywhere else in the packaging just like the “III” and “IV” for the other movies do. Also, on the DigiPak fold-out, there are pictures from movies NOT in this set, most noticeably from Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Star Trek V.

The Best of Star Trek: The Original Series

Region 1 CBS/Paramount (USA)
NTSC, 1.33:1
200 minutes
Audio: DD 5.1 English, DD 2.0 mono Spanish, DD 2.0 mono Portuguese
Subtitles: Optional English, Spanish, Portuguese
Extras: previews for other products

Released: 12 May 2009

In conjunction with the release of J.J. Abrams’s Star Trek re-boot in movie theatres, CBS and Paramount are flooding the market with new Blu-ray and DVD editions of Star Trek programming. This flood includes two “best of” compilations meant to introduce new fans (whose interest might’ve been piqued by the new movie) to The Original Series and The Next Generation. Each “best of” DVD contains four episodes each from the two series, and they both offer a good mix of fan favorites alongside genuine high points.

The Best of Star Trek: The Original Series includes “The City on the Edge of Forever”, “The Trouble With Tribbles”, “Balance of Terror”, and “Amok Time”.

Kirk, Spock, and Bones are amazing. They are greatest triumvirate/troika/trinity of any and all fiction. Credit must be given to the writing, of course, but the chemistry between William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and Deforest Kelley is what raises the characters’ interplay to such great heights.

Of the four episodes on this disc, my favorite is “Balance of Terror”, which introduced viewers to the Romulans (my favorite alien race in Star Trek). This is really Shatner’s show as he goes toe-to-toe with Mark Lenard as a Romulan commander. The two men are equal in cunning and leadership, and they respect each other’s professionalism. This is probably the best example of an under-funded production transcending its production values. The tension is so unrelenting and brutal that you might find yourself curling your toes or gripping your armrests in this space version of submarine warfare.

“The City on the Edge of Forever” is frequently cited as an exemplar of sci-fi writing (by Harlan Ellison, no less), though much of the running time is spent on a developing romance between Kirk and a pacifist played by Joan Collins. “The Trouble With Tribbles” is an exemplar of another Star Trek tendency--the unfortunate temptation to get “cute”.

“Amok Time” is a serious episode, but here’s one instance where I don’t think that the show transcended its production values. Vulcan looks obviously fake and terrible. The props are laughable. The guy who plays Stonn seems perpetually constipated. The Vulcan rituals--especially the gongs--make me giggle. The fight choreography is so goofy that I sometimes find myself gasping for breath after doubling over in laughter.

I love TOS, but I feel affection for it more than any other emotion. Given the choice, though, I tend to reach for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country when I want to watch the original cast.

Video:
The video transfers are native 1.33:1 encodes of the re-mastered episodes with new computer effects. The only way to get the broadcast versions of these episodes is to buy the Blu-ray box sets being released this year, the first round of SD DVD box sets, or the forty individual SD DVDs.

With the new transfers, some shots now have a little more information on the top, the bottom, or the sides. On the whole, you’ll see a marked improvement compared to the previous DVD releases. The most-noticeable differences are the colors, which are now very saturated. The strong hues and improved clarity emphasize details such as make-up (particularly during close-ups, to the point where Shatner and Nimoy sometimes look like drag queens!). You’ll also notice just how high and revealing those short-short miniskirts are; I was astonished to see that Nichelle Nichols and Grace Lee Whitney wore costumes that were little more than the swimsuits with skirts from the early 20th Century.

On the downside, the film prints aren’t entirely free of damage or debris. The use of soft focus and spotlights make some faces look like they’re melting (usually the women to make them “glow”), and this approach to filming is made very apparent because of the sharp contrast between regular focus and soft focus. Some backgrounds also yield blobbing/blocking.

Audio:
The primary audio is DD 5.1 English. The re-recorded theme song sounds much better than the other music and sound effects that weren’t updated. This is due to the improved dynamic range of today’s audio technology. The Enterprise’s whooshes from in front of the viewer off to the back sides will cause many heads to turn. Shatner’s monologue also sounds more commanding and robust than ever.

The remainder is impressive for a 1960s TV show--clean and intelligible, but bear in mind that the audio was originally mixed in mono. Therefore, some bass response is still rather hollow, and some music cues sound wobbly.

Extras:
The only disc-based extras are previews for other products.

--Miscellaneous--
The keepcase includes two inserts advertising other products.

The Best of Star Trek: The Next Generation

Region 1 CBS/Paramount (USA)
NTSC, 1.33:1
180 minutes
Audio: DD 5.1 English, DD 2.0 mono Spanish, DD 2.0 mono Portuguese
Subtitles: Optional English, Spanish, Portuguese
Extras: previews for other products

Released: 12 May 2009

In conjunction with the release of J.J. Abrams’s Star Trek re-boot in movie theatres, CBS and Paramount are flooding the market with new Blu-ray and DVD editions of Star Trek programming. This flood includes two “best of” compilations meant to introduce new fans (whose interest might’ve been piqued by the new movie) to The Original Series and The Next Generation. Each “best of” DVD contains four episodes each from the two series, and they both offer a good mix of fan favorites alongside genuine high points.

The Best of Star Trek: The Next Generation includes “The Best of Both Worlds, Part 1”, “The Best of Both Worlds, Part 2”, “Yesterday’s Enterprise”, and “The Measure of a Man”.

“The Best of Both Worlds” presented the part-organic/part-mechanical Borg as a genuine menace to the Federation. This is an exciting two-parter (originally a season-ending cliffhanger and a season opener) that had Trekkies talking all summer about how the story would conclude. Alas, having the perspective of history, it’s also kind of sad watching “The Best of Both Worlds”. The Borg became so over-used and dumbed down in subsequent episodes that they became a lame crutch for whenever the writers ran out of ideas. This malaise extended even into another series in the franchise, Star Trek: Voyager.

“Yesterday’s Enterprise” is routinely cited as a fan favorite, though I’m someone who doesn’t really “get” it. An Enterprise from the past meets an Enterprise from an alternate “present”, which results in a presumably dead character re-appearing on the show, going back in time, and giving birth to a half-human/half-Romulan daughter who gives grief to the Federation in other episodes. I liked Denise Crosby’s portrayal of Tasha Yar in Season One, but her re-appearances as Sela were annoying.

“The Measure of a Man” is possibly one of the two best TNG episodes (the other being “The Offspring”, in which Data creates an android daughter). A Starfleet chode (yes, even Starfleet has chodes) wants to perform experiments on Data as if Data were just another piece of equipment. Picard has to defend Data’s rights in a court of law, and the judge forces Riker to take up the chode’s side so that an adversarial judicial proceeding can take place. This is Star Trek’s most direct, profound, and powerful examination of what it means to expand our horizons and to break barriers. Patrick Stewart’s impassioned oratory is so remarkably moving that I usually cry when I watch this episode.

Video:
TNG has not been restored like TOS, so these 1.33:1 episodes look rather old and tired due to the fact that TNG was post-produced in 480i video. The images are mostly soft, and colors tend to be muted and faded. On the plus side, it appears that the video has not suffered physical damage or significant degradation over the years; the episodes look about as good or better than what we’re used to seeing of the show in re-runs.

Audio:
The DD 5.1 English tracks were re-jigged from the original stereo or stereo surround mixes. There are some nifty stereo effects across the front soundstage, and the rear channels are frequently active for the first three episodes. Bass response is decent though obviously not as powerful as what’s offered by today’s state-of-the-art recordings. Oddly, dialogue is a tad muted and flat in some parts.

Extras:
The only disc-based extras are previews for other products.

--Miscellaneous--
The keepcase includes two inserts advertising other products.

Grease Blu-ray Disc (Randal Kleiser, 1978)

Paramount (USA)
2.35:1 1080p
110 minutes
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English, DD 5.1 French; DD 2.0 mono Spanish
Subtitles: Optional English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese
Extras: director’s intro; audio commentary; Rydell Sing-Along; deleted/extended/alternate scenes; The Time, The Place, The Motion: Remembering Grease; The Moves Behind the Music; Thunder Roadsters; Grease on DVD Launch Party; Grease Memories from John and Olivia; “Grease Day” Interviews; theatrical trailer; photo gallery

Released: 5 May 2009

Originally a hit Broadway musical, Grease became a hit film musical in 1978 starring John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, and Stockard Channing. The movie cemented Travolta’s rising star, and Newton-John’s fame as a singer lent the project welcome authenticity.

At the beginning of Grease, we see Danny Zuko (Travolta) and Sandy (Newton-John) enjoy the final moments of their summer fling. He’s about to start his senior year in high school, and she’s going back to Australia. However, when the fall term begins, Sandy appears at Danny’s Rydell High. Apparently, he never told her about his belonging to the “T” Birds, the local greasers, so he gives her the cold shoulder at school in order to maintain his reputation. Didn’t you know? Greasers don’t hang out with preppies. The rest of the movie charts their tentative steps toward being more like each other, thereby recapturing their summer love.

The actors exhibit a great deal of energy in well-choreographed song-and-dance numbers, and there’s also a great deal of physical humor as well. For example, there’s a scene where Sandy gets out of Zuko’s car, and he tries to follow her. She slams the door, hitting him in the groin, and he collapses. Travolta’s face neatly expresses the pain and clumsy horror of being nailed where it hurts most.

For me, the most surprising thing about watching Grease is witnessing how well Travolta can dance. He’s all over the place, twisting and turning his body until it seems like his skeleton was made of cartilage, not bone. The actor has opted to make action films like Face/Off in recent years, but it’d be a treat to see him in go-for-broke dancing again.

Video:
This is a handsome presentation of the movie. The 2.35:1 1080p image is bright, colorful, and nearly pristine. There are a few moments when grain is a bit heavy (such as during the early beach-side scenes), though this is to be expected of pre-1990s productions. Contrast is excellent. The Blu-ray is light-years beyond the quality of the 2002 DVD.

Audio:
The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English track sounds comfortably wide across the front stage, but there’s not much for the rear speakers to do. Despite the loud music, dialogue and singing voices can be heard clearly. Bass levels and the track’s dynamic range are not as impressive as those offered by recent productions, but they are adequate for a 30-plus-year-old film.

Extras:
First up are a director’s intro and an audio commentary by the director and the dance choreographer. You can also watch the movie with the “Rydell Sing-Along” text track, karaoke-style. There are several deleted/extended/alternate scenes, which should please devoted fans and completists.

“The Time, The Place, The Motion: Remembering Grease” is a skimpy, superficial look back at the production. “The Moves Behind the Music” explore the dance numbers, and “Thunder Roadsters” glorifies the movie’s hot rods.

“Grease on DVD Launch Party” shows footage from the event that celebrated the movie’s appearance on DVD back in 2002. “Grease Memories from John and Olivia” offers additional comments by the movie’s leads at the DVD Launch Party.

There are two “Grease Day” Interviews, one each with the movie’s leads from the movie’s 1978 premiere.

Finally, you get a theatrical trailer and a photo gallery.

Saturday Night Fever Blu-ray Disc (John Badham, 1977)

Paramount (USA)
1.85:1 1080p
118 minutes
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English, DD 5.1 French, DD 2.0 mono Spanish
Subtitles: Optional English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese
Extras: audio commentary; Catching the Fever; Back to Bay Ridge; Dance Like Travolta With John Cassese; Fever Challenge!; ‘70s Discopedia; deleted scenes

Released: 5 May 2009

Saturday Night Fever has some strong plusses, but it has equally strong minuses. I liked the movie’s unflinching look at raw, impoverished life in working-class New York City, and I liked the integrity that the main character frequently demonstrates. For example, during a time when people didn’t give much thought to safe sex, Tony Manero (John Travolta) doesn’t sleep with every willing woman he meets despite his obvious horniness. Late in the movie, he gets upset that a rigged dance contest robs a Puerto Rican couple of victory, and he gives his prize to the Puerto Ricans. He then gives an impassioned speech about how lousy it is for people to “dump” on each other (Tony’s father is treated badly at work, so he goes home and treats Tony’s mother badly).

On the other hand, ‘70s fashion is just appalling, and while other movies set in the ‘70s sport the same duds, this movie puts the clothes on a pedestal to such an extent that they date the movie in an awful way. The platform shoes that the men wear are especially silly. Also, with the exception of Travolta’s bravura one-man show-off routine, the dance sequences are all so long and so boring that I almost stopped watching the movie around the halfway mark.

Video:
Like many ‘70s movies set in the ‘70s, Saturday Night Fever has a dark, damp look. The 1.85:1 1080p image is filled with grain, which gives the movie a gritty feel that is appropriate given the raw language and the characters’ economic fortunes. Although the Blu-ray’s video superiority over previous home-video versions is immediately evident, the use of soft-focus and dry-ice fog reduce the movie’s overall sharpness.

Audio:
While lively, the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English track is front-biased and light on resonant bass despite the movie being set in a disco club for much of its running time. This is to be expected given the recording technologies of the production era. The re-mixed audio is fairly wide across the front, though the music is sometimes a bit thin.

Extras:
First up is an audio commentary by John Badham. You can also watch the movie with the “‘70s Discopedia” text commentary.

“Catching the Fever” is a collection of featurettes that cover the movie’s production and reception.

“Back to Bay Ridge” takes a tour of the movie’s primary neighborhood.

In terms of extras related directly to the movie, you also get three deleted scenes.

“Dance Like Travolta With John Cassese” teaches viewers some of Travolta’s choreography.

“Fever Challenge!” is a bare-bones version of videogames like the Dance Dance Revolution series. Basically, you follow some basic dance steps that appear on your screen, though without a controller pad, there’s no way for the disc to keep track of how well you’re doing.

El Dorado Centennial Collection (Howard Hawks, 1967)

Region 1 Paramount (USA)
NTSC, 1.85:1 16x9 enhanced
126 minutes
Audio: DD 2.0 mono English, DD 2.0 mono French, DD 2.0 mono Spanish
Subtitles: Optional English SDH, French, Spanish
Extras: 2 audio commentaries; Ride, Boldly Ride: The Journey to El Dorado; The Artist and the American West; Behind the Gates: A.C. Lyles Remembers John Wayne; theatrical trailer; stills galleries

Released: 19 May 2009

Paramount Pictures is re-releasing some of its beloved catalog titles in new Centennial Collection editions to celebrate the studio’s 100th birthday. El Dorado carries the Number 9 on its spine.

After suffering through The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (Number 8 in Paramount’s Centennial Collection), I was not looking forward to watching El Dorado. In fact, I pushed the movie back in my viewing schedule by about three days because of Liberty Valance. To my surprise, El Dorado turned out to be a delightfully exciting and funny yarn that doesn’t suffer from the same sense of sameness that you get with most Westerns.

John Wayne and Robert Mitchum play two stand-up fellows who defend a town and the MacDonald clan from a rapacious rancher. The story features the usual elements and tropes found in other Westerns, but they’re backgrounded in favor of good-natured and good-humored character studies. The movie’s best delights are found in scenes with Wayne and Mitchum interacting with one another. The stars, slowed by age and quite obviously out-of-shape, weren’t afraid of poking fun at themselves as old codgers past their prime. Arthur Hunnicutt is hilarious as Mitchum’s eccentric deputy sheriff, and even James Caan, whom most people remember for his fiery performances in other movies, is a pleasant, happy-go-lucky screen presence.

It’s also worth noting that the movie doesn’t lumber laboriously towards a climactic showdown. Instead, there are a couple of brief set pieces here and there, the most notable being a night-time assault on a church. The action sequences are also graced with charming humor, and the filmmakers avoided groan-inducing slapstick that would’ve robbed the movie of all tension.

In general, Westerns are morality plays. The best ones avoid taking the self-serious and direct routes. El Dorado isn’t exactly a classic, but it’s at least an enjoyable diversion.

Video:
I’m not sure if the movie was given a full restoration, but the 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen image looks wonderful for a movie from the 1960s. Any damage to the source film print has been minimized, and although the grain structure has been left intact, you don’t see the annoying “mosquito buzz” that plagues some transfers. Sharpness and detail are excellent for a standard-definition presentation.

Audio:
There are no surprises with the DD 2.0 mono English track. Dialogue is always intelligible, though music and sound effects can sound harsh and hollow due to the technological limitations of the era.

Extras:
--Disc 1--
Disc 1 has two audio commentaries. The first one features Peter Bogdanovich flying solo. Although Bogdanovich is a part of Hollywood history and was personal friends with many key people, he’s not a compelling commentator. What’s funny about his inclusion is the fact that Paramount dropped his commentary for To Catch a Thief when creating the Centennial Collection edition (Bogdanovich recorded an audio commentary for the Special Collector’s Edition of To Catch a Thief).

The other audio commentary features critic Richard Schickel (Time) with snippets from actor Ed Asner and critic Todd McCarthy (Variety). This track is moderately better than the Bogdanovich one, though Schickel tends to romanticize and hagiographize old Hollywood excessively.

--Disc 2--
“Ride, Boldly Ride: The Journey to El Dorado” is a seven-part overview of the production, which was made as the director and the stars were entering the twilight of their careers and as the studio system gave way to free-lance operations.

“The Artist and the American West” is a featurette that was created around the time of the movie’s release. This featurette focuses on an artist whose works were used for the opening titles.

In “Behind the Gates: A.C. Lyles Remembers John Wayne”, producer A.C. Lyles reminisces about John Wayne’s time on the Paramount lot.

Finally, you get a theatrical trailer and four stills galleries.

--Miscellaneous--
You also get an insert booklet and a cardboard slipcover.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off Blu-ray Disc (John Hughes, 1986)

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off Blu-ray Disc (John Hughes, 1986)
Paramount (USA)
Review by Yunda Eddie Feng

Paramount (USA)
2.35:1 1080p
102 minutes
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English, DD 2.0 surround French, DD 2.0 mono Spanish
Subtitles: Optional English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese
Extras: Getting the Class Together: The Cast of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off; The Making of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off; Who is Ferris Bueller?; The World According to Ben Stein; Vintage Ferris Bueller: The Lost Tapes; Class Album

Released: 5 May 2009

I totally missed out on the John Hughes teen flicks bandwagon when I was a teen, and when I watched them in my 20s, I found them to be unbearable. They’re filled with lousy attitudes and lame writing. For example, in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, the protagonist’s best friend self-actualizes by destroying a car and part of a garage. Was it really worth destroying thousands of dollars in property and harming the environment just for one spoiled rich kid to find the guts to talk to his dad? Later, Ferris Bueller’s sister does a complete 180 for no discernible reason and saves his ass from being punished by his parents and his school. The movie has no integrity whatsoever other than to see that a smug kid get his way with everything. This is a despicable story, even if it’s meant to be viewed as something of a fantasy.

Video:
The opening moments have obvious signs of print damage, and there is noticeable grain for the entire running time. Otherwise, the 2.35:1 1080p picture looks cheerily bright and quite detailed for a 23-year-old movie.

Audio:
The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English track is typical of mixes created prior to the widespread use of digital movie sound. The rears are used primarily for music, and stereo separation is present but generally low-key. Dialogue is crisp and clear.

Extras:
“Getting the Class Together: The Cast of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” features interviews with people who assembled the cast and the actual cast members, though much of the discussion is plot summary. “The Making of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” covers some aspects of the production as well as its reception.

“Who is Ferris Bueller?” showers love and praise on Matthew Broderick and the titular character.

“The World According to Ben Stein” showcases the unfunny, intolerant, and intolerable gadfly.

“Vintage Ferris Bueller: The Lost Tapes” presents on-the-set interview footage.

Finally, “Class Album” is a collection of promotional photos.

Oddly, the Blu-ray edition does NOT include the John Hughes audio commentary from the 1999 DVD, so this is NOT a “definitive” edition.

3 Days of the Condor Blu-ray Disc (Sydney Pollack, 1975)

Paramount (USA)
2.35:1 1080p
117 minutes
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English, DD 2.0 mono French
Subtitles: Optional English, English SDH, French, Spanish
Extras: theatrical trailer

Released: 19 May 2009

As much as I like the Bourne movies, I sometimes wish that today’s mainstream American filmmakers would resort to master shots with locked-down cameras and average-shot-lengths of at least 10 seconds. When you’re allowed to absorb the full texture of a skilled actor’s performance and a skilled director’s mise-en-scene, you have the opportunity to appreciate meticulous planning and real acting. This is in opposition to the results yielded by constantly moving cameras and jack-hammered editing, which ultimately have no respect for reality; actors don’t actually have to learn their lines or know how to fight since the gun-and-edit style hides all of their flubs.

Watching the first third of Sydney Pollack’s 3 Days of the Condor was a pleasure. The movie begins with a swift, brutal assassination of various CIA analysts in an office, and the sequence is plenty shocking without resorting to ADD tactics. When Robert Redford’s character finds out that his colleagues have been murdered, the long takes heighten the sense of unbearable tension that a person would feel in such a situation. The tension arises from the viewer expectation that something startling could happen at any moment to break the eerie silence. The same goes for a one-on-one brawl in a cramped apartment. (This sequence clearly inspired similar scenarios in the Bourne movies.) We understand what’s happening and how the combatants use their environment for resources, and we share in the combatants’ loss of breath and desperation as the fight continues.

The movie also provides a documentary-style glimpse into the use of 1970s technology. We live in an age of portable, powerful computers, so it’s easy to wonder how spies could get anything done back when mobile phones were not widespread. Condor demonstrates how much confusion one man with a telephone repairman’s tools can generate. Sometimes, one just needs a bit of ingenuity and wit. After all, you can place the most-powerful tools in the hands of a buffoon, and the buffoon would get nothing accomplished any way.

Unfortunately, I don’t think that the movie recovers from the introduction of a female “accomplice” played by Faye Dunaway. Dunaway is beautiful and performs the role well, but the writing is atrocious. When they first meet, the protagonist coerces her into helping him. Eventually, they have consensual sex (she initiates as much as he does), and she plays Miss Junior Spy. This strains credulity and is rather sexist, though I suppose Condor is no more sexist than the “typical” American at the time of its making.

The big revelations at the end filled me with anger about the status quo. We’ve known about the same national security problems for more than forty years now, but we let lobbyists and special interests--American lobbyists and special interests at that--dictate our foreign and domestic agendas. Why do American companies and politicians continue to sell their own country short? What good will self-interest do when your country is weakened beyond repair?

Note: This movie clearly inspired the first Mission: Impossible movie with Tom Cruise, from the opening massacre of just-introduced characters to the use of flashbacks as the hero sits down and re-constructs events in his mind.

Video:
While the movie probably looks better than it ever has on home video, the 2.35:1 1080p image clearly falls short of what the Blu-ray format can offer, even with pre-1980s movies. The first 15-20 minutes are very rough, beginning with a faded, jittery Paramount logo and continuing with obvious print damage, such as scratches and nicks. Dust is noticeable in some scenes. The cinematography is typical of its era, with a damp, muted feel that was emulated by movies such as Steven Spielberg’s Munich and Ron Howard’s Frost/Nixon.

Audio:
I’m not sure why the audio is presented in Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English. As with most pre-1980s movies, Condor was released with a mono track. The basic elements (basically mid-range dialogue and music) are fine, but due to technological limitations at the time, low ends are muffled, distorted, and messy. High frequencies are thin. Some music cues and sound effects are spread to the front left and right channels, but the front center channel does almost all of the lifting.

Extras:
The only extra is a theatrical trailer, which appears to be presented in 1080p but was sourced from a film copy in terrible condition.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance Centennial Collection (John Ford, 1962)

Region 1 Paramount (USA)
NTSC, 1.85:1 16x9 enhanced
123 minutes
Audio: DD 5.1 English, DD 2.0 mono English, DD 2.0 mono Spanish
Subtitles: Optional English, French, Spanish
Extras: audio commentary with Peter Bogdanovich; selected scene commentaries with Dan Ford; The Size of Legends, The Soul of Myth; theatrical trailer; stills galleries

Released: 19 May 2009

Paramount Pictures is re-releasing some of its beloved catalog titles in new Centennial Collection editions to celebrate the studio’s 100th birthday. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance carries the Number 8 on its spine.

John Ford, John Wayne, James Stewart, Lee Marvin, Lee Van Cleef, and Vera Miles are all “giant” names in American cinema, so a movie like The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance carries a lot of baggage. Even if this isn’t a “great” movie, it is at least a meeting of “greats”, right?

Frankly, I was shocked by the lumpy pacing and generally inert atmosphere. It takes quite a while for the movie to get started, and the serious, “face value” moments are downright laughable. The movie generally sparks to life only when Lee Marvin and Lee Van Cleef show their sneering visages. Vera Miles is a charming spitfire but doesn’t get as much screen time as the stolid James Stewart, who made me want to slap him back to reality even though his predicament gains his character some amount of sympathy.

Although John Wayne appeared in many Westerns, he seems oddly out of place in this one. He redeems himself during a funny scene involving a small town picking two delegates to send to a territorial convention about statehood; he’s clearly enjoying himself every time he rebuffs a newspaper editor about the fact that the bar is closed during the political meeting. Wayne also exhibits genuine pathos when he goes on a drunken rampage through town towards the end of the movie.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance has an interesting quirk/gaffe. In one scene, Stewart presides over a classroom. Stewart asks if anyone knows what the basic law of the country is, the one that’s modified by amendments. Wayne’s black employee stands up to talk about Thomas Jefferson and the Constitution, but Stewart corrects him by saying, “Declaration of Independence”. The black man continues by reciting some lines from the Declaration of Independence. I don’t know if the writers made a mistake, if the filmmakers meant for Stewart to make the mistake, or if the filmmakers meant for the black man to make the mistake. Debating which mistake is “real” should provide lots of fun for historians and sociologists. Were the filmmakers inept? Were they making fun of the Stewart character? Were they making fun of black people?

Video:
The 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen image looks quite impressive. Although there are some instances of minor print damage, the picture is quite sharp and clear for an SD transfer. There is an appropriate level of grain that never develops into mosquito noise. The image has a wide spectrum of blacks, greys, and whites that reveal how gorgeous black-and-white photography can be.

Audio:
The DD 5.1 English re-mix doesn’t sound too different from the original DD 2.0 mono presentation. Basically, the sound field collapses to the center channel with occasional stereo spreads for music and various sound effects. Dialogue and music are surprisingly robust considering that many old mono tracks are thin and harsh.

Extras:
--Disc 1--
You can watch the movie with one of two audio commentaries. The first one is hosted by Peter Bogdanovich with recordings of interviews with John Ford and James Stewart. The second audio commentary is really a selection of scenes accompanied by comments from Dan Ford (John Ford’s grandson), John Ford, James Stewart, and Lee Marvin. Neither is particularly interesting, and it seems like anyone with an interest in the movie or the cast should spend time gathering information in printed form instead of wading through audio comments of varying technical quality.

--Disc 2--
“The Size of Legends, The Soul of Myth” is a seven-part documentary about the making of the movie. “The Size of Legends” covers a wide range of subjects in an attempt to place the movie in a socio-industrial context, though as with the audio commentaries, it seems like reading up about the same information would be less snooze-inducing.

Finally, you get a theatrical trailer and four stills galleries.

--Miscellaneous--
You also get an insert booklet and a cardboard slipcover.