| DVD Roundup November 2007
Recent HD Releases for November 2007
 Dante’s Peak
(1997, Universal, HD DVD) ***1/2
By Shakespearean standards, Dante’s Peak comes
up short. By disaster ratings, it ranks high. Pierce Brosnan and Linda Hamilton make
attractive leads, and the supporting character actors are fine, but it’s the superb
special effects that really make this an enjoyable popcorn movie. The scenes of the
dormant volcano coming to life are awesome in HD, especially the final explosion, which
sends out clouds of deadly gas. These scenes have great definition and depth, as do almost
all the rest. The blacks are deep, the contrast letter perfect, and the color stable. The
sound makes full use of all channels. The solid bass isn’t as awesome as that of
today’s movies, but it’s impressive nonetheless.
The Day After Tomorrow (2004, 20th Century
Fox, Blu-ray) ****1/2
The high rating is not for this typical disaster flick
itself -- this time, global warming causes such severe changes in the weather that the
earth enters a new ice age -- but for this high-definition transfer. The Day After
Tomorrow isn’t the sort of movie you watch for great drama, but it’s perfect
for showing off that new HD video monitor and super surround system. The picture is sharp,
detailed, smooth, and very filmlike. Shadow detail is immaculate and the blacks are solid,
while whites have appropriate sheen. The DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack is as good as it
gets, but as few components contain the proper decoders as of yet, most people, myself
included, will have to use just the core DTS 5.1. It’s impressive in its own right,
with bass rumblings deeper than I thought my home theater could reproduce, and mids and
highs that are smooth right up to the top -- and the surrounds are active 90% of the time.
This movie is well worth the two minutes my Blu-ray player takes to read the disc.
Elizabeth (1998, Universal, HD DVD) ****
This colorful film concerns the first part of the life of
Elizabeth I, when the young girl became a queen with full authority over her subjects.
Kate Blanchett is perfect in the lead, showing authority on the surface but letting us see
the uncertainty and vulnerability beneath. Not since the days of MGM Technicolor has a
past age been filmed in such bright colors -- your monitor’s color accuracy will be
tested by this HD DVD. I was struck by one scene in which two different shades of
cherry red provided a background for Elizabeth’s strawberry-blond hair. There are
lots of shadows to give a sense of authenticity to the 16th-century interiors, which of
course were lit with candles and torches. HD makes them clear and distinct -- there was no
undefined muck anywhere in the picture. The Dolby TrueHD sound is impressive in its
transparency and accurate placement of sound effects.
Halloween (1978, Anchor Bay, Blu-ray) ***1/2
Halloween changed the course of horror flicks. Often
imitated, just this year it received its first official remake. But the original was shot
on the cheap, so even on Blu-ray, you’ll see some grain and scenes that aren’t
as sharp as others. This Blu-ray edition seems to have been made from a print not approved
by the director, John Carpenter. The original, which has been supplanted on DVD by this
newer version with different color timing, was much deeper and bluer in the night scenes.
Bearing that in mind, the Blu-ray is an amazing step up from the SD DVD editions I’ve
seen. One thing Blu-ray clarifies are the many shadows used to evoke fear. The scene in
which Jamie Lee Curtis sees Michael for the first time is just right: His white, masked
face seems to materialize from shadow to the actress’s right; we see him before she
does. It’s a chilling moment, and more so on Blu-ray. The sound is available in Dolby
Digital 5.1 or Uncompressed PCM 5.1; the latter is far better. There isn’t a lot of
surround action, but the upfront stereo is satisfying and the dialogue thoroughly
understandable.
The Last Starfighter (1984, Universal, HD
DVD) ***1/2
I love this movie. It’s sort of sappy and at times
makes little sense, but the idea is darned appealing: a young man whose life is going
nowhere is recruited by aliens as a starfighter because of his skill at playing a
particular video game. What’s more, when he does win, he comes back to get his girl.
And heck, it includes the final film performance of Robert Preston, as the flamboyant and
manipulative alien Centauri. The Last Starfighter was one of the first films to use
computer graphics. The results here look primitive, but then, the starships and explosions
look exactly as in the video game, so the shock is not so great. The outdoor scenes on
earth are a little fuzzy here and there, and the color in those scenes seems a bit washed
out at times. In sum, it looks as if Universal didn’t strike a new print for this HD
release. The sound is quite good, robust and imaginative for its day, and it still works
pretty well now.
Remember the Titans (2000, Walt Disney,
Blu-ray) ****
A dynamic sports movie set during the early days of school
integration, Remember the Titans is a testament to the benefits of working together
regardless of race. Denzel Washington plays Herman Boone, an African American hired to be
head coach of the Titans at T.C. Williams high school, in Alexandria, Virginia. This
Blu-ray edition leaves nothing to be desired. The picture is sharp, clear, and colorful,
with excellent, solid blacks and resplendent colors. It’s interesting to notice
little tics and nuances in Washington’s performance that are hard to spot on the SD
DVD. The uncompressed 5.1-channel PCM soundtrack is almost perfect. There is a wide
dynamic range, the dialogue can be heard clearly, every crunching tackle has impact, and
the music has punch and unusually well-focused bass. The surround channels are in play
most of the time, but are mostly used in ways more natural than usual; you might not
notice they’re there, but you feel it when they aren’t.
Viva Las Vegas (1964, Warner Home Video, HD
DVD) ****
This was the only movie in which Elvis Presley met his
match. Feisty Ann-Margaret, who could sing, dance, act, and look sexy, was able to
stand up to the King -- it became not his show, but theirs. The flimsy plot is little more
than an excuse to have Elvis and/or Ann-Margaret burst into song and dance as often as
possible. Using an almost entirely undamaged print, Warner has made a fantastic transfer
to HD DVD. The bright colors of Las Vegas signs, costumes, and cars are rendered
perfectly, and skin tones are consistent throughout the film. The audio tracks offered are
all Dolby: TrueHD 5.1, Digital Plus 5.1, and Digital 1.0 mono. The first is the best -- it
played at a very low level through my system, but when I turned the volume up, it
blossomed. There’s even good, solid bass. Extras include a commentary by Steve Pond,
author of Elvis in Hollywood, and a good featurette, "Elvis in Vegas."
Wild Things (Unrated Edition) (1998,
Sony, Blu-ray) ***1/2
This nifty little film noir would have been a B flick had
it been released 40 years ago in black and white. Big-name stars (Kevin Bacon, Matt
Dillon, Neve Campbell) and lush photography elevate its status a bit, but it’s still
deliciously tawdry. It’s come to HD in an unrated cut that shows more flesh than the
theatrical version, which showed plenty. But even when no half-dressed young women occupy
the frame, it’s a knockout. The lush green of the Florida swamps, the bright blue
skies, and the brightly colored costumes are memorable. The plot is so convoluted you
might not remember what this movie is about, but everyone will remember the look. Blu-ray
handles it with ease, offering a very filmlike picture. The sound is offered in Dolby
Digital 5.1 or Uncompressed PCM 5.1. Go for the latter, if only for the music. It’s a
good thing Wild Things looks as good as it does; there are no extras.
...Rad Bennett
radb@hometheatersound.com |
