| Video Roundup January 2009
The Best Videos of 2008
The biggest news of 2008 was that the Blu-ray Disc won out
over the competing HD DVD to become the sole consumer disc format for high-definition
video. Time Warner delivered the fatal thrust by going exclusively Blu-ray. Near the end,
Toshiba made a ton of HD DVD players and practically gave them away, and there are
still a lot of HD DVD discs kicking around at all sorts of prices, from
collectors’ prices to bargains. But for the last nine months of 2008, all new HD
releases were on BD only, and it seems that every studio has now hopped on that bus. The
Criterion Collection was one of the last, releasing its first four BD titles in mid
December. Major players and indie companies have all gone BD, releasing both new and
classic titles. Regular DVD releases have also continued to be released, though fewer than
last year.
I watched several hundred discs in 2008, and I’ll say
the same thing about them that I did about the 2007 crop: Though the films listed below
weren’t the only good titles released this year (use our archives to find some of the
others), they’re the ones I’d be happy to see again.
Nature in focus
 MPI completely reversed its pop-culture
image by releasing Baraka on Blu-ray. This stunning film virtually tied for first
place as the Best Video of the Year with another title that I’ll mention later
on. In general, travelogue and natural history releases have found new life on Blu-ray.
The wonders of Hollywood are many, but pale in comparison with nature’s marvels. The
producers of Baraka literally traveled the world to film images of peoples, places,
and things that are remarkable and out of the ordinary. Some might dismiss Baraka
as a travelogue; others experience it as a deep spiritual statement. New techniques were
employed in transferring the master to Blu-ray. The result is a level of detail and depth
that look entirely theatrical. Baraka’s pace is slow, and the eye is tempted
to explore the frame for more detail -- it’s easily found, and the DTS-HD Master
Audio soundtrack supports the images superbly. Other 2008 Blu-rays of natural surroundings
that bear investigation are BBC’s Planet Earth (Warner Home Video) and Werner
Herzog’s Encounters at the End of the World (Image Entertainment). Nothing on
DVD, not even the same films, can touch these Blu-ray editions for clarity and depth.
Science fiction and dark fantasy
 Among some very good
releases, two stand out: The Day the Earth Stood Still and Dark City. The
former is the original black-and-white classic from 1951, and it was so well made that it
not only stands the test of time, it defies it. Seldom has a science-fiction film received
such A-movie treatment. Directed by Robert Wise, with music by Bernard Herrmann, it stars
Michael Rennie and Patricia Neal, stellar names not usually associated with science
fiction. Realizing its importance, 20th Century Fox went all out for the Blu-ray edition.
The film itself gets a letter-perfect transfer that shows just what all the
shadow-and-light business of black-and-white film is all about. Herrmann’s music has
been remastered, Theremin and all, and I was astonished at how good it sounded; there was
even some subwoofer-level bass! The extras are also way above the norm, and include two
fine commentary tracks, one discussing Herrmann and film music in greater depth than
I’ve ever heard on any such track. There are more than a half-dozen featurettes, a
reading of the original story, and a feature with which you can compose your own 30-second
Theremin score.
 When it released to theaters in 1998, Dark
City was a good movie, though not without flaws. For the 2008 Blu-ray and DVD
releases, director Alex Proyas completely re-edited it, not only adding material here and
deleting it there, but also resequencing many of the scenes. The Blu-ray edition provides
a "Director’s Cut Fact Track" that tells the viewer exactly what was
changed, and why. The result is a masterpiece that deserves a second look, and New Line
Home Entertainment has provided outstanding video and audio transfers. As you might guess
from its title, this film is dark, but the contrast is perfect, allowing you to see
how effectively shadows and light can be used in color as well as B&W films. The
soundtrack is awesome in every way.
Other science-fiction or fantasy films that received
outstanding, must-see transfers last year were The Dark Knight (Warner), Hellboy
II: The Golden Army (Universal), and Beowulf (Paramount).
Who’s got the action?
 There are always lots of action movies in a
given year, and usually some that really stick in the memory, but this year the big action
news for home video was MGM’s release of six James Bond movies on Blu-ray. We knew
from the most recent DVD releases of 007 films that letter-perfect masters had been
created, but that didn’t prepare me for the sharp, colorful picture on the Blu-rays.
I see no rhyme or reason to the choice of titles. I’d have gone for packages of
"The Connery Years" and "The Moore Years," or some such, but MGM has
mixed them all up. It’s good news, then, that the six films are available separately
as well as in a boxed set. The best is the second in the series, From Russia with Love.
With Robert Shaw as the villain and Sean Connery at his best as Bond, this 46-year-old
movie still holds up as a great action film. Once past the gritty opening scene, which has
never looked that good, the colors and detail are eye-opening. It’s a must for any
collection. But if 007 isn’t your thing, Dirty Harry and Bonnie and Clyde
are must-own Blu-rays as well.
 Animated heights
The other Best Video of the Year -- the Best,
alluded to earlier in this piece -- is Pixar’s WALL-E, in either its Blu-ray
or DVD editions. I discuss it in my editorial this month, so I won’t repeat myself
here. Though WALL-E towered above its animated competition, there were some other
very enjoyable animated titles to see: Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas
is strong in both the audio and video departments on Disney Blu-ray, and Kung-Fu Panda,
from DreamWorks Home Video DVD and Blu-ray, is a delightful spin on martial-arts films,
with Jack Black affectionately voicing the role of a panda chosen to be a hero. Kung Fu
Panda sports state-of-the art video and audio transfers, and has a large selection of
enjoyable and informative extras. The same can be said for The Nightmare Before
Christmas. Walt Disney’s classic Sleeping Beauty is also extraordinary on
Blu-ray, where the full detail of its 2.20:1 widescreen presentation can be genuinely
appreciated.
Dramas and musicals
 Good musicals were in short
supply in 2008, but two were very good indeed: Enchanted (Walt Disney Home
Entertainment) and Sweeney Todd (DreamWorks). Both arrived on Blu-ray and DVD in
excellent transfers outfitted with interesting extras. Your choice will depend on whether
you want beauty, blood, or both.
Dramas, as usual, made up the bulk of 2008 releases.
There’s no contest for best here -- the nod goes to The Godfather: The Coppola
Restoration. That’s all three films on Blu-ray, because director Francis Ford
Coppola thinks of them as a set. And I must admit that Godfather III, which
I’d previously judged as lame, emerges in a totally different light when watched
immediately after the first two installments, which remain two of the greatest epic films
ever made. The acting in this trilogy is on a legendary level, the visuals are memorable,
and Paramount’s technical work on the Blu-ray transfers is nothing short of
impeccable. Running only slightly behind are Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
(Image Entertainment), Gone Baby Gone (Miramax Home Entertainment), Into the
Wild (Paramount), all three on DVD and Blu-ray -- and Casablanca (Warner Home
Video, Blu-ray).
TV on DVD
 Of the few TV shows that have so far been
released on Blu-ray, the leader is Lost: Season Four. Though navigating the
menus is a bit of a chore, the effort is worth it. The video is always impressive, with
more subtle hues of blue and green than you’d have thought possible. The ocean is
blue, the sky a slightly different blue; the forest is green, but within that green are
dozens of shades, and the detail is such that the video has tremendous presence. Things
look so real that you can easily conjure, from your own previous experience, aromas and
feelings to go with each image. The open yet focused multichannel PCM audio tracks help.
Also impressive on Blu-ray and DVD are seasons 1 and 3 of Prison Break (20th
Century Fox), and season 2 of Supernatural.
Music drama
 Opera and classical music in general are
genres that benefit greatly from release on Blu-ray. To see a favorite in widescreen HD
with uncompressed multichannel PCM or DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 sound is quite an
experience. Anne-Sofie von Otter’s fiery Carmen (Opus Arte) strikes me as the
best so far. The popular opera is colorfully staged and exquisitely performed, and on
Blu-ray the production has great presence. Also worth a look: La Bohème,
the Balanchine Ballet’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Mozart’s Die
Zauberflöte, all three released on Blu-ray by Opus Arte. Not on Blu-ray but well
worth seeing on DVD is a very dramatic Tosca from the Bergenzer Festival (Phoenix
Edition).
Perhaps the Best Videos overall
 The Criterion Collection was
at the top of its game with every one of its DVD releases, and in December they added four
Blu-ray titles. Though many other studios provide, from time to time, good video, good
audio, or both, Criterion consistently provides the best. They have no peer when it comes
to transfers of black-and-white films, and only a few can transfer colors so richly,
deeply, and impressively. I’ve never seen a bad Criterion transfer, but some are
outstanding even for them, and for 2008 these were Before the Rain, The Last
Emperor, and The Thief of Bagdad (all on DVD), and The Third Man
(Blu-ray). So despite the fact that I might have chosen other studios’ titles for
Best Video in various categories, Criterion gets the nod for the most consistent and
reliable excellence overall. Their only challenger at the moment is Walt Disney, which for
the past four months has maintained a notably high standard of quality across the board.
That’s almost three dozen outstanding discs from 2008
to keep you busy, and every one of them is a must-see. Happy viewing!
. . . Rad Bennett
radb@hometheatersound.com |
