July 2009

Blu-ray Update

A selection of movies on Blu-ray for July 2009.

Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace and Music -- Director’s Cut 40th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition (Warner)

Overall enjoyment: ****
Picture quality: ***1/2
Sound quality: ***1/2
Extras: ****1/2

Woodstock was unlike anything that had come before it, and nothing since has achieved the peaceful and purposeful gathering of so many young people. We remember it both as the culmination of the 1960s peace movement and as a showcase of the best rock and folk musicians of that era. Held on Max Yasgur’s farm near Bethel, New York, the concert drew close to half a million people. Roadways were so crowded that artists had to be brought in by helicopter. There were waiting lines for everything: food, toilets, telephones, and medical care, but nowhere throughout this amazing documentary’s countless crowd shots will you see any frayed tempers or overt anger. An event of this magnitude probably couldn’t happen today without violence taking center stage, but Woodstock was the result of a peaceful movement -- its attendees really believed they could change the world by being peaceful, smoking dope, and making love and music.

The movie has been released on video and DVD several times, but no prior version looks as good as this Blu-ray set. Shot on location with Eclair NPR16mm handheld cameras, the film can be inconsistent in its quality, but it often looks extremely good -- especially the black backgrounds of the night concert scenes. Director Michael Wadleigh was very ’60s in his use of different aspect ratios and split screens. The images range from near Academy ratio to over 2.55:1. Warner has decided to present the movie as it would be seen in the theater, using the widest aspect ratio as the base. This will no doubt make some unhappy, because the 1.85:1 material is window boxed. (The first 15 minutes of the movie are like that, so don’t worry if it looks like there’s something wrong with your setup.) They could have used fullscreen for HD sets, but then the letterboxed material would be out of proportion. The 5.1 Dolby TrueHD sound is quite good. And as far as bass goes, there’s nothing here that will break your lease. Some of the highs may be fuzzy and slightly distorted, but considering the circumstances the overall full-bodied sound is something of a miracle. It doesn’t sound like a studio recording, but then again, it isn’t supposed to.

The nearly four-hour movie is contained on the first disc, with bountiful extras on the second. The most important of these is the inclusion of 18 bonus performances and a Blu-ray exclusive feature that lets you create your own playlist. There’s a short promo on the museum at Bethel and then a longish documentary divided into 21 parts. You can watch these separately or in one sitting. The packaging is also worth mentioning: the Blu-ray jewel case is housed in sturdy fiberboard and covered in suede fringes that make you question whether David Crosby helped design it. Also included are a Lucite display, an iron-on Woodstock patch, repros of handwritten messages, a handsome (if hard to read in the reduction point size) reprint of the Life magazine special on Woodstock, and a replica of a three-day ticket (which sold for -- get ready -- 18 bucks). And if that’s not enough, each set is numbered. Warner has really done this classic documentary justice.

Other Blu-ray discs this month:

Amazon (Image Entertainment)

Overall enjoyment: ****
Picture quality: ****1/2
Sound quality: ****
Extras: **1/2

A few months ago I wrote that IMAX films didn’t seem to transfer to home video very well. The home version of Amazon, however, is gorgeous in just about every way. Directed by Kieth Merrill, this short documentary shows scenes of unparalleled beauty from different stretches of the Amazon River. The film’s main thrust is that the Amazon rainforest contains 2 million square miles of plants and trees whose medicinal properties we’ve barely begun to explore. It also touches on some of the 400 different Indian tribes that inhabit the shores of the mighty river. Linda Hunt narrates in a warm yet authoritative voice, and the lush score by Alan Williams serves to highlight key scenes.

Though Amazon has been released in other formats since the film’s release in 1997, this version puts the others to rest. The sweeping panoramas of the jungle that shimmered and showed various other artifacts in earlier versions are now impressively clean. The camera often swoops down various parts of the river, and these scenes have such good definition that they seem three-dimensional. At times this Blu-ray is almost as good as Baraka, which is still perhaps the best I’ve seen. The colors are particularly vivid, and they’re best displayed in the bright garb of the natives and the plumage of the region’s exotic birds. The soundtrack has been remixed to DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, and the music is exceptional. The sounds of the jungle are perfectly clear, and the surrounds effectively establish each scene’s environment. Extras include a trivia game and trailers from almost a dozen other IMAX films.

A Bug’s Life (Walt Disney)

Overall enjoyment: ****1/2
Picture quality: ****
Sound quality: ****1/2
Extras: ****

A Bug’s Life was Pixar’s second movie, following the highly successful Toy Story, so expectations were high. Luckily, they were met. Once again the computer animation studio had a hit, one that led people to identify with the same insects they often fear in real life. Pixar achieved this feat by giving the characters familiar, friendly sounding voices (my favorite casting coup is Phyllis Diller as the ant queen) and by endowing them with human characteristics while preserving the quirks particular to their species.

When the film was first transferred to DVD, it was the first direct-to-digital release in that format. Since it was created in the digital realm, it could go straight to a digital medium. And though that first release of A Bug’s Life was head and shoulders above its competition, this Blu-ray edition is nothing short of perfection. Of course, I say that about every Pixar Blu-ray release, so perhaps I should simply insist that it joins the others without shame or apology. The audio is especially exceptional. The surrounds, which are constantly active, immerse you within the film. But the sounds are also focused, and the overall mix is transparent enough that nothing, including dialogue, is lost. All of the extras from the DVD have been carried over (in SD), and there are two new extras in HD. One, a roundtable reminiscence with director John Lasseter and members of the crew, shows just why we love Pixar movies so much. These guys are great storytellers. They have a good time doing what they do, and they pass their enjoyment on to the audience. The package also includes a digital copy for personal use. Apparently, "P" now stands not just for picture perfect but also Pixar perfect.

Defiance (Paramount)

Overall enjoyment: ***1/2
Picture quality: ****
Sound quality: ****
Extras: ***1/2

If there’s ever a director’s award in the social conscience category, Edward Zwick would be a contender. Having already discovered the dust-covered reports of African Americans who served in the Civil War for his film Glory, he’s now uncovered a little-known story of Jewish resistance fighters in the Second World War. Defiance tells the story of a band of 1200 Jews in Belarus who chose to escape to the forest rather than live in the ghettos, where they would eventually be taken to a prison camp for extermination. This small group successfully defied the Nazis throughout the war, establishing a self-contained camp in the woods and launching raids against the German war machine. Led by the brothers Bielski (Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, and Jamie Bell), they became known as the Bielski Partisans. One of the most interesting aspects of the Blu-ray Disc package is the inclusion of the real-life stories of the Bielskis and their many descendants. One of the grandchildren recalls people regularly dropping by the house in New York -- not relatives, but people who had survived the forest odyssey and wanted to say thank you.

Though the story seems complete, it can be too drawn inward and stuffy at times. It concentrates on fights within the camp rather than with the Nazis, who are portrayed merely as a faceless, evil force. We don’t get to know any of them by name, nor do we see how they deal with the freedom fighters. The film has been faithfully transferred to Blu-ray, with a picture so detailed that every scene will cause gasps of admiration. The sound design is clear and open with a singular focus for dialogue, and the surrounds are used effectively and imaginatively. Among the extras, Zwick’s well-informed commentary stands out as one of the best ever from a director. He manages to stay fairly screen-specific while offering additional details not only about the filming but also about the real historical events.

Paul Simon and Friends -- The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song (Concert Hot Spot)

Overall enjoyment: ***1/2
Picture quality: ***1/2
Sound quality: **
Extras: 0

In 2007 the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., gave its first Gershwin Prize for Popular Song to Paul Simon, and WETA was there to film the tribute concert. Performers included Alison Krauss, Lyle Lovett, James Taylor, Marc Anthony, Shawn Colvin, Jerry Douglas, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Buckwheat Zydeco, Yolanda Adams, Jesse Dixon, Dianne Reeves, Stevie Wonder, Art Garfunkel, The Dixie Hummingbirds, Philip Glass, and, of course, Simon himself. The first half of the concert is relatively dull, with acoustic artists doing dutiful homage to Simon through covers that don’t stray far from the originals. Things perk up considerably at midpoint when Marc Anthony gets hold of "El Condor Pasa" and "Late in the Evening," reinventing them for his own style and showing how great music can stand up to different interpretations. Dianne Reeves scores with a jazzy, bluesy "Something So Right," and then Simon takes the stage with Ladysmith Black Mambazo for "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes." He’s then joined by Art Garfunkel for "Bridge over Troubled Water" (an audience favorite, judging by the applause). Stevie Wonder and the amazing Dixie Hummingbirds join Simon in rocking the house with "Love Me Like a Rock," and Philip Glass does an embarrassing solo piano noodling of "Sounds of Silence," dropping lots of bad notes from a piano that was woefully out of tune to begin with. Simon’s voice is in fine shape. It’s relaxed and free from strain, allowing him to naturally deliver his lyrics. More than anything, the whole affair really showcases Simon as an interpreter of his own music.

The camera work is fairly decent and straightforward, though director Linda Mendoza seems to have something against saxophone solos -- she points the camera anywhere but at the soloist. The sound, however, is close to dismal. It’s one of those used-to-be-standard television mixes where everything bleeds to the front center, there’s almost no surround, and dynamic range has been smoothed out to boring flatness. The overall level on the Blu-ray Disc is also way below normal. Overall, this version is a good rental, and perhaps a worthwhile purchase for fans who want to see and hear more of Reeves, Anthony, Simon, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and the Dixie Hummingbirds.

Paycheck (Paramount)

Overall enjoyment: ***
Picture quality: ****
Sound quality: ****
Extras: **

Based on a short story by Philip K. Dick, Paycheck stars Ben Affleck as Michael Jennings, a brilliant inventor who hires himself out to competing companies. He’ll take a successful product off the shelves, disassemble it, and improve it for another manufacturer. He then agrees to have that part of his life -- usually 90 days -- wiped from his memory so he can’t recall the secret details of his projects. When Jennings is enticed into a contract that will erase three years of his memory, he awakens to find his most recent employer claiming he forfeited any payment for his services. He has nothing but a mailing envelope with an assortment of everyday items to help him through the many death-defying experiences he encounters in trying to get his money. That part reminded me of "What You Need" from the Twilight Zone, or MacGyver, who always seemed to have just what he needed to escape close calls.

As with many of Woo’s films, the plot starts strong but gets more outlandish as it unfolds. By its end the story is little more than a hook on which to hang exciting action sequences. These scenes are strong and stylish, but they make the movie look better than it is. The Blu-ray version enhances this illusion, boasting a picture that at many points screams "high definition," though at other times it looks a little soft. The sound is magnificent. It’s open and clear, and it fully uses the 360-degree soundfield, with focused bass that has great impact. There are extras, but, frankly, they aren’t worth much. There are two commentaries (one by Woo and the other by screenwriter Dean Georgaris), but neither is very interesting. The deleted scenes were deleted for a reason, and the two production featurettes are ordinary at best. Science-fiction fans may find this edition worth the purchase, but I’d urge others to rent first.

The Seventh Seal (The Criterion Collection)

Overall enjoyment: ****1/2
Picture quality: ****1/2
Sound quality: ***1/2
Extras: ****

This movie, along with a handful of others, swept through the newly launched "art house" circuit of the 1950s and was largely responsible for films being taken seriously in the United States. Having been around when it was released, I can tell you the effect was electrifying. I was in college back then, and we’d simply never seen anything like it. The Seventh Seal became the topic of conversation at coffee house gatherings after class, as did Wild Strawberries and The Virgin Spring. Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman had become a cultural force in North Carolina and just about everywhere else in the United States. We were also amazed by Max von Sydow, who, at just 28, played the world-weary knight Antonius Block, who returned from the Crusades to find his homeland being decimated by the Black Plague. The scene of Block playing chess with Death (Bengt Ekerot) and the shot of the grim reaper leading his dance of death on the hillside have been etched permanently into my brain.

The film I first saw was a scratched-up art-house print, nothing like The Criterion Collection’s scrubbed-fresh offering, which does full justice to the high-contrast black-and-white photography. The definition that Blu-ray brings to the film adds perceptible depth to many scenes that looked flat in other DVD incarnations. The audio is presented in 48kHz mono PCM sound and is also quite impressive, if you acknowledge the film’s age. Subtitles are crisp and easy to read, and there’s a dubbed version (but let’s not go there). Extras include a fine screen-specific commentary by film historian Peter Cowie, who also hosts a tour of the great director’s work called Bergman 101. Bergman himself offers a short introduction to the movie, and he appears in interviews in the feature-length Bergman Island. There’s also an interview with Von Sydow and a tribute from devotee Woody Allen. In case you haven’t seen it, don’t let the historical significance of this movie put you off. It’s still vital and immensely entertaining today.

Taken (20th Century Fox)

Overall enjoyment: ***1/2
Picture quality: ****
Sound quality: ****
Extras: ***1/2

I’d never have pegged Liam Neeson as an action-adventure star, but here he is, as good as any and better than most. I lost count of the bodies as he slugs, chops, and shoots his way through the movie without any permanent harm to himself. Neeson plays Bryan Mills, an ex-CIA operative whose daughter (Maggie Grace) has been kidnapped in Paris. He’s hopping mad and the wrong guy to fool with. Mills is able to extract substantial clues from the smallest lead, and he soon finds himself in Paris in the thick of things. I thought the whole project was a little bit silly until I re-read the credits and saw that Luc Besson was the producer. With Besson, you don’t search for logic, not if you want to have fun. You simply submit to a ridiculous premise and then enjoy the rapid-fire killing. In Beeson movies you won’t find any drawn out "please don’t kill me" scenes; once a gun is pointed, it’s fired.

The Blu-ray Disc is a decent home-theater experience and demo disc if you want action on top of action. And if you want even more, you can choose the grisly director’s cut. The picture is sharp and focused, and the dark scenes have good contrast. The sound is typical for a big, loud, in-your-face action flick, but if you’re a fan of the genre you’ve likely already nailed down anything that might go flying during heavy subwoofer pumping. The extras are reasonably interesting. Pierre Morel’s director commentary is in French with English subtitles, and the second commentary track, in English, is by co-screenwriter Robert Mark Kamen. There are some action-sequence comparisons and a picture-in-picture "Black OPS Field Manual" feature, as well as the usual "making of" production featurette.

Valkyrie (MGM)

Overall enjoyment: ****
Picture quality: ****
Sound quality: ****
Extras: ****1/2

You’re not alone if you were put off by the promotional material and posters for the original theatrical release of this movie. But in truth, Valkyrie is an above-average biographical film that faithfully re-enacts the flawed attempt of some of Hitler’s military officers to assassinate him. The conspirators were headed by Claus von Stauffenberg (Tom Cruise), and the attempted assassination took place on July 20, 1944. Germans tend to be more aware than Americans of this event, which resulted in 600 arrests and 200 executions. Germany, in its effort to combat guilt from the war, has gone to great lengths to honor its resistance fighters, and this film makes those heroes more tangible to Americans.

The Blu-ray image is quite good, with reassuring grain, excellent color, and reasonably good detail that adds excellent depth to many scenes. The DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack is impressive; an opening scene in Africa in which American warplanes strafe a German unit is of demonstration caliber. At times, though, I felt the dialogue was buried in the sound mix. The dynamic range was so wide that to hear the dialogue clearly I had to raise the volume to the point that gunfire and explosions hurt my ears.

The extras for this Blu-ray serve mostly to illuminate the plight of resistance fighters in Nazi Germany. Included is an almost two-hour documentary by Kevin Burns called The Valkyrie Legacy. It traces the roots of Hitler’s rise to power and the various factions that opposed him, culminating in the 1944 effort. But the film also extends to the present, as it chronicles Germany’s attempts to re-establish its humanism and cement itself as a trusted world power. Other featurettes discuss various aspects of the filming, and there are two very good commentary tracks, one with Cruise, director-producer Bryan Singer, and co-writer and producer Christopher McQuarrie, and another with McQuarrie and co-writer Nathan Alexander. The discussion with Cruise and Singer from the Reel Pieces series is excellent, though it’s not in HD. Overall, this is a solid release that provides excellent entertainment, good HD material for a new setup, and an understanding of a page in history that is likely unknown to most people outside of Germany. There’s also a digital copy disc included so you can have a personal version for your computer or iPhone.

. . . Rad Bennett
radb@hometheatersound.com

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