| Video Roundup August 2009
Blu-ray and DVD Update
A selection of movies on Blu-ray and DVD for August 2009.
 Knowing (Summit,
Blu-ray)
Overall enjoyment: ***1/2
Picture quality: ****1/2
Sound quality: ****
Extras: ***
This science fiction thriller has gotten an unnecessarily
bad rap, perhaps because it stars Nicolas Cage. Though he’s excellent in this movie,
it follows a long line of bad films that caused the general public to forget he was the
talented actor who walked away with an Academy Award in 1996 for his portrayal of an
alcoholic in Leaving Las Vegas. Seeing his name leading the cast for Knowing,
many critics and moviegoers were no doubt biased against it. Another group of naysayers
faults the film’s logic. But most science fiction requires a leap of faith. The logic
works within the film’s premise, not outside of it. And in that respect, Knowing
comes through with flying colors.
Cage plays John Koestler, a professor who has recently lost
his wife in an accident. He’s become little more than a hermit going through the
motions of teaching while raising his son, Caleb (Chandler Canterbury). Koestler believes
that life’s events are random -- that there’s no plan. But his view starts to
change when his son receives an envelope from a time capsule that was buried 50 years ago.
It contains lines of handwritten numerals, and Koestler gradually discovers that
they’re dates predicting the disasters that have happened since the time capsule was
buried. Clouding and complicating the story’s events are the "others,"
dark-cloaked figures who talk to Caleb telepathically and seem unusually interested in
him. By the time Koestler realizes that the last date indicates the total destruction of
mankind, he has met Diana Wayland (Rose Byrne), the daughter of the numbers’ author.
The two race against time to save themselves, their children, and the entire human race.
To tell more would spoil the suspense, which this movie has
in abundance. Stylishly directed by Alex Proyas (Dark City; I, Robot), the
movie progresses at exactly the right pace until its ending, which might please some
viewers while disappointing others. The Blu-ray Disc is state of the art, with a picture
that reveals every animate and inanimate detail and a soundtrack that effectively uses the
whole 360-degree soundstage. The sound is natural and transparent, and it has great impact
where needed. The extras include a very intelligent conversation with Proyas, a production
featurette, and a short feature on the end of the world as it appears in various beliefs.
Don’t let negative reviews (and there have been plenty) put you off. At least rent
it, accept the premise, and enjoy the ride.
Note: It’s my goal in this column to point out
high-definition discs that will make your HD system rock, but it will be another couple of
years before Blu-ray becomes commonplace. At the moment there are some good DVDs that I
think you will find very interesting, but they’re not yet out on Blu-ray, nor will
they be any time soon. I’ve included a few of those this month.
 Blood Ties: The Complete Season
One (Eagle Media / Eagle Rock Entertainment, DVD)
Overall enjoyment: ***1/2
Picture quality: ***
Sound quality: ***1/2
Extras: **1/2
Here’s a vampire series that probably won’t make
it to Blu-ray, so you’d better buy or rent it on DVD. Christina Cox stars as Vicki
Nelson, a former detective who becomes a private investigator because her eyesight is
degenerating and she can’t cope with the pace of the police department. Vicki is a
real femme fatale and tough-gal type who doesn’t flinch at the first, second, or
third sign of danger. She pals around (and flirts) with her former detective partner, Mike
Celluci (Dylan Neal) and unofficially takes on Henry Fitzroy (Kyle Schmid) as her
associate. Fitzroy happens to be a 470-year-old vampire who’s sexier than any undead
you’ll find on Twilight. Vicki and Henry soon gain a reputation for
investigating strange crimes that can’t be explained in any normal way. Mike scoffs
at first, but as the season progresses he becomes an unwilling believer.
The show is shot in Vancouver and uses Toronto exteriors,
so it has a fresh feeling to it. Special effects are adequate to good, as is the acting.
Don’t be put off by the first episode; it’s pretty awful, but the show quickly
improves as the characters sink their teeth into their roles. There’s some contention
over exactly what constitutes the first season -- or whether there’s more than one.
This set ends with "D.O.A.," which is listed as the first episode of the second
season at IMDb.com. Canadian viewers writing to Amazon.com claim it was all one 22-episode
season. But one thing’s for sure: the 13 episodes in this set are immensely
entertaining, and we know there will be at least nine more coming from Eagle Rock in the
fall.
Unfortunately, the DVD transfers aren’t exactly state
of the art. The picture isn’t anamorphic, so it will appear windowboxed on widescreen
sets. That said, its color and detail are adequate but not as good as many other shows.
Still, the drama will intrigue all fans of the horror genre, who’ll likely agree with
the box art’s subtitle, "A Crime Series with Bite."
 Do The Right Thing: 20th
Anniversary Edition (Universal, Blu-ray)
Overall enjoyment: ****
Picture quality: ****1/2
Sound quality: ****
Extras: ****1/2
One of the best movies ever made about race relations and
the human condition, Spike Lee’s third movie, Do the Right Thing, hasn’t
dimmed in 20 years. It’s still powerful, and this handsomely transferred Blu-ray will
perhaps increase the film’s impact. The action takes place in a single block of the
Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn on the hottest day of summer. Sal’s pizza shop is
the only establishment in the neighborhood run by white American Italians. A dissident
resident (Giancarlo Esposito) complains that the photo gallery on the wall of the
restaurant shows only Italian Americans, and there are no celebs of color. He vows to
boycott the establishment and starts ramping up local hatred, which eventually culminates
in extreme violence. The movie is absorbing in its examination of the residents of the
block, and it’s important in its delivery of a head-on anti-violence message.
The Blu-ray picture has deeper color than any of its
predecessors (even the Criterion DVD), and the detail is stunning. In the scene where
local youths tap a fire hydrant, you can almost feel the heat being quenched by the
refreshing water. The depth is excellent throughout, and the colors are intentionally hot
and bright without bleeding or becoming oversaturated. The sound has been improved
considerably. It now has more bass and bite as well as some well-defined ambience
information in the surrounds. The extras are copious, including almost everything from the
Criterion DVD except Spike Lee’s home movies, and there’s a brand new (if
embarrassingly lame) commentary from Lee himself. All in all, this is one of
Universal’s best Blu-ray editions yet.
 Harlan Ellison: Dreams with
Sharp Teeth (Docurama Films, DVD)
Overall enjoyment: ****
Picture quality: ***1/2
Sound quality: ***1/2
Extras: ***
This is one of the best biographical documentaries
I’ve seen. It’s a razor-sharp dissection of one of the most prolific and
controversial writers of our day, Harlan Ellison. The diminutive Jewish author has written
mostly in the science fiction genre, though he’s also scripted many TV shows and
films. His script for Star Trek’s "City on the Edge of Forever" is
often considered the greatest Star Trek script of all time. His
"‘Repent, Harlequin!’ Said the Ticktock Man" and "I Have No
Mouth, and I Must Scream" are considered to be among the best (and most provocative)
futuristic stories ever penned, and Dangerous Visions, which he edited, is one of
the best anthologies ever published.
But there’s also Ellison the legend, who is
uncompromising in his search for the truth, who has stepped on many toes in campaigning
for various causes, and who often comes across as the original angry man. He never seems
happy to accept something as it is without railing about its inadequacies, but in so doing
he forces people to think. The documentary uses running printed bio lines intermixed with
current interview footage, old photos, comments from professional associates and personal
friends, and excerpts read by Ellison. An extra feature includes more readings by the
author.
Some of the best scenes include his friend Robin Williams,
who begins the feature by interviewing him about some of the more outrageous exploits
attributed to him. Williams and Ellison come across as totally compatible energies and
forces of nature. The picture and sound are also better than you might expect from a
documentary. If you see only one documentary this year, make it this one. It’s both
instructive and outrageously entertaining.
 John Mayall & the
Bluesbreakers and Friends: 70th Birthday Concert (Eagle Vision, Blu-ray)
Overall enjoyment: ****
Picture quality: ****
Sound quality: ****
Extras: ***1/2
It’s been 30 years since John Mayall & the
Bluesbreakers established the blues in the U.K., so it would be easy to expect nothing but
nostalgia from this concert. And while Mayall and the band play well for old geezers, any
thought of age is banished after the first few numbers. Mayall, wearing a tank top without
apology (the guy has stayed fit), plays multiple instruments, all of them very well, and
sings most of the vocals. And his voice has matured and actually sounds better than when
he started his career. The vocals are important, but many will remember this event as a
duel of guitarists. First you have Buddy Whittington, the current Bluesbreakers guitarist,
and he doesn’t have to hold second candle to any of the famous guests, who include
Eric Clapton and Mick Taylor. All three turn in memorable solo spots throughout the
two-and-a-half-hour event, and they seem to respect, encourage, and feed off of each
other’s playing.
The camerawork here is excellent and apparently well
planned -- or at least expertly edited in post-production. There’s enough shifting of
shots to make the video interesting but not so much as to detract from the music. The
video quality varies a bit (no doubt because of different cameras) -- it’s sometimes
sharp as a tack, but at other points it’s merely well focused. The sound offers three
options: two-channel PCM, Dolby Digital, and 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. Forget the first
two, especially the PCM, which is curiously detached and remote. The DTS tracks bring
everything to life with sound that offers presence, focus, and transparency for one of the
better on-location recordings I’ve heard in a long time. Extras include the warm-up
numbers the Bluesbreakers played before Mayall took the stage and an interesting interview
with Mayall.
 The Magic of Flight (Image
Entertainment, Blu-ray)
Overall enjoyment: ***1/2
Picture quality: ****
Sound quality: ****
Extras: ***1/2
This IMAX documentary on aircraft is a bit more interesting
than its many clones. It begins with scenes of birds flying, and throughout its short
duration it tries to show how man has sought to emulate birds in his quest to get off the
ground. It centers on the U.S. Navy’s showy Blue Angels, following them from training
to a show in front of enthusiastic spectators. In between we’re given some basics on
the history of flight. Tom Selleck delivers the interesting and informative narration, and
the camera work is always engaging. Of particular interest was a brief segment on the
Harrier, an aircraft with directable engine thrust, which allows it to land on a dime like
a helicopter but also fly 600mph like any other jet. Nearly as interesting is a sequence
on taking off from and landing on aircraft carriers.
The photography throughout the film is outstanding, and the
Blu-ray transfer is quite good, though at times I wanted it to be just a little sharper.
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 audio tracks are very exciting, and they put you in the center
of the onscreen action. A lengthy extra feature on the making of The Magic of Flight is
almost as good as the film itself, as it shows the making of the special mounts that held
the large IMAX cameras. There’s also a short feature on MacGillivray Freeman Films,
the studio that produced the footage. The overall disc is just right for those times when
you don’t want to sit through a two-hour feature film but don’t want total fluff
either.
 The Siege (20th Century
Fox, Blu-ray)
Overall enjoyment: ***1/2
Picture quality: ****
Sound quality: ****
Extras: 1/2
This intelligent, interesting film deals with terrorism and
its possible backlash in America. Denzel Washington plays Anthony "Hub" Hubbard,
who heads up the FBI force in New York City. When a bus is blown up, killing innocent
civilians, it proves to be only the tip of a terrorist iceberg exploited by Major General
William Devereaux (Bruce Willis). He has the military create compounds so he can round up
young Middle Eastern men and incarcerate them behind steel fencing. It’s a chilling
portrait of what could happen in the United States if the military or another zealous
faction were to be given too much power in a tense situation. Annette Bening, a consummate
actress who we don’t see nearly enough, plays a CIA operative who both conflicts with
and supports Hubbard.
The Blu-ray picture is quite good, with excellent
architectural detail and natural colors. Long shots have good depth and skin tones are
natural. The sound is surprisingly up front most of the time, though the surrounds kick in
at several climatic moments. But you’ll come away from this one remembering the
superb acting, not the subwoofer crunches. Inexplicably, there are no extras except for a
theatrical trailer. It’s also interesting to note that this film was made three years
before 9/11.
 Two Lovers (Magnolia
Home Entertainment, Blu-ray)
Overall enjoyment: ****
Picture quality: ****
Sound quality: ****
Extras: ***1/2
If Joaquin Phoenix sticks to his guns in trying to become a
hip-hop artist, this movie marks his retirement from a distinguished acting career. A
brief scene in this film finds Phoenix mimicking a rapper, but having seen his recent
forays into music on the Internet, I must say that his character acting like a
rapper is far superior to his actual attempts. Phoenix is so pitch-perfect in this
performance that his presence on screen will be severely missed. We can all hope that, ten
years from now (perhaps sooner), he’ll sheepishly admit he didn’t mean it and
Hollywood will welcome him home.
Phoenix plays Leonard, a young Jewish man with a troubled
past who lives with his parents and works for his dad’s dry cleaning business. Though
we’re never told why, Leonard is damaged, and his travels in this movie become
something of a second-chance coming-of-age journey. His parents have set him up to marry
the beautiful, stable Sandra (Vinessa Shaw), but he suddenly discovers his new neighbor
Michelle (Gwyneth Paltrow), and she sets him on fire. Michelle is also damaged, from
escapades with drugs and a relationship with a married man. The movie, with its avoidance
of histrionics and its austere guitar and harp soundtrack, has a European feel. It focuses
on the performances, which are natural and effective. Phoenix is a marvel, but Paltrow and
the rest keep up.
The Blu-ray picture is very detailed and smooth, so much so
that you never feel like it’s in the way. The HD isn’t particularly impressive
until you look around the edges. The sound is largely up front, except during a very
brief, loud, and raucous bar scene, but it’s nicely detailed and perfectly balanced
with the dialogue. Extras include a perceptive commentary by director James Gray, three
excellent deleted scenes, and a brief production featurette.
 The World’s Biggest and
Baddest Bugs (Animal Planet, Blu-ray)
Overall enjoyment: ****
Picture Quality: ****
Sound Quality: ***1/2
Extras:
Ruud Kleinpaste is one wild and crazy guy. Known as
"the Bugman" in New Zealand, his home since 1978, he enthusiastically tries to
educate people about insects, often through extreme measures. In this series of Animal
Planet shows, which have been combined on one 87-minute disc, he tries to prove that
insects don’t hate us and won’t attack or bother humans unless provoked. To
prove it, he lets a poisonous spider walk on him, takes the (encouraged) sting of a bullet
ant, lets a half dozen laboratory mosquitoes feed on his hand and arm, and lets himself be
covered with thousands of African killer bees. Kleinpaste comes out alive every time but
quickly points out that viewers "should not try this at home," though I strongly
doubt anyone would want to imitate him.
But Kleinpaste’s act isn’t all show business. On
the soundtrack he delivers some very useful and interesting information. And I must say
that if his act didn’t exactly arouse sympathy in me, it piqued my curiosity enough
that when I recently encountered a centipede on a hike, I stopped and marveled at the
little critter -- this after watching Kleinpaste discover one ten times as big.
All those little feet working together are extremely clear
on the Blu-ray, as are many other insect details. The colors are rich, and the combination
of color and sharp focus is used to show off not only the nasty predators but also some
beauties like the orchid mantis. For some reason, even though the medium is Blu-ray, the
sound is just regular Dolby Digital 5.1. But it seems adequate for the sound effects,
dialogue, and music that are combined in a clean and clear mix. There are no extras, and
there’s not a lot of surround sound. But would you really want to be surrounded by
Goliath Birdeater spiders?
. . . Rad Bennett
radb@hometheatersound.com |
