Reviews Written By: AQP1VPK16SVWMprovided by Amazon.com |
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 | Rear Window - Collector's Edition | |
 | "" We've become a race of Peeping Toms"" | 2008-10-09 |
| Spying through a glass darkly (his camera lens), L.B. Jefferies (Jimmy Stewart) believes a neighbor (Raymond Burr) has murdered his wife. His evidence is circumstanial at best and the wheelchair bound photographer has to convince his girlfriend Lisa (Grace Kelly)of the crime. In the process he puts his friends in harm's way. Hitch laces his film with more than a touch of humor and irony pulling this thriller together as it's L.B.'s peeping that reveals the ugly underneath--revealing something unsavory about himself as well without him truly realizing it. br /br /One of Hitch's hidden classics for years was finally revealed again to the public in the early 80's. This remaster looks extremely good (and is the same as the boxed set remaster) but keep in mind the age of the film, when it was shot, etc. as it IS grainy (there seems to be a generation tht is convinced that grain is bad)but still looks marvelous. THis anamorphic transfer looks crisper with better fine detail than the previous single disc release. br /br /The extras that came with the boxed set as well as those from the previous single DVD release have been ported over to this release as well. We get one delicious extra--a theme appropriate episode of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" with the Hitchcock directed episode ""Mr. Blanchard's Secret".br /br /Hitchcock manages to do more with less than just about any director out there. Using a single soundstage, a small cast and the witty script by John Michael Hayes, Hitchcock crafts one of his classic films. "Rear Window" has aged yes but it looks, sounds and plays remarkably well fifty four years after it's original theatrical release. Highly recommended. br /br / | ||
![L.A. Confidential [Blu-ray]](product_images/4949000/la-confidential-blu-ray_t-4949198.jpg) | L.A. Confidential [Blu-ray] | |
| ""I admire you as a policeman - particularly your adherence to violence as a necessary adjunct to the job. "" | 2008-10-01 |
| Film noir continues to be one of the most difficult genres to make well particularly today (I'd note for purists that film noirs are largely in black white a fixture of the genre). Film directors can't hide the flaws of a noir behind big explosions, car chases or visual effects. "L.A. COnfidential" probably isn't for everyone because it combines the film noir genre with a solid mystery and strong dramatic performances.br /br /Set in Los Angeles during the early 1950's, "L.A. Confidential" opens with a bang quite literally--Three very different detectives the by-the-book golden boy Ed Exley (Guy Pearce), the hard nosed violent Bud White (Russell Crowe) and the celebrity obsessed Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey)try and unravel the conspiracy behind a seemingly random shotgun slaying at a popular diner and how it is tied into the murders of organized crime kingpin Mickey Cohen's gang. The three detectives make a reluctant team hoping to solve the crime and achieve their own personal agendas in the process. They also must find out how Lynn Bracken (Kim Bassinger) a hooker who looks like Veronica Lake and a cavalcade of other hookers made up to look like Hollywood stars figure into all of this. br /br /Well directed by Curtis Hansen from a terrific script by Brian Helgeland and Hansen that manages to adapt James Ellroy's novel without betraying its story or atmosphere, "L.A. Confidental" was nominated for a bucket load of Oscars winning two for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress (Kim Bassinger). The entire cast is terrific from Crowe to Danny DeVito who plays Sid Huggins the editor of the scandal rag L.A. Confidential. Spacey plays oily Vincennes with confidence and style while Crowe embodies the brutal force of Bud White. Pearce who plays Exley the son of a highly regarded murdered police officer gives depth to a character that could easily have been cookie cutter.br /br /The Blu-ray looks positively stunning particularly. How does this look in comparison to the 1998 original DVD release? There's greater detail and sharpnes. The original DVD was one of the best transfers of its era (and still holds up remarkably well). The new DVD also looks sharper but the Blu-ray manages to capture the golden cinematography Oscar nominated Dante Spinotti perfectly.br /br /We get a great mix of previously released extras ported over from the first "Special Edition" when DVDs were still being released in snapcases to some stunning brand new ones as well. The best here is the audio compilation of comments by the director, cast and crew. Although it isn't as fascinating as a scene specific commentary track, it allows each important member of the creative team to give their thoughts on shooting the film, the characters and the story. br /br /"Whatever You Desire" is a brand new 30 minute documentary on the making of the film. "Sunlight to Shadows" another new extra focuses on the cinematography. "The Cast" is pretty self explanatory focuses on the seven main characters and two relative "unknowns"-Pearce and Crowe. "From Book to Screen" gives us Hansen and Helgland discussing the difficulty of translating Ellroy's terrific novel to the screen without sacrificing too much of the story or characters. We also get two very neat extras--"L.A. Confidential" a 2003 pilot for a TV series that was to star Keifer Sutherland and a second disc that gives us a sampler of the soundtrack featuring the following songs: Johnny Mercer and the Pied Pipers -- "Ac-Cent-tchu-ate The Positive" br /Chet Baker -- "Look for the Silver Lining" br /Betty Hutton -- "Hit the Road to Dreamland" br /Kay Starr -- "Wheel of Fortune" br /Jackie Gleason -- "But Not For Me" br /Dean Martin -- "Powder Your Face With Sunshinebr /br /The DVD set has three discs if you count the sampler while the Blu-ray has two. A terrific 10th Anniversary reissue I'm glad this reissue wasn't kept off the record, on the QT, and very hush-hush. br / | ||
 | Touch of Evil (Restored to Orson Welles' Vision) | |
| ""Touch of Evil" presented in its three different variations with actor commentary" | 2008-09-24 |
| Overlooked when it was released (except in France where it won awards and critical praise), "Touch of Evil" was Orson Welles' last major studio project as writer-director-star. When the original director bowed out, Welles (supported by star Charlton Heston)asked for the chance to write and direct the film. Welles' revamped Paul Monash's screenplay, recast Heston as a Mexican offical and delivered efficently (it was only 1 day over its shooting schedule and slightly over budget). Shot in Venice, Ca which stood in for a Mexican border town, "Touch of Evil" looks marvelous with a sharp beautiful restoration done for the film.br /br /Based on Whit Masterston's novel BADGE OF EVIL, Welles plays the corrupt police chief of a border town who butts heads with Vargas (Heston) a newly married Mexican D.A. trying the Grande crime family. His wife (Janet Leigh) and his life are threatened because of the case.br /br /We get all three versions of the film--the original theatrical cut (96 minutes)edited by the studio with new footage shot by director Harry Keller, the "preview" version that features 15 minutes of footage shot by Welles and cut prior to release and this restored version which features most of Welles' footage restored and the film re-edited according to a lengthy memo Welles wrote to the studio (included here).br /br /We get four commentary tracks. The first commentary on the restored version features stars Heston, Leigh and Rick Schmidlin. Schmidlin jogs the stars memories using the extensive research from the call sheets, Welles' memos and Welles biographies to clarify the making of the film with the two of them and put old myths to rest. Schmidlin also appears solo on one commentary track focusing detailing the painstaking detail it took to recreate the version Welles envisioned. br /br /Film critic F.X. Feeney provides us with a very good commentary track on the 96 minute theatrical cut and the preview version features Welles authorities James Naremore and Jonathan Rosenbaum discussing the difficult birth of Welles' last major studio film as a director. br /br /We also get the original trailer as well as two brief featurettes focusing on the restoration of the film and the location shooting in Venice, California hosted by filmmaker Curtis Hanson (Venice stood in for the border Mexican town in the film. br /br /Although Universal had previously released the restored version of the film, it had no extras. This special edition a worthwhile double dip corrects that oversight and makes this the complete version of "Touch of Evil" for fans of Welles' classic film noir. I'd highly recommend this.br /br /br /br / | ||
 | Paul McCartney - Wingspan (Hits & History) | |
 | "A solid compilation of McCartney hits and misses from his solo/Wings career" | 2008-08-28 |
| "Wingspan" does a pretty good job of presenting hits and "History" as McCartney refers to the second disc of album tracks, singles and b-sides that he felt were overlooked previously.br /br /The first disc focuses on McCartney's singles as both solo artist and in Wings duplicating most of "Wings Greatest" but it does offer a more generous and comprehensive overview of McCartney's career post-Beatles. Fans should be warned, however, that some of these are the single edits NOT the original full length songs (for example "Junior's Farm" is about a minute shorter than the original single).br /br /The selections on the second disc are a bit more problematic. This disc allows McCartney to highlight some really good songs that were buried on crap albums or highlighting an album track that might have been overlooked on an outstanding album. Some are brilliant inclusions ("Heart of the Country", "Every Night") while others are a bit odd ("No More Lonely Nights"-Playout Version recorded for the closing credits of "Give My Regards to Broadstreet", "The Lovely Linda" which is charming but little more than a fragment McCartney made up on the spot to test his recording equipment). br /br /br /The sound is pretty decent on this compilation although it doesn't sound quite as good as "Wings Greatest". The mastering here is more compressed and louder lacking the dynamic range of the earlier CDs but it is the only place to get some of the single edits and other rarities. Nevertheless this is a solid anthology and if you only want one McCartney anthology with a healthy collection of hits and some album tracks, this would be the one to get.br /br /br /The two CD set also has a booklet with information on the recordings, photos, etc. The first edition comes with a lenticular cover and with the CDs housed on a cardboard hardcover cover. As other reviewers mentioned it is missing some key tracks but with only two CDs to cover a 31 year solo/Wings career, that's to be expected I suppose. There are some odd choices though on the "History" portion of the set but more often than not the McCartney gets it right as to key album/single tracks that were important to his career. br /br /This is a pretty good compilation if all you're looking for is the hits along with key album track but if you want something with better fidelity I would go with "Wings Greatest" (for his career through 1978)and/or "All The Best" (which has its own flaws as well)first and expand from there.br /br / | ||
 | The Greatest Sci-Fi Movies Never Made | |
| "It's a miracle a good film gets made..." | 2008-08-24 |
| It's a miracle that a good movie gets made. Having seen the machinery at work while at Dino De Laurentiis Productions, I can attest to the fact that when it comes to a movie whatever can go wrong will go wrong and that's BEFORE a single frame has been shot. Author David Hughes has updated his book so we have the ongoing saga about why good films often don't result from good novels, comic books and original screenplays. Hughes covers the difficult birth of "Spider-Man" a project tied up in legal limbo for over a decade. He also brings to light the long ongoing saga of both Arthur C. Clarke's Childhood's End which the late writer-producer Phil DeGuere tried to mount for TV as a mini-series only to see cut down several times and how Alfred Bester's classic science fiction novel The Stars My Destination was derailed before it ever had a chance to have a final screenplay written. We also learn about projects that eventually did get produced but after a birth so difficult that the creative team should have been given an epideral to deal with the pain. The movie business is crazy precisely because just when you think you've learned the rules, you learn there are no rules except that until the film is finally released it might not happen. It's a bizarre world where movie executives and "suits" often have no clue as to the history of a project (or even the history of film as an art and commerical form--when an executive wonders aloud who Alfred Hitchcock was or has never heard of "Citizen Kane" but has the clout to green light a project you know you've entered Porky's Wackyland)or even the history of the world (one executive suggested that the Mayan civilization somehow be featured in a "Star Trek" pitch by noted writer Harlan Ellison that was set before the Dawn of Man. The executive thought it would be cool because he had just read Erik Von Dankien's Chariots of the Gods not thinking about the fact that there were no Mayans nor any other humans for most of Earth's history)and yet influence the making of movies. As I said it's a miracle when a good film is made because quite simply Hollywood will do absolutely everything it can to screw it up before you and I see it. Highly recommended. | ||
![Terminator - The Sarah Connor Chronicles - The Complete First Season [Blu-ray]](product_images/4943000/4943990-terminator-the-sarah-connor_t.jpg) | Terminator - The Sarah Connor Chronicles - The Complete First Season [Blu-ray] | |
| "An entertaining chapter between the third and forthcoming fourth film in the film series" | 2008-08-22 |
| The first season of "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" surprised me; I expected the show to piggy back on the movies, be short lived and not be very good. Luckily, I was completely wrong on all counts. "Chronicles" manages to be engaging, expand on the first three films and be terrifically entertaining. Show developer Josh Friedman ("War of the Worlds") establishes an identity for the show. The pilot isn't the strongest episode but sets up the story arc for the rest of the series which was what it was intended to do. The good news is that the show improves and becomes VERY good as it goes along. The image quality for the transfer of the Blu-ray looks very good although it isn't perfect. Flesh tones look accurate,with nice, rich blacks. Image clarity and detail is extremely good although edge enhancement crops up on a couple of episodes. Audio sounds quite good with a nice dramatic score and a nice surround mix. Following Sarah Connor(Lena Heady), her son John (Thomas Dekker) and Cameron (Summer Glau) a cyborg sent from the future to protect them the series focuses on their attempts to prevent Skynet from being built. They're also being pursued by a variety of Terminators sent into the past to eliminate them. The set comes with deleted scenes and a number of commentary tracks featuring Friedman, actors Thomas Dekker, Brian Austin Green, Lena Heady Summer Glau and others. The commentary tracks are pretty good like the episodes themselves they improve as they go along although a couple are merely perfunctionary. We also get a gag reel, deleted scenes, a three part documentary on the production of the show that DOES provide us with plenty of behind-the-scenes info about the series. One of the best extras is an extended episode of "The Demon Hand" (Both a reference to the hand of one of the Terminators AND Harlan Ellison's "The Outer Limits" episode "Demon with A Glass Hand" which was one of the inspirations for James Cameron's "The Terminator". The character of Ellison played by Richard T. Jones is also a tip of the hat to Ellison)which has deleted scenes that gives us information on the childhood of Sarah Connor's character. "Chronicles" is a well made, well thought out drama and it will be interesting to see how the series develops over the next 22 episodes of season two. If the pilot (which is well made) doesn't impress you give it a chance with the episodes after the first episode as the show starts off quite good and gets exceptional by the end of the nine episodes. | ||
| Terminator - The Sarah Connor Chronicles - The Complete First Season [Blu-ray] | |
| "An entertaining chapter between the second and third film in the film series" | 2008-08-22 |
| The first season of "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" surprised me; I expected the show to piggy back on the movies, be short lived and not be very good. Luckily, I was completely wrong on all counts. "Chronicles" manages to be engaging, expand on the first three films and be terrifically entertaining. Show developer Josh Friedman ("War of the Worlds") establishes an identity for the show. The pilot isn't the strongest episode but sets up the story arc for the rest of the series which was what it was intended to do. The good news is that the show improves and becomes VERY good as it goes along. The image quality for the transfer of the Blu-ray looks very good although it isn't perfect. Flesh tones look accurate,with nice, rich blacks. Image clarity and detail is extremely good although edge enhancement crops up on a couple of episodes. Audio sounds quite good with a nice dramatic score and a nice surround mix. Following Sarah Connor(Lena Heady), her son John (Thomas Dekker) and Cameron (Summer Glau) a cyborg sent from the future to protect them the series focuses on their attempts to prevent Skynet from being built. They're also being pursued by a variety of Terminators sent into the past to eliminate them. The set comes with deleted scenes and a number of commentary tracks featuring Friedman, actors Thomas Dekker, Brian Austin Green, Lena Heady Summer Glau and others. The commentary tracks are pretty good like the episodes themselves they improve as they go along although a couple are merely perfunctionary. We also get a gag reel, deleted scenes, a three part documentary on the production of the show that DOES provide us with plenty of behind-the-scenes info about the series. One of the best extras is an extended episode of "The Demon Hand" (Both a reference to the hand of one of the Terminators AND Harlan Ellison's "The Outer Limits" episode "Demon with A Glass Hand" which was one of the inspirations for James Cameron's "The Terminator". The character of Ellison played by Richard T. Jones is also a tip of the hat to Ellison)which has deleted scenes that gives us information on the childhood of Sarah Connor's character. "Chronicles" is a well made, well thought out drama and it will be interesting to see how the series develops over the next 22 episodes of season two. If the pilot (which is well made) doesn't impress you give it a chance with the episodes after the first episode as the show starts off quite good and gets exceptional by the end of the nine episodes. | ||
 | Ringo Starr - Ringo | |
| "One of Ringo's best solo albums new and improved with faithful reproduction of the original graphics" | 2008-08-04 |
| PLEASE NOTE: THIS REVIEW IS WRITTEN ABOUT THE JAPANESE REISSUE IN THE VINYL REPLICA SLEEVE. AS USUAL SOME IDIOT AT AMAZON.COM HAS COMBINED THE REVIEWS FOR THIS ALBUM WITHOUT REGARD TO THE EDITION. Man this sounds good! Nice dynamic range, not compressed it appears that they reissued this using what appears to be the master from 1991 released in Japan and Europe. This re-release of one of Ringo Starr's best solo albums has been repackaged in a faithful replica of the original vinyl release. GIve the Japanese credit they are sticklers for accuracy if nothing else when it comes to re-releases even if they re-release limited collectables all the time. "Ringo" comes in a replica of the original gatefold sleeve with the booklet in the middle even using paper that has the same texture as the original vinyl release. The CD has a graphic on it that faithfully replicates (as much as it can mind you)the original label for the album as well. This edition sounds a bit brighter than the previous edition and on first impression it doesn't appear to have the No Noise that was applied ONLY to the U.S. CD edition of the album. The best version is still Steve Hoffman's crisp, beautiful sounding DCC gold disc of this album but this latest edition is a close 2nd or 3rd (depending on how you feel about the Japanese first edition from 1991). Add in the colorful replica of the original graphics and you've got a winner on your hands. This sounds like it is a digital clone of the original 1991 Japanese release so it doesn't sound compressed nor does it sound LOUD. As a result, the CD sounds very, very close to the best version I've heard of this album on CD or vinyl. As with the 1991 edition this version features the top 10 hit single "It Don't Come Easy", it's b-side "Early 1970" saluting his ex bandmates and the b-side to his #1 hit single "Photograph", "Down and Out" which has a nice R&B feel to it(although on this CD "Down and Out" is strangely placed after "Photograph" (although it makes sense in a stange sort of way--since it WAS the b-side of the song as a single which DOES disrupt the flow of the album--it's a minor quibble and can easily be fixed just burn the CD in the proper order or rearrange it as a playlist on your mp3 player or ipod). | ||
 | The Third Chimpanzee : The Evolution and Future of the Human Animal | |
| "Jared Diamond answers all those pesky questions about how we choose mates, natural selection" | 2008-08-04 |
| One thing I admire about Jared Diamond is his ability (like Carl Sagan) to take complex issues and scientific concepts then molding them into comprehensive bites that the average reader can swallow. The Third Chimpanzee a book that Diamond had published in 1992 has come back into print because of the success of Collapse and Germs, Guns & Steel which is terrific since it tackles a very different series of subjects from the ability of animals to communicate with each other, natural selection and why homosapiens managed to come out on the top of the heap, how/why we find certain people attractive and select our mates to whether or not aliens are listening for our radio signals (and why we might be in big trouble because we gave them our address IF they were listening). All of this falls under the general theme of the book which focuses on the nature and future of humanity. Diamond has a breezy, enjoyable style that most readers will find inviting and that makes the more complex scientific ideas that much easier to swallow (whether it be how scientist calculate how often we go through evolutionary change or which theory about why men have bigger...you know what than our nearest relatives). Diamond's book is over 15 years old so things have changed a bit since he first wrote it although interestingly the very things that he suggested could happen do appear to be coming true in many cases so he's added a post script discussing some of these new ideas, etc. that weren't available when the book was written. As with Diamond's other books he is very upfront about his thoughtful opinions on the subject he focuses on. Whether or not you enjoy the book will probably depend on whether or not you like to have your preconceptions challenged, you agree with him or both. | ||
![Dark City [Blu-ray]](product_images/4943000/4943979-dark-city-blu-ray_t.jpg) | Dark City [Blu-ray] | |
| "Exceptional film presented (on Blu-ray) in both the original version and "Director's Cut" (DVD has only DC)" | 2008-08-03 |
| "Dark City" was ahead of its time a year to be precise. Examining many of the same themes (an example of simultaneous evolution of ideas, themes and "the look")as "The Matrix" (with a somewhat different mystery/plot at its core although ironically "The Matrix" used some of the same sets) Alex Proyas' "Dark City" looks at the nature of memory and its definition of our humanity. The Blu-ray looks quite good although there is an overuse of Digital Noise Reduction to eliminate the film grain (something that is an important part of the "look" of the film as much as the color scheme is for "The Matrix"), the images are crisper with a great deal more detail than on the previous DVD (having seen a DVD rental copy for comparison the DVD looks quite good as well) but some fine detail does occasionally get lost in some of the darker mor noirish sequences of the film due to the overuse of DNR. Still, it is a step up from the previous DVD edition which looked quite good for its time. It doesn't look as bad as "Patton" (where complexions had a waxy, pasty sheen to them and, again, fine detail in the faces were often lost)but looks better than some digitally overprocessed films. The Blu-ray has both editions of the film--the original theatrical cut and Director's Cut of the film both subjected to DNR to about the same degree,while the DVD has ONLY the "Director's Cut" of the film. It's a pity because the original DVD certainly is in need of a decent upgrade. Audio sounds terrific and both the DVD and Blu-ray editions come with a Digital "bonus" copy of the film that is Windows compattible. Unless you watch it a lot on your PC, you may pull it out once or maybe twice. It is NOT compatatible with Apple or ipod devices however. The new edition comes with the original commentary tracks with Roger Ebert and Production Designer Patrick Tatopoulos as well as a commentary track by Proyas, co-writers Len Dobbs & David S. Goyer along with Director of Photography Dariusz Wolski. Some special features are in 480i while some others are in 1080p and these include a new documentary "Memories of Shell Beach", "Architecture of Dreams", a production gallery, introduction by Director Proyas, text essays, a review of the film by Neil Gaiman and a "Director's Cut Fact Track" that is a pop-up trivia text extra that notes differences in the "Director's Cut" vs. the theatrical version of the film, various subtle changes, etc. As to whether you like the "Director's Cut" or the original theatrical cut that depends on you. I personally preferred the DC because it adds footage (including some alternate angles of shots that Proyas prefers)while subtracting the distracting narration that Keifer Sutherland had to read (it was forced on Proyas by New Line and he never liked it feeling it gave away too much of the plot of the film and was somewhat like the "Blade Runner" narration--it's not THAT bad but it doesn't add to the enjoyment of the film for me). We get the original theatrical trailer as well. For those who HAVEN'T seen the film a synposis of the plot: John Murdoch (Rufus Swell)awakens in the bath to find two things--1) He doesn't know who he is and a trio of mysterious people are after him 2) there is the body of a prostitute in his hotel room who is the latest victim of a serial killer. He has no memory of having committed the murder nor does he know who he is or why he's there. Murdoch must complete the puzzle of his what happened, figure out who he is before a detective (Willim Hurt)catches him and figure out how the wife he has never seen before (Jennifer Connelly)figures in this mystery. His only guide aside from the clues he can find is a mysterious doctor (Keifer Sutherland)who claims to know who he is, how he lost his memory and that he is involved in some bold, bizarre experiment. Regardless of which version of the film you like, "Dark City" is well worth seeing as it prefigures "The Matrix" a over a year. While it didn't catch on at the box office the same way, it did earn critical raves including Roger Ebert naming it the Best Film of 1998. Recommended. | ||
 | Dark City | |
| "Exceptional film presented (on Blu-ray) in both the original version and "Director's Cut" (DVD has only DC)" | 2008-08-03 |
| "Dark City" was ahead of its time a year to be precise. Examining many of the same themes (an example of simultaneous evolution of ideas, themes and "the look")as "The Matrix" (with a somewhat different mystery/plot at its core although ironically "The Matrix" used some of the same sets) Alex Proyas' "Dark City" looks at the nature of memory and its definition of our humanity. The Blu-ray looks quite good although there is an overuse of Digital Noise Reduction to eliminate the film grain (something that is an important part of the "look" of the film as much as the color scheme is for "The Matrix"), the images are crisper with a great deal more detail than on the previous DVD (having seen a DVD rental copy for comparison the DVD looks quite good as well) but some fine detail does occasionally get lost in some of the darker noir influenced sequences of the film due to the overuse of DNR. Still, it is a step up from the previous DVD edition which looked quite good for its time. It doesn't look as bad as "Patton" (where complexions had a waxy, pasty sheen to them and, again, fine detail in the faces were often lost)but looks better than some digitally overprocessed films. The Blu-ray has both editions of the film--the original theatrical cut and Director's Cut of the film both subjected to DNR to about the same degree,while the DVD has ONLY the "Director's Cut" of the film. It's a pity because the original DVD certainly is in need of a decent upgrade. Audio sounds terrific.Both the DVD and Blu-ray editions come with a Digital "bonus" copy of the film that is Windows compatible. Unless you watch it a lot on your PC, you may pull it out once or maybe twice. It is NOT compatible with Apple or ipod devices however. This new edition ports over almost all the original special features from the DVD including the commentary tracks plus adds additional ones as well. Some special features are in 480i while some others are in 1080p and these include a new documentary "Memories of Shell Beach", "Architecture of Dreams", a production gallery, introduction by Director Proyas and the film's champion film critic Roger Ebert (from a 2005 video interview for this edition), text essays, a review of the film by Neil Gaiman and a "Director's Cut Fact Track" that is a pop-up trivia text extra that notes differences in the "Director's Cut" vs. the theatrical version of the film, various subtle changes, etc. As to whether you like the "Director's Cut" or the original theatrical cut that depends on you. I personally preferred the DC because it adds footage (including some alternate angles of shots that Proyas prefers)while subtracting the distracting narration that Keifer Sutherland had to read (it was forced on Proyas by New Line and he never liked it feeling it gave away too much of the plot of the film and was somewhat like the "Blade Runner" narration--it's not THAT bad but it doesn't add to the enjoyment of the film for me). We get the original theatrical trailer as well. For those who HAVEN'T seen the film a synposis of the plot: John Murdoch (Rufus Swell)awakens in the bath to find two things--1) He doesn't know who he is and a trio of mysterious people are after him 2) there is the body of a prostitute in his hotel room who is the latest victim of a serial killer. He has no memory of having committed the murder nor does he know who he is or why he's there. Murdoch must complete the puzzle of his what happened, figure out who he is before a detective (Willim Hurt)catches him and figure out how the wife he has never seen before (Jennifer Connelly)figures in this mystery. His only guide aside from the clues he can find is a mysterious doctor (Keifer Sutherland)who claims to know who he is, how he lost his memory and that he is involved in some bold, bizarre experiment. Regardless of which version of the film you like, "Dark City" is well worth seeing as it prefigures "The Matrix" a over a year. While it didn't catch on at the box office the same way, it did earn critical raves including Roger Ebert naming it the Best Film of 1998. Film- 4 stars Video-3 stars (Too much Digital Noise Reduction used to eliminate film grain) Audio-4 1/2 stars Overall--a terrific film gets its due even if the video isn't perfect it looks stunning at times (although there is a signficant amount of edge enhancement througout the film to compensate for the DNR). Great extras from New Line. Recommended. | ||
 | The Scorpion King (Widescreen Collector's Edition) | |
 | "Entertaining prequel spin off from "The Mummy Returns" not quite up to that film but still fun" | 2008-07-26 |
| "The Scorpion King" was the first spin-off from Stephen Sommers' sequel "The Mummy Returns" acting as a prequel. This allowed Sommers to tell us a bit more about the fascinating character of the Scorpion King. Although this origin story tidied up different story strands left unanswered in the first film (and revised how the main character got his name slightly in a way which didn't contradict but complimented the original story but also gave us a character slightly different than what we ended up seeing in "The Mummy Returns"), it manages to stand on its own quite well even without any of the original characters (how could they be in a prequel? Well, perhaps Im-Ho-Tep could have figured in somehow but this does take place BEFORE his time)included in from the first two films. Although it wasn't quite up to the quality of "The Mummy" or "The Mummy Returns" in terms of originality, it's a solid b-movie spin-off of the series and very entertaining in its own right. By the way, there is a direct-to-video sequel without The Rock. I haven't seen it but was initially a bit confused believing this to have been a direct-to-video release (it wasn't although I recall that now when I first wrote the review I had forgotten about its brief but profitable theatrical run)which acts as a prequel to THIS film according to all descriptions. It comes out on August 19th. Whether or not this was a direct-to-video or theatrical release isn't important what IS important is the quality of the movie. I've seen some direct-to-video sequels that have been good and bad so that doesn't impact the quality of the film itself (unless it's a Sci-Fi Channel original movie--those are mostly bad, cheap looking and is an example of everything that is WRONG with Sci-Fi Channel in contrast to "Doctor Who"(which the BBC produces), "Eureka" and "Battlestar: Galatica" For those who have seen the movie (and if you're reading this I'm going to assume you have. If not and you want a synposis of the plot that's provided at the end of this review), you probably want to know how this looks on Blu-ray. As with "The Mummy" and "The Mummy Returns", "The Scorpion King" receives a nice transfer marred only by the over use of Edge Enhancement and Digital Noise Reduction to reduce film grain. All of the extras from the DVD edition (both the original edition and the reissue) are ported over to this fine release and this does include the U-Control feature(something carried over from Universal's HD-DVD releases) that will allow you to customize the extras including watching picture-in-picture commentary and behind-the-scenes footage. Written and produced (but not directed)by Stephen Sommers, "The Scorpion King" is an entertaining sword and sand epic that is filled with humor and just enough camp to make the film work. Director Chuck Russell does a great job of setting up the action sequences particularly one that takes place in a cave during a sandstorm as Memnon's men hunt for Mathayus. Russell does a terrific job of setting up the action and creating a suspenseful sequence in what could easily have been a muddled scene. Russwell does a good job of introducing Sommers' humor and story elements that are unique to this film. The Rock does a solid job in the lead role although its not exactly a stretch for him as an actor (does it matter really? This is an action film with the emphasis on the word ACTION), he makes a believable lead for the film. A prequel rather than a sequel, this spin-off tells us about Mathayus (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson)who is among the last of a dying breed of mercenary fighters hired to kill a sorceress Cassandra(Kelly Wu) who can see the future. Memnon (Steven Brand)uses Cassandra to predict the outcome of his battles as he takes over kingdoms. The result is that those who would oppose often give in without a fight. When Memnon kills Mathayus brother and leaves him for dead, Mathayus makes it his mission to exact both revenge and complete his task. "The Scorpion King" manages to become an enjoyable and fun prequel to Sommers' hit films. It's not "Citizen Kane" (or "The Godfather") but doesn't pretend to be either. "The Scorpion King" may not be as inventive,original or suspsenseful as either of "The Mummy" films but it is strong enough so that it could easily have been released to theaters and done well. Although it does display Sommers' writing moving towards the camp tendancies that hamstrung "Van Helsing", Russell's smooth direction rescues the film from becoming an overbearing campe fest. | ||
 | Operation Scorpio | |
| "Entertaining prequel spin off from "The Mummy Returns" not quite up to that film but still fun" | 2008-07-26 |
| "The Scorpion King" was the first spin-off from Stephen Sommers' sequel "The Mummy Returns" acting as a prequel. This allowed Sommers to tell us a bit more about the fascinating character of the Scorpion King. Although this origin story tidied up different story strands left unanswered in the first film (and revised how the main character got his name slightly in a way which didn't contradict but complimented the original story but also gave us a character slightly different than what we ended up seeing in "The Mummy Returns"), it manages to stand on its own quite well even without any of the original characters (how could they be in a prequel? Well, perhaps Im-Ho-Tep could have figured in somehow but this does take place BEFORE his time)included in from the first two films. Although it wasn't quite up to the quality of "The Mummy" or "The Mummy Returns" in terms of originality, it's a solid b-movie spin-off of the series and very entertaining in its own right. By the way, there is a direct-to-video sequel without The Rock. I haven't seen it but was initially a bit confused believing this to have been a direct-to-video release (it wasn't although I recall that now when I first wrote the review I had forgotten about its brief but profitable theatrical run)which acts as a prequel to THIS film according to all descriptions. It comes out on August 19th. Whether or not this was a direct-to-video or theatrical release isn't important what IS important is the quality of the movie. I've seen some direct-to-video sequels that have been good and bad so that doesn't impact the quality of the film itself (unless it's a Sci-Fi Channel original movie--those are mostly bad, cheap looking and is an example of everything that is WRONG with Sci-Fi Channel in contrast to "Doctor Who"(which the BBC produces), "Eureka" and "Battlestar: Galatica" For those who have seen the movie (and if you're reading this I'm going to assume you have. If not and you want a synposis of the plot that's provided at the end of this review), you probably want to know how this looks on Blu-ray. As with "The Mummy" and "The Mummy Returns", "The Scorpion King" receives a nice transfer marred only by the over use of Edge Enhancement and Digital Noise Reduction to reduce film grain. All of the extras from the DVD edition (both the original edition and the reissue) are ported over to this fine release and this does include the U-Control feature(something carried over from Universal's HD-DVD releases) that will allow you to customize the extras including watching picture-in-picture commentary and behind-the-scenes footage. Written and produced (but not directed)by Stephen Sommers, "The Scorpion King" is an entertaining sword and sand epic that is filled with humor and just enough camp to make the film work. Director Chuck Russell does a great job of setting up the action sequences particularly one that takes place in a cave during a sandstorm as Memnon's men hunt for Mathayus. Russell does a terrific job of setting up the action and creating a suspenseful sequence in what could easily have been a muddled scene. Russwell does a good job of introducing Sommers' humor and story elements that are unique to this film. The Rock does a solid job in the lead role although its not exactly a stretch for him as an actor (does it matter really? This is an action film with the emphasis on the word ACTION), he makes a believable lead for the film. A prequel rather than a sequel, this spin-off tells us about Mathayus (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson)who is among the last of a dying breed of mercenary fighters hired to kill a sorceress Cassandra(Kelly Wu) who can see the future. Memnon (Steven Brand)uses Cassandra to predict the outcome of his battles as he takes over kingdoms. The result is that those who would oppose often give in without a fight. When Memnon kills Mathayus brother and leaves him for dead, Mathayus makes it his mission to exact both revenge and complete his task. "The Scorpion King" manages to become an enjoyable and fun prequel to Sommers' hit films. It's not "Citizen Kane" (or "The Godfather") but doesn't pretend to be either. "The Scorpion King" may not be as inventive,original or suspsenseful as either of "The Mummy" films but it is strong enough so that it could easily have been released to theaters and done well. Although it does display Sommers' writing moving towards the camp tendancies that hamstrung "Van Helsing", Russell's smooth direction rescues the film from becoming an overbearing campe fest. | ||
 | The Mummy (Widescreen Collector's Edition) | |
| "Excellent sequel bigger but of the same quality as the first film." | 2008-07-25 |
| Sequels are tough to do because you know what to expect so filmmaker's often have to give you that plus something unexpected. Bigger and better may not always translate to better but it often translates to a sequel that is the equal of the film that spawned it. I'm going to assume that you've seen it (if not there's a critical bit at the end of this along with a plot synposis that is as sketchy as possible so as not to spoil the experience of the film) and focus on why you should buy the upgraded Blu-ray. As good as "The Mummy Returns" looks on DVD, the Blu-ray is even better looking. Colors are bolder and there's signficantly more detail but, more important, the dark scenes look much better here. The lossless audio sounds terrific as well and will put you right in the middle of the action. You should be aware however that Edge Enhancement is more noticeable in the BR than it was in the HD-DVD disc or the DVD and there is a fair amount of digital noise reduction applied to reduce grain in certain scenes. What does that mean? It means that we do lose some detail. Be aware, however, that the extras are in 480p and NOT in HD. Universal does port over U-Control (which was developed for HD-DVD) where you can customize special features on the BD disc. We get all the extras from the original single disc set plus the new extras from the 2 disc DVD ported over to the BD. "The Mummy Returns" is nicely packaged in a colorful slipcase (although I think they could have done without this). At Best Buy and Circuit City (as well as select other retailers there is also movie cash included. You have to go online and register so you can print out your movie ticket (which is good only through 8/24/08 and the site which was up earlier for access to print your ticket now requires you to wait until 8/1/08. I guess some people used their tickets early for other movies or Universal is doing this as a precautionary move). "The Mummy Returns" is less of a scary horror flick than its predecessor and even more like a "Raiders" type of flick. A perfect popcorn movie, Stephen Sommers takes the same ingredients (evil mummy resurrected, adventurers seeking artifacts and fortunes, supernatural powers)and creates a film that is every bit as fun as the first film was. Like "Aliens" relationship with "Alien", "The Mummy Returns" focuses on taking characters we knew from the first film and putting them in a slightly different context this time around. SOME SPOILERS: Rick (Brendan Fraiser)and Evie (Rachel Weisz)now have a 9 year old son Alex(Freddie Boath)and are still digging in dusty old tombs in Egypt. The year of the Scorpion has arrived which means that if Baltus (Alun Armstrong) and the reincarnation of Im-Ho-Tep's (Arnold Vosloo)love Meela-Nais (Patricia Velasquez returning from the first film in a much larger role) can raise Im-Ho-Tep he can take on the Scorpion King (The Rock) Im-Ho-Tep can use the armies of the underworld to rule the world. Alex is taken prisoner and Rick, Evie and Jonathan (John Hannah)Evie's brother must travel to Egypt to help Ardeth Bey (Oded Fehr)stop the creature, get their son and save the world. | ||
 | The Mummy | |
| "Excellent sequel bigger but of the same quality as the first film." | 2008-07-25 |
| Sequels are tough to do because you know what to expect so filmmaker's often have to give you that plus something unexpected. Bigger and better may not always translate to better but it often translates to a sequel that is the equal of the film that spawned it. I'm going to assume that you've seen it (if not there's a critical bit at the end of this along with a plot synposis that is as sketchy as possible so as not to spoil the experience of the film) and focus on why you should buy the upgraded Blu-ray. As good as "The Mummy Returns" looks on DVD, the Blu-ray is even better looking. Colors are bolder and there's signficantly more detail but, more important, the dark scenes look much better here. The lossless audio sounds terrific as well and will put you right in the middle of the action. You should be aware however that Edge Enhancement is more noticeable in the BR than it was in the HD-DVD disc or the DVD and there is a fair amount of digital noise reduction applied to reduce grain in certain scenes. What does that mean? It means that we do lose some detail. Be aware, however, that the extras are in 480p and NOT in HD. Universal does port over U-Control (which was developed for HD-DVD) where you can customize special features on the BD disc. We get all the extras from the original single disc set plus the new extras from the 2 disc DVD ported over to the BD. "The Mummy Returns" is nicely packaged in a colorful slipcase (although I think they could have done without this). At Best Buy and Circuit City (as well as select other retailers there is also movie cash included. You have to go online and register so you can print out your movie ticket (which is good only through 8/24/08 and the site which was up earlier for access to print your ticket now requires you to wait until 8/1/08. I guess some people used their tickets early for other movies or Universal is doing this as a precautionary move). "The Mummy Returns" is less of a scary horror flick than its predecessor and even more like a "Raiders" type of flick. A perfect popcorn movie, Stephen Sommers takes the same ingredients (evil mummy resurrected, adventurers seeking artifacts and fortunes, supernatural powers)and creates a film that is every bit as fun as the first film was. Like "Aliens" relationship with "Alien", "The Mummy Returns" focuses on taking characters we knew from the first film and putting them in a slightly different context this time around. SOME SPOILERS: Rick (Brendan Fraiser)and Evie (Rachel Weisz)now have a 9 year old son Alex(Freddie Boath)and are still digging in dusty old tombs in Egypt. The year of the Scorpion has arrived which means that if Baltus (Alun Armstrong) and the reincarnation of Im-Ho-Tep's (Arnold Vosloo)love Meela-Nais (Patricia Velasquez returning from the first film in a much larger role) can raise Im-Ho-Tep he can take on the Scorpion King (The Rock) Im-Ho-Tep can use the armies of the underworld to rule the world. Alex is taken prisoner and Rick, Evie and Jonathan (John Hannah)Evie's brother must travel to Egypt to help Ardeth Bey (Oded Fehr)stop the creature, get their son and save the world. | ||
 | The Mummy Returns | |
| "Excellent sequel bigger but of the same quality as the first film." | 2008-07-25 |
| Sequels are tough to do because you know what to expect so filmmaker's often have to give you that plus something unexpected. Bigger and better may not always translate to better but it often translates to a sequel that is the equal of the film that spawned it. I'm going to assume that you've seen it (if not there's a critical bit at the end of this along with a plot synposis that is as sketchy as possible so as not to spoil the experience of the film) and focus on why you should buy the upgraded Blu-ray. As good as "The Mummy Returns" looks on DVD, the Blu-ray is even better looking. Colors are bolder and there's signficantly more detail but, more important, the dark scenes look much better here. The lossless audio sounds terrific as well and will put you right in the middle of the action. You should be aware however that Edge Enhancement is more noticeable in the BR than it was in the HD-DVD disc or the DVD and there is a fair amount of digital noise reduction applied to reduce grain in certain scenes. What does that mean? It means that we do lose some detail. Be aware, however, that the extras are in 480p and NOT in HD. Universal does port over U-Control (which was developed for HD-DVD) where you can customize special features on the BD disc. We get all the extras from the original single disc set plus the new extras from the 2 disc DVD ported over to the BD. "The Mummy Returns" is nicely packaged in a colorful slipcase (although I think they could have done without this). At Best Buy and Circuit City (as well as select other retailers there is also movie cash included. You have to go online and register so you can print out your movie ticket (which is good only through 8/24/08 and the site which was up earlier for access to print your ticket now requires you to wait until 8/1/08. I guess some people used their tickets early for other movies or Universal is doing this as a precautionary move). "The Mummy Returns" is less of a scary horror flick than its predecessor and even more like a "Raiders" type of flick. A perfect popcorn movie, Stephen Sommers takes the same ingredients (evil mummy resurrected, adventurers seeking artifacts and fortunes, supernatural powers)and creates a film that is every bit as fun as the first film was. Like "Aliens" relationship with "Alien", "The Mummy Returns" focuses on taking characters we knew from the first film and putting them in a slightly different context this time around. SOME SPOILERS: Rick (Brendan Fraiser)and Evie (Rachel Weisz)now have a 9 year old son Alex(Freddie Boath)and are still digging in dusty old tombs in Egypt. The year of the Scorpion has arrived which means that if Baltus (Alun Armstrong) and the reincarnation of Im-Ho-Tep's (Arnold Vosloo)love Meela-Nais (Patricia Velasquez returning from the first film in a much larger role) can raise Im-Ho-Tep he can take on the Scorpion King (The Rock) Im-Ho-Tep can use the armies of the underworld to rule the world. Alex is taken prisoner and Rick, Evie and Jonathan (John Hannah)Evie's brother must travel to Egypt to help Ardeth Bey (Oded Fehr)stop the creature, get their son and save the world. | ||
 | Cream - Goodbye | |
| "Riddle me this: When is a remaster NOT the one to buy?" | 2008-07-21 |
| ...when it is remastered by the chucklehead who did "Goodbye" by Cream (the latest remaster). Don't get me wrong this is a fine album and unlike some people here, I feel that the trio of studio tracks demonstrated continued growth for the band. Eric Clapton and George Harrison's "Badge" features a sublime melody for the chorus and Harrison himself reused the bridge of the song (which is how it got its title--Clapton read "bridge" as "Badge")for "Here Comes the Sun" for The Beatles' "Abbey Road" (in fact all of the guitar playing up until the solo is Harrison playing rhythm guitar). Jack Bruce and Peter Brown's "Doing That Scrapyard Thing" is wonderfully eccentric and points to the direction of his second solo album (although it was released first--confused? So were fans!)"Songs for A Taylor" and Ginger Baker checks in with one of his most accomplished songs the tense "What A Bringdown" closing out the album. What's really interesting are the live cuts that open the album. All three feature Cream at the top of their game and compliment the other live tracks from "Wheels of Fire", "Live Cream Volumes 1 & 2". In fact I personally feel that these are among the strongest live cuts that the band committed to record (along with "Live Cream II")but your milage may vary. This remaster sounds a bit shrill, harsh and compressed to me. If you can find an original first CD issue go with that or as another choice the Mofi Gold Edition (which isn't the best one admittedly but it's pretty darn good). Both are better than the latest CD editions that have been littering the stores. The music is the most important part of course but also keep in mind HOW it is presented in terms of sound also can be important as well. | ||
 | Master and Commander - The Far Side of the World (Widescreen Special Two-Disc Set) | |
| "A strong Blu Ray transfer for "Master and Commander" a highlight of the set which is a bit light on extras" | 2008-07-12 |
| Peter Weir's "Master and Commander" manages to compress two marvelous novels into one marvelous film. Captain "Jack" Arbry (Russell Crowe in a marvelous performance) and the crew of the Surprise pursue a French warship in Atlantic waters. Out gunned and out classed by a heavier, faster ship, Arbry is determined to take down the French raider before it takes down another of Her Majesty's Ships. This pursuit will cost his crew, his ship but must be done to keep the waters safe for other vessels. Sharp direction by Weir, a masterfully adapted script by Weir and John Colee makes this harrowing sea adventure a worthwhile trip. Weir adds a powerful cinematic flair with the sharp camera work of Russell Boyd. Unlike a lot of previous adventures at sea, the fluid camera work adds to the sense of menace and danger that Arbry and his crew feel. The extras are similar to the original single disc DVD which is a bit disappointing especially considering how much Fox is charging for their Blu Ray discs (particularly compared to Warner). All the extras are in high definition which is good news. We get deleted scenes, a historical and geographical trivia track, a pop up map showing you where the S.S. Surprise is at any given moment, the theatrical trailer and the ability to search and save your favorite scenes. There's no commentary track nor are there any featurettes on the making of the film. Considering this IS a Blu-Ray disc, I'd expect the featurettes from the deluxe DVD edition of the film if nothing else but, sadly, we don't get it. I suspect we'll see a Blu-Ray double dip shortly. I can recommend the movie on Blu-ray simply because it has a superb looking transfer with nice detail and without the over use of digital clean up (a problem for "Patton" which is one of the worst looking Blu-Ray's I've seen--not because of the image itself but because of the overuse of digital tools to clean up the film creating waxy looking skin textures, loss of general detail and adding an unnecessary digital "look" to the film to eliminate film grain). | ||
![Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World [Blu-ray]](product_images/4943000/4943987-master-and-commander-the-far_t.jpg) | Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World [Blu-ray] | |
| "A strong Blu Ray transfer for "Master and Commander" a highlight of the set which is a bit light on extras" | 2008-07-12 |
| Peter Weir's "Master and Commander" manages to compress two marvelous novels into one marvelous film. Captain "Jack" Arbry (Russell Crowe in a marvelous performance) and the crew of the Surprise pursue a French warship in Atlantic waters. Out gunned and out classed by a heavier, faster ship, Arbry is determined to take down the French raider before it takes down another of Her Majesty's Ships. This pursuit will cost his crew, his ship but must be done to keep the waters safe for other vessels. Sharp direction by Weir, a masterfully adapted script by Weir and John Colee makes this harrowing sea adventure a worthwhile trip. Weir adds a powerful cinematic flair with the sharp camera work of Russell Boyd. Unlike a lot of previous adventures at sea, the fluid camera work adds to the sense of menace and danger that Arbry and his crew feel. The extras are similar to the original single disc DVD which is a bit disappointing especially considering how much Fox is charging for their Blu Ray discs (particularly compared to Warner). All the extras are in high definition which is good news. We get deleted scenes, a historical and geographical trivia track, a pop up map showing you where the S.S. Surprise is at any given moment, the theatrical trailer and the ability to search and save your favorite scenes. There's no commentary track nor are there any featurettes on the making of the film. Considering this IS a Blu-Ray disc, I'd expect the featurettes from the deluxe DVD edition of the film if nothing else but, sadly, we don't get it. I suspect we'll see a Blu-Ray double dip shortly. I can recommend the movie on Blu-ray simply because it has a superb looking transfer with nice detail and without the over use of digital clean up (a problem for "Patton" which is one of the worst looking Blu-Ray's I've seen--not because of the image itself but because of the overuse of digital tools to clean up the film creating waxy looking skin textures, loss of general detail and adding an unnecessary digital "look" to the film to eliminate film grain). | ||
 | Master and Commander - The Far Side of the World (Widescreen Edition) | |
| "A strong Blu Ray transfer for "Master and Commander" a highlight of the set which is a bit light on extras" | 2008-07-12 |
| Peter Weir's "Master and Commander" manages to compress two marvelous novels into one marvelous film. Captain "Jack" Arbry (Russell Crowe in a marvelous performance) and the crew of the Surprise pursue a French warship in Atlantic waters. Out gunned and out classed by a heavier, faster ship, Arbry is determined to take down the French raider before it takes down another of Her Majesty's Ships. This pursuit will cost his crew, his ship but must be done to keep the waters safe for other vessels. Sharp direction by Weir, a masterfully adapted script by Weir and John Colee makes this harrowing sea adventure a worthwhile trip. Weir adds a powerful cinematic flair with the sharp camera work of Russell Boyd. Unlike a lot of previous adventures at sea, the fluid camera work adds to the sense of menace and danger that Arbry and his crew feel. The extras are similar to the original single disc DVD which is a bit disappointing especially considering how much Fox is charging for their Blu Ray discs (particularly compared to Warner). All the extras are in high definition which is good news. We get deleted scenes, a historical and geographical trivia track, a pop up map showing you where the S.S. Surprise is at any given moment, the theatrical trailer and the ability to search and save your favorite scenes. There's no commentary track nor are there any featurettes on the making of the film. Considering this IS a Blu-Ray disc, I'd expect the featurettes from the deluxe DVD edition of the film if nothing else but, sadly, we don't get it. I suspect we'll see a Blu-Ray double dip shortly. I can recommend the movie on Blu-ray simply because it has a superb looking transfer with nice detail and without the over use of digital clean up (a problem for "Patton" which is one of the worst looking Blu-Ray's I've seen--not because of the image itself but because of the overuse of digital tools to clean up the film creating waxy looking skin textures, loss of general detail and adding an unnecessary digital "look" to the film to eliminate film grain). | ||
 | Master and Commander - The Far Side of the World (Full Screen Edition) | |
| "A strong Blu Ray transfer for "Master and Commander" a highlight of the set which is a bit light on extras" | 2008-07-12 |
| Peter Weir's "Master and Commander" manages to compress two marvelous novels into one marvelous film. Captain "Jack" Arbry (Russell Crowe in a marvelous performance) and the crew of the Surprise pursue a French warship in Atlantic waters. Out gunned and out classed by a heavier, faster ship, Arbry is determined to take down the French raider before it takes down another of Her Majesty's Ships. This pursuit will cost his crew, his ship but must be done to keep the waters safe for other vessels. The most important question is whether or not you want to upgrade to the Blu-ray because of improved picture quality. While "Master and Commander" does look better than the standard DVD and many scenes look truly exceptional, the film looks a bit uneven overall. Could the transfer have been better? Absolutely but owning this on Blu-ray comes down to how much you love/like this film. I suspect that the same original HD master was used for this a couple of years back. It looks extremely good but not as brilliant as I had hoped. Sharp direction by Weir, a masterfully adapted script by Weir and John Colee makes this harrowing sea adventure a worthwhile trip. Weir adds a powerful cinematic flair with the sharp camera work of Russell Boyd. Unlike a lot of previous adventures at sea, the fluid camera work adds to the sense of menace and danger that Arbry and his crew feel. The extras are similar to the original single disc DVD which is a bit disappointing especially considering how much Fox is charging for their Blu Ray discs (particularly compared to Warner). All the extras are in high definition which is good news. We get deleted scenes, a historical and geographical trivia track, a pop up map showing you where the S.S. Surprise is at any given moment, the theatrical trailer and the ability to search and save your favorite scenes. There's no commentary track nor are there any featurettes on the making of the film. Considering this IS a Blu-Ray disc, I'd expect the featurettes from the deluxe DVD edition of the film if nothing else but, sadly, we don't get it. I suspect we'll see a Blu-Ray double dip shortly. I can recommend the movie on Blu-ray simply because it has a superb looking transfer with nice detail and without the over use of digital clean up (a problem for "Patton" which is one of the worst looking Blu-Ray's I've seen--not because of the image itself but because of the overuse of digital tools to clean up the film creating waxy looking skin textures, loss of general detail and adding an unnecessary digital "look" to the film to eliminate film grain). | ||
 | Dave Mason & Cass Elliot - Dave Mason & Cass Elliot | |
| "Classic Mason/Elliot collaboration finally available again" | 2008-06-27 |
| When Dave Mason left Traffic he produced a number of strong albums fresh out of the gate. "Alone Together", "It's Like You Never Left" and "Dave Mason" among many other gems. This terrific album is also part of that set of classic releases. Recorded just after he left Blue Thumb Records over a contract dispute (it would take some years and a bankruptcy to free him from the label). Featuring Cass Elliott on harmony vocals, Mason turns in some of his best material and guitar playing on this terrifc album. Cass appears as lead vocalist on her lone songwriting contribution "Here We Go Again" and its a reminder of what a terrific vocalist she was. She and Mason should have continued on as they generate magic on this terrific album. The reissue by Rev-Ola sounds quite good although I favor the original issue on MCA (which was released in a no-frills package) as the mastering is better with a crisper, less compressed feel to it. Still, Rev-Ola has done a fine job on this reissue since the original had no liner notes or credits for who played what (for the record session legends Russ Kunkel, Bryan Garofalo and Paul Harris provide drums, bass and keyboards/string arrangments with Mason playing everything else). This is one of Mason's finest albums and it's interesting to compare this along with his first solo album to the albums by Traffic after he left--they were on somewhat similar roads musically but its quite clear why Mason's vision for the band conflicted with Winwoods with Mason relying much more on traditional song structure vs. more jamming approach of Winwood's efforts with his band. | ||
 | Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001 | |
| "Coll collects the pieces of the puzzle that helped create the picture of terrorism from 9/11" | 2008-06-22 |
| The subtitle of this book says it all. If you take nothing else away from this review recognize that. Anything I have to say after that is pretty meaningless by comparison. The Third World War goes on today. It's not a war in the traditional sense like WWI or II. During World War I and World War II our enemies were unable to cross the Atlantic or Pacific and strike mainland America. Like the attack on Pearl Harbor, 9/11 indicated that we were at war we just didn't know it yet. That war began before September 11, 2001 but that was the first major strike of the war. The Third World War isn't about ideology but about unfinished business in countries where the Soviets and the United States had interests, slights against other countries and religion. Steve Coll's excellent, well documented book GHOST WARS examines the events leading up to 9/11, how our policy enabled these horrible events to occur, the inability by U.S. analyst to see (or to have people in power listen to them)and miscalculations/lack of involvement in Afghanistan after the Soviet's pulled out allowed the Taliban to take power and isolate those that might have been our allies. In the process, bin Laden rose to power creating his the insidious network of suicide bombers all in pursuit of his jihad. Colon does an exceptional job of documenting how all this occurred. The research that Coll and Griff Witt did as the background to this fascinating but also terrifying story provides exhaustive detail on how policy makers could bungle the latest threat that the United States and the rest of the world face today. Coll begins his book going as far back as 1976 during the Carter administration and the seige on the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan and traces the roots of discontent that would bear deadly fruitation in 2001. He connects the dots showing how all of these steps from that seige to the bumbling invasion of Afghanistan and the U.S. support (and abandonment) of anti-Soviet guerrilla commanders in that country when brewed together with foreigners such as bin Laden creating the toxic soup of terrorist activity seen before and since that fateful date in 2001. Coll's book won the Pultizer Prize and is highly recommended for an exhaustive and fascinating glimpse into the pieces of the puzzle that, when put together, gave us a picture of the murder of innocents, destruction and evil. If politics is war by a different means, than so is terrorism. | ||
 | Ghost Wars | |
| "Coll collects the pieces of the puzzle that helped create the picture of terrorism from 9/11" | 2008-06-22 |
| The subtitle of this book says it all. If you take nothing else away from this review recognize that. Anything I have to say after that is pretty meaningless by comparison. The Third World War goes on today. It's not a war in the traditional sense like WWI or II. During World War I and World War II our enemies were unable to cross the Atlantic or Pacific and strike mainland America. Like the attack on Pearl Harbor, 9/11 indicated that we were at war we just didn't know it yet. That war began before September 11, 2001 but that was the first major strike of the war. The Third World War isn't about ideology but about unfinished business in countries where the Soviets and the United States had interests, slights against other countries and religion. Steve Coll's excellent, well documented book GHOST WARS examines the events leading up to 9/11, how our policy enabled these horrible events to occur, the inability by U.S. analyst to see (or to have people in power listen to them)and miscalculations/lack of involvement in Afghanistan after the Soviet's pulled out allowed the Taliban to take power and isolate those that might have been our allies. In the process, bin Laden rose to power creating his the insidious network of suicide bombers all in pursuit of his jihad. Colon does an exceptional job of documenting how all this occurred. The research that Coll and Griff Witt did as the background to this fascinating but also terrifying story provides exhaustive detail on how policy makers could bungle the latest threat that the United States and the rest of the world face today. Coll begins his book going as far back as 1976 during the Carter administration and the seige on the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan and traces the roots of discontent that would bear deadly fruitation in 2001. He connects the dots showing how all of these steps from that seige to the bumbling invasion of Afghanistan and the U.S. support (and abandonment) of anti-Soviet guerrilla commanders in that country when brewed together with foreigners such as bin Laden creating the toxic soup of terrorist activity seen before and since that fateful date in 2001. Coll's book won the Pultizer Prize and is highly recommended for an exhaustive and fascinating glimpse into the pieces of the puzzle that, when put together, gave us a picture of the murder of innocents, destruction and evil. If politics is war by a different means, than so is terrorism. | ||
 | Monty Python's Life of Brian - Criterion Collection | |
| "Being JC's neighbor makes Brian's life a bit difficult" | 2008-05-26 |
| Monty Python's most coherent film "Life of Brian" tells the story of Brian who just happens to be born next door to Christ. The parallel follows him his whole life as he is mistaken for the Messiah throughout his life. A very funny parody of the hypocrisy that often exists within religion, politics with a great interlude that pokes fun at "Star Wars", "Life of Brian" faced a lot of controversey before it was even released. The Pythons lost their funding from EMI and they faced the Coalition of Light a Christian group in the UK that attacked the film. Ironically, the Pythons DON'T lampoon JC as when they went back to the Bible to prepare the screenplay they realized he had terrific things to say. It was the follow thorugh that kind of sucked. Luckily, George Harrison stepped in and took out a second on several of his mansions to get the film made. The Blu-Ray looks extremely good. Does it look as great as a contemporary film? No but the film was shot on a low budget (around $4 million)but looks more expensive because the Pythons took advantage of the standing sets for other biblical epics. Although Terry Jones' direction is more pedestrian looking than Terry Gilliam (who does art direction, animation and appears in multiple roles here)he handles the characters and comedy extremely well. We get a 30 minute documentary on the making of the film with current interviews from the surviving Pythons (Graham Chapman who played Brian died of cancer over a decade ago), the current leader of th Coalition of Lights, critics and those associated with the production. It's a terrific documentary looking at the film's reception and even has clips from Tom Snyder's show where they appeared defending their work and a UK show where they did a showdown with a pair of religious leaders who attacked the film. There will always be those who don't "get" the film either because it's not to their taste or because they have religious objections (although I've found that usually those that do object for the second reason haven't seen the film or miss the fact that it is a satire of the politics and distortion of religious beliefs and not because it satires Christ--it doesn't--although it does satirize how we can often distort what we hear..as in the line "blessed are the cheesemakers" heard by one person because they are standing too far away from Christ when he gives his sermon on the mount to hear him and being razzed). If that's the case, this film truly wasn't made for them. We also get deleted scenes, an audio read through of the script and other goodies including commentary tracks. | ||
 | Monty Python's Life of Brian | |
| "Being JC's neighbor makes Brian's life a bit difficult" | 2008-05-26 |
| Monty Python's most coherent film "Life of Brian" tells the story of Brian who just happens to be born next door to Christ. The parallel follows him his whole life as he is mistaken for the Messiah throughout his life. A very funny parody of the hypocrisy that often exists within religion, politics with a great interlude that pokes fun at "Star Wars", "Life of Brian" faced a lot of controversey before it was even released. The Pythons lost their funding from EMI and they faced the Coalition of Light a Christian group in the UK that attacked the film. Ironically, the Pythons DON'T lampoon JC as when they went back to the Bible to prepare the screenplay they realized he had terrific things to say. It was the follow thorugh that kind of sucked. Luckily, George Harrison stepped in and took out a second on several of his mansions to get the film made. The Blu-Ray looks extremely good. Does it look as great as a contemporary film? No but the film was shot on a low budget (around $4 million)but looks more expensive because the Pythons took advantage of the standing sets for other biblical epics. Although Terry Jones' direction is more pedestrian looking than Terry Gilliam (who does art direction, animation and appears in multiple roles here)he handles the characters and comedy extremely well. We get a 30 minute documentary on the making of the film with current interviews from the surviving Pythons (Graham Chapman who played Brian died of cancer over a decade ago), the current leader of th Coalition of Lights, critics and those associated with the production. It's a terrific documentary looking at the film's reception and even has clips from Tom Snyder's show where they appeared defending their work and a UK show where they did a showdown with a pair of religious leaders who attacked the film. There will always be those who don't "get" the film either because it's not to their taste or because they have religious objections (although I've found that usually those that do object for the second reason haven't seen the film or miss the fact that it is a satire of the politics and distortion of religious beliefs and not because it satires Christ--it doesn't--although it does satirize how we can often distort what we hear..as in the line "blessed are the cheesemakers" heard by one person because they are standing too far away from Christ when he gives his sermon on the mount to hear him and being razzed). If that's the case, this film truly wasn't made for them. We also get deleted scenes, an audio read through of the script and other goodies including commentary tracks. | ||
 | On the Town | |
| "Top notch musical from co-directors Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen" | 2008-05-19 |
| The story of three sailors Gabey (Gene Kelly), Chip (Frank Sinatra) and Ozzie (Jules Munshin)looking for love (in the form of Ann Miller, Betty Garrett and Alice Pearce)while on a one day leave for the first time in New York , "On The Town" continues to be a marvelous musical. It may lack the flash of later Donen-Kelly collaborations but it never loses sight of its purpose--to entertain. That along with marvelous location shooting in New York (a rarity at the time) makes "On the Town" unique. Based on the popular 1944 Broadway musical co-written by Leonard Bernstein and directed by Jerome Robbins, "On the Town" was notable for a number of firsts. It was the first musical shot on location in New York City. It was the first collaboration between director Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly. It was Donen first film. It also marked the first films of Carol Haney and Bea Benaderet. Although it was lost in the wake of later Kelly-Donen films including "Singing in the Rain", "On the Town" perfectly captures the magic of the play and cast. Many of the original songs were replaced by new material as producer Arthur Freed felt that they were a bit too sophisticated for the average American filmgoer. The result is that we have a mixed score with material by Roger Edens and Bernstein (with lyrics co-written by Adolph Green and Betty Comden). Although the new material isn't as strong as the Bernstein material, the film overcomes these hurtles by incorporating strong choreography. The re-release of this film accompanies a new boxed set of Kelly-Sinatra musicals although all the titles for that box set are available individually. "On the Town" looks terrific with nice robust colors that capture the look of the early three strip Technicolor process. Although a bit grainy at times, the film looks quite good. Sure, the studio could have cleaned up the look of the film a bit more but films that have that digital sheen often lose much of their character in the process. I'm not sure if this has been reissued because a new high definition master has been prepared or not but it looks extremely good in its new presentation. The mono soundtrack sounds great with a nice dynamic range and no noticeable drop outs. There was some minor clipping but on the whole the sound is terrific. No new special features in this reissue with only the original theatrical trailer included. It's a pity because there are BBC interviews with Kelly and recent TCM interviews with other cast members discussing the making of the film. If they were well integrated with production/promotional stills, new observations by film historians and footage from the film we could have a fine featurette. We could also find out bits of trivia about the shooting of the film for example co-star Jules Munshin's fear of heights. That necessitated that he perform at least one musical number with a rope tied around him (the other end was tied to co-director Stanley Donen who was off screen) and it would also explain his almost obsessive need in one particular dance sequence to touch and run his hands across the various props. A marvelous musical with Kelly, Sinatra and the rest of the cast in top form, "On the Town" has lost none of its charm, wit or entertainment value. The vintage footage of New York City during the late 40's will also be delightful to viewers. It's a pity this wasn't spiffed up for release. | ||
 | On the Town | |
| "Top notch musical from co-directors Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen a pity Warner couldn't chip in some extras..." | 2008-05-19 |
| The story of three sailors Gabey (Gene Kelly), Chip (Frank Sinatra) and Ozzie (Jules Munshin)looking for love (in the form of Ann Miller, Betty Garrett and Alice Pearce)while on a one day leave for the first time in New York , "On The Town" continues to be a marvelous musical. It may lack the flash of later Donen-Kelly collaborations but it never loses sight of its purpose--to entertain. That along with marvelous location shooting in New York (a rarity at the time) makes "On the Town" unique. Based on the popular 1944 Broadway musical co-written by Leonard Bernstein and directed by Jerome Robbins, "On the Town" was notable for a number of firsts. It was the first musical shot on location in New York City. It was the first collaboration between director Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly. It was Donen first film. It also marked the first films of Carol Haney and Bea Benaderet. Although it was lost in the wake of later Kelly-Donen films including "Singing in the Rain", "On the Town" perfectly captures the magic of the play and cast. Many of the original songs were replaced by new material as producer Arthur Freed felt that they were a bit too sophisticated for the average American filmgoer. The result is that we have a mixed score with material by Roger Edens and Bernstein (with lyrics co-written by Adolph Green and Betty Comden). Although the new material isn't as strong as the Bernstein material, the film overcomes these hurtles by incorporating strong choreography. The re-release of this film accompanies a new boxed set of Kelly-Sinatra musicals although all the titles for that box set are available individually. "On the Town" looks terrific with nice robust colors that capture the look of the early three strip Technicolor process. Although a bit grainy at times, the film looks quite good. Sure, the studio could have cleaned up the look of the film a bit more but films that have that digital sheen often lose much of their character in the process. I'm not sure if this has been reissued because a new high definition master has been prepared or not but it looks extremely good in its new presentation. The mono soundtrack sounds great with a nice dynamic range and no noticeable drop outs. There was some minor clipping but on the whole the sound is terrific. No new special features in this reissue with only the original theatrical trailer included. It's a pity because there are BBC interviews with Kelly and recent TCM interviews with other cast members discussing the making of the film. If they were well integrated with production/promotional stills, new observations by film historians and footage from the film we could have a fine featurette. We could also find out bits of trivia about the shooting of the film for example co-star Jules Munshin's fear of heights. That necessitated that he perform at least one musical number with a rope tied around him (the other end was tied to co-director Stanley Donen who was off screen) and it would also explain his almost obsessive need in one particular dance sequence to touch and run his hands across the various props. A marvelous musical with Kelly, Sinatra and the rest of the cast in top form, "On the Town" has lost none of its charm, wit or entertainment value. The vintage footage of New York City during the late 40's will also be delightful to viewers. It's a pity this wasn't spiffed up for release. | ||
 | On the Town | |
| "Top notch musical from co-directors Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen a pity Warner couldn't chip in some extras..." | 2008-05-19 |
| The story of three sailors Gabey (Gene Kelly), Chip (Frank Sinatra) and Ozzie (Jules Munshin)looking for love (in the form of Ann Miller, Betty Garrett and Alice Pearce)while on a one day leave for the first time in New York , "On The Town" continues to be a marvelous musical. It may lack the flash of later Donen-Kelly collaborations but it never loses sight of its purpose--to entertain. That along with marvelous location shooting in New York (a rarity at the time) makes "On the Town" unique. Based on the popular 1944 Broadway musical co-written by Leonard Bernstein and directed by Jerome Robbins, "On the Town" was notable for a number of firsts. It was the first musical shot on location in New York City. It was the first collaboration between director Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly. It was Donen first film. It also marked the first films of Carol Haney and Bea Benaderet. Although it was lost in the wake of later Kelly-Donen films including "Singing in the Rain", "On the Town" perfectly captures the magic of the play and cast. Many of the original songs were replaced by new material as producer Arthur Freed felt that they were a bit too sophisticated for the average American filmgoer. The result is that we have a mixed score with material by Roger Edens and Bernstein (with lyrics co-written by Adolph Green and Betty Comden). Although the new material isn't as strong as the Bernstein material, the film overcomes these hurtles by incorporating strong choreography. The re-release of this film accompanies a new boxed set of Kelly-Sinatra musicals although all the titles for that box set are available individually. "On the Town" looks terrific with nice robust colors that capture the look of the early three strip Technicolor process. Although a bit grainy at times, the film looks quite good. Sure, the studio could have cleaned up the look of the film a bit more but films that have that digital sheen often lose much of their character in the process. I'm not sure if this has been reissued because a new high definition master has been prepared or not but it looks extremely good in its new presentation. The mono soundtrack sounds great with a nice dynamic range and no noticeable drop outs. There was some minor clipping but on the whole the sound is terrific. No new special features in this reissue with only the original theatrical trailer included. It's a pity because there are BBC interviews with Kelly and recent TCM interviews with other cast members discussing the making of the film. If they were well integrated with production/promotional stills, new observations by film historians and footage from the film we could have a fine featurette. We could also find out bits of trivia about the shooting of the film for example co-star Jules Munshin's fear of heights. That necessitated that he perform at least one musical number with a rope tied around him (the other end was tied to co-director Stanley Donen who was off screen) and it would also explain his almost obsessive need in one particular dance sequence to touch and run his hands across the various props. A marvelous musical with Kelly, Sinatra and the rest of the cast in top form, "On the Town" has lost none of its charm, wit or entertainment value. The vintage footage of New York City during the late 40's will also be delightful to viewers. It's a pity this wasn't spiffed up for release. | ||
 | Anchors Aweigh | |
| "Enjoyable Kelly/Sinatra musical and the last full film directed by Busby Berkeley" | 2008-05-19 |
| The film opens on the deck of a destroyer where Clarence Doolittle (Frank Sinatra) and Joseph Brady (Gene Kelly) receive commendations for staying at their posts during a brutal battle. Many of the men on the ship get leave while off the shore of Los Angeles allowing Clarence and Joe to hit the shore and have fun. Joe, Clarence and their friends decide they are going to hit Hollywood. Joe a well known womanizer finds the shy Clarence dogging his steps so he can learn how to be a lady's man. Joe reluctantly agrees to help Clarence "get a dame" in a particularly funny sequence where Joe plays the dame and Joe tries to pick "her" up. The two get taken downtown to help the police talk a little boy into returning home and not "joining" the Navy. They get wrangled into taking the boy home where the pair meet the little boy's young aunt Susan (Kathryn Grayson) who is his guardian. Ultimately Joe finds himself falling for Susan while trying to help Clarence woo her. The first pairing of Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra "Anchors Aweigh" is most famous for Gene Kelly's dance with Jerry--you know the little mouse from the Tom and Jerry Cartoons. While that's certainly notable, what's more important here is that "Anchors Aweigh" is a terrific musical with two of the top stars of the era at the top of their game. While Sinatra really isn't asked to stretch as an actor here, he does perform a number of terrific songs penned especially for the film. Unlike "On the Town", "Anchors Aweigh" was a studio original. Gene Kelly is in charge of choreographing the marvelous dance numbers here. While "Anchors Aweigh" isn't on a par with "Singing in the Rain" or "An American in Paris", it's still an enjoyable bit of entertainment. The film looks gorgeous with sharp set designs. Although there are scratches and dirt that crop up from time to time, the film looks extremely good. It's unfortunate that Warner hasn't cleaned this up a bit for re-release. Unlike the later "On the Town", "Anchors Aweigh" was shot totally on the backlot at MGM. Interestingly, the opening sequence set on the deck of the destroyed that the two men are stationed on looks incredibly fake. The matte painting used looks as much like a cartoon as Jerry the Mouse does which is surprising given the fine eye for detail that producer Arthur Freed and Busby Berkeley had. The visual effects are credited to Warren Newcombe who also worked on "Forbidden Planet". While that film's matte paintings and use of animation are, again, not totally realistic, they look better than the visuals in "Anchors Aweigh". While they were probably as good as could be done at the time, they still stand out like a sore thumb. A beautiful transfer, the film is marred only by a bit of dirt and scratches. It's a pity that Warner didn't upgrade the film for this re-release"Anchors Aweigh" looks sharp and has the rich robust colors typical of a three strip Technicolor film from the era. Skin tones look great and the blacks are rock solid. Detail is remarkably crisp and the audio sounds extremely good presented in its original mono format. We get a snippet pulled from the documentary "When the Lion Roars" about the making of the "Worry Song" featuring Jerry the mouse on how directors Joseph Hanna and William Barbera created the sequence. Originally the plan was that Mickey Mouse and Gene Kelly would perform together. MGM made an appointment for Kelly to meet with Disney. Disney told Kelly that "Mickey Mouse will never do an MGM movie". This is ironic given that later Disney animators WOULD work on an MGM film--"Forbidden Planet"--although it was a far cry from putting Mickey Mouse into an MGM film. It's clear that Disney was OK with another creature appearing in an MGM film as long as it wasn't Mickey Mouse. MGM had largely dismantled their animation division by 1956 (when "Forbidden Planet" was made) and didn't have the resources to do the animated sequence any longer. Disney animator Joshua Meador was loaned out that for film to MGM. Meador already had some experience with visual effects animation in live action films working on "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" and "Song of the South" in addition to his work on such Disney classics as "Cinderella", "Alice in Wonderland" and "Fantasia". Hanna and Barbera discussed the technical aspects of creating the sequence. While this wasn't the first pairing of live action and animation but with Kelly's brilliant dancing and the carefully executed animation the sequence was a sensation. Ironically the sequence had to be animated TWICE (this isn't mentioned in the brief excerpt which runs all of 5 minutes with narration by Patrick Stewart) because during the screen of the finished product it was noticed that Gene was reflected on the floor and Jerry wasn't. To make the sequence more realistic the animators had to go back and redo the sequence with Jerry realistically reflected on the surface of the floor as well. It would have been nice to see Warner create a new featurette on the visual effects and on Busby Berkeley's legacy as a director but we don't get anything new just the special features from the 2000 issue of this film. We also get theatrical trailers for this film, "On the Town" and "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" which also featured Kelly, Sinatra and their "On the Town" co-star Jules Munshin. Made during a time when Sinatra's films only did well when he was paired with Kelly, "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" was also Busby Berkeley's last full length film. "Anchor's Aweigh" remains an enjoyable musical with some stunning set pieces notably Gene Kelly's dance with Jerry the Mouse. This re-release (it was previously released in a snapcase on DVD in 2000 at the same time as "Take Me Out to the Ballgame") looks marvelous although It doesn't appear to me that the transfer is new. | ||
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