To celebrate the release of WHITEOUT on DVD and Blu-ray January 19, 2010, here are a few DVD clips.
Enjoy!
Whiteout – Trailer
Whiteout – Never Under Estimate the Ice
Whiteout – Storm Attack
Archive for the ‘Blu-ray Review’ Category
Whiteout DVD Clips
Tuesday, January 19th, 2010Dexter Season Two Blu-ray Review
Tuesday, May 5th, 2009
Ah, the sophomore season, here are whereby series are defined. Here you enter a world where the players have been set in motion, rules have been established. Now you have but one choice, take it to the next level or die. Only shows that take it to the next level; that are willing to go where the viewer never thought possible, are the shows that have as good a season as their first. Suffice it to say that Season 2 of Dexter is as good as the first and maybe even a wee bit better. The multi-layered overlapping stories are still here and they keep building and building until the tension is so great the viewer is left in awe.
Back in season 1, Sergeant James Doakes (Erik King) was the only officer who found, Dexter Morgan’s (Michael C. Hall) behavior more than a little unusual. This season Doakes is all out to find out what Dexter is really up to. Doakes follows Dexter wherever he goes and because of this, Dexter is unable to satisfy his hunger to kill. Worst of all, a bunch of divers has just found Dexter’s dumping ground. The media begins to call the least serial killer the Bay Harbor Butcher(Dexter of course) and FBI Special Agent Lundy (Keith Carradine) is send in to head the investigating. Dexter is slightly intimidated because Lundy has had a pretty good track record when it comes to finding serial killers. Dexter has also to contend will Lila (Jaime Murray) a lover/stalker he can’t seem to get rid off. Things get even more exciting when Doakes finds what Dexter has been hiding in his air conditioner
The second season much like the first is made up of 12 episode each one building on the other. The challenges placed on Dexter by Doakes, Lundy and Lily far exceed any tension from season one. Here the view is left to wonder if Dexter could be incarcerated at any moment. Never did I feel that it could not happened as the writers has already broken a lot of the rules I had set in my mine for the series. This is a great feeling to have when watching a television show as you don’t exactly know where the writers will take you, but know they have the guts to do just about anything.
Again like season one Michael C. Hall as Dexter is what makes the show so good. However, Dexter has some competition from Keith Carradine’s Lundy who plays his part pitch perfect. In addition, these two are not alone as this shows has one of the best cast around.
I initially saw the second season on DVD, right after finishing the first season on Blu-ray. I was a little disappointed on how the DVDs looked after seeing the first in high-def. Luckily last week I re-watched all twelve episode on Blu-ray and I’m glad to report that they look just as good as the first if not better. The sound quality is also phenomenal. The disc also features A lame game where the goal is to identify Dexter’s tools of the trade and interviews with C.S Lee, David Zayas, Erik King, Jennifer Carpenter, Julie Benz, Keith Carradine, Lauren Velez, and Michael C. Halls and the first two episodes of The United States of Tara. I which they would have included more features on this set. It’s a shame that such an excellence show lacks even one commentary track.
For those of you that have seen season one, don’t pass up season two because the show just gets better. Soon after finishing season two on DVD, I switched my cable package from HBO to Showtime just so I could see the third season and what did I think of it….Well you’ll have to wait till August.
Review By Brad Peterson
Release Date: May 5, 2009
Hotel For Dogs Blu-ray Review
Monday, April 27th, 2009
REVIEW: Remember that movie with Diane Lane and John Cusack, what was it? Oh yeah, Must Love Dogs. Well, it’s not a requirement but it does help if you really want to enjoy this movie. One of Priscilla’s favorite dogs is the French bulldog. She would already have one if she could afford to get one. They are not cheap at all. If any of you know of any French bulldogs out there that are available at a decent price, please, please, send me an email. Or if you would like to contribute to the “Let’s Get Priscilla a French Bulldog Fund”, let me know as well. I’m going on and on about this and yet I’m not even sure if one of the canine stars in this movie is a French bulldog. I love dogs but I’m not a professional classifier. I still can’t tell a French bulldog from a Boston terrier. They look the same to me. Georgia, be it French or Boston, is one of the many adorable dogs used in this fun, light-hearted picture. If Priscilla would have gone with me to the screening, she would have been able to tell me what kind of dog Georgia is as well as what kind of dog Friday is too. I think he looks like a long-haired Jack Russell, but what do I know. Friday is the main canine star and he and his buddies steal every scene they are in. Friday is an ingenious dog that has the talent of finding and eating food and what a healthy appetite he has. Each of the other four legged stars has its own talent as well. We have chewers, fetchers, howlers, and even lovers. All of them have found the home they needed at this abandoned hotel thanks to Bruce (Jake T. Austin) and Andi (Emma Roberts), orphan siblings that have an affinity for dogs. Oh yeah, there are humans in this movie too. They all did as good as you would expect for this kind of movie. Bruce and Andi are trouble makers but they are ingenious trouble makers. Their hearts lie on the desire to be part of a loving family and so they created one for themselves and will defend it at any cost.
This film is geared more toward kids and based on the feedback I noticed during the screening, they will enjoy it. From the very beginning, there was audience participation with the movie as they clapped along with the opening music. There were kids galore in the audience and they were pumped and excited to watch this film. There were plenty of aw’s and oh’s throughout and it concluded with a nice round of applause. The story is predictable and cliché at times, down to the mean and nasty dog catchers, so you grown-ups might enjoy the movie more if accompanied by children, unless you’re a major fan of dogs. But regardless, the message that this movie delivers is for everyone. It sheds light on the fact that so many really good dogs are in need of a loving family and home. In the movie they get a hotel but in our world it might not be that simple. Director Thor Freudenthal did a good job of tugging at our heart strings by showing us the importance of being part of a loving family, both human and pet alike.
Film Review By Cine Marcos
BLU-RAY: The film is presented in 1080P widescreen in a 1.85:1 aspect ration preserving its theatrical format. The picture is just flawless, giving the film vast array of vivid colors. Not only the picture looks excellent in this release, also the sound it is good, a English 5.1-TrueHD Master Audio as well as a 5.1 Dolby Digital in French and Spanish. It also includes subtitles in English, French , Spanish and Portuguese. The audio capture in detail the sounds of man’s best friend.
In terms of special features the blu-ray includes, the usual making of featurette and about the more short featurettes that focus more on the canines. It also includes about eight deleted scenes and Commentary by Thor Freudenthal, Ewan “Jack” Leslie, Emma Roberts and Jake T. Austin. All of the special features in thu=is release are in HD, which is a good thing.
Overall Hotel for Dogs is a nice surprise, even if you are force to watch this film, you will find that it wasn’t bad. You actually may end up recommend it.
Release Date: April 28, 2009
The Reader Blu-ray Review
Sunday, April 26th, 2009
The Reader, one of the year’s most acclaimed films of 2008, is a ground breaking drama that puts the audience in a roller coaster of emotions from admiring beauty, studying guilt and doubting morals. Based on the novel of its same name, the film has put in plain view what good use of cinematography can do and in this case has been the connection between actors and viewers. This connection we owe not only to film director and mastermind, Stephen Daldry but to academy award winner for best actress Kate Winslet.
If you have not read the book, the beginning of this film might not inspire you to continue watching. Given that fifteen year old Michael Berg (David Kross) gets sick with Scarlett Fever and is assisted on the street by a woman twice his age. As they get to know each other they fall in love for one another but Hanna Schmitz’ (Kate Winslet) only condition is that Michael reads to her. Up to this point, the film is just a beautiful and forbidden coming of age romance, with lots of sexual scenes and a troubled Michael. The film quickly shows the polemic and controversial plot when after many years Michael sees Hanna agin as she is put on trial for a devastating crime. Michael, a law school intern holds a truth that could help Hanna’s case but decides to keep quiet. The plot continues to develop and needs to be carefully examined as flashforwards show an old Michael Berg (Ralph Fiennes), who has become an unhappy, lonely introvert whose love for Hanna goes beyond cell walls.
How can someone with such an immoral past be an inspiring role model for others? This is the question that an illiterate Hanna whose limitless drive to learn how to read and write has risen. At the end, it is this determination and will what saves this unpopular heroine, who might have used the quote “The sky is the limit”. A strong film with a solid message worth watching and adding to your collection.
The Reader is presented in widescreen format (1.85:1 aspect ratio) with English 5.1 TrueHD Dolby Digital Sound and English and French 5.1. It also includes English and Spanish subtitles. The picture looks flawless in HD, this is probably the best blu-ray released by The Weinstein Company. Bonus features including all-new cast and director interviews, deleted scenes and behind-the-scenes featurettes.
Review By Jen
Release Date: April 28, 2009
The Spirit Blu-ray Review
Monday, April 13th, 2009
Frank Miller applied all the knowledge he gained while co-directing Sin City with Robert Rodriguez to his follow up solo project The Spirit, a film that visually looks a lot like Sin City. However, while the visuals might be up to par with those of Sin City the story isn’t. The Spirit’s tale is just not as interesting.
In The Spirit, The Spirit (Gabriel Macht) much defeat his nemesis The Octopus (Samuel L. Jackson) before he becomes invincible. The Octopus with the help of (Pathos, etc) Louis Lombardi, which has some of the funnies scenes in the movie, and Silken Floss (Scarlett Johansson) are on a path for global domination. However, we never feel this threat is real enough as the characters are played a bit on the tongue and cheek side. The Spirit on the other hand is left to deal with The Octopus and Sand Saref (Eva Mendes), a childhood girlfriend who might be working for the wrong side.
The plot doesn’t offer much in the sense of intrigue. The most exciting elements of the plot where the origin story of out how The Spirit came to be. However, the worst thing about the movie is that Miller choose to keep the same style of acting used in Sin City where the characters deliver their lines overly dramatic with more tongue and cheek than I can handle. This day and age it’s hard to get these types of movies to work, audiences are looking for something real and gritty from their heroes.
The film is done entirely using CGI and has a nice and clean look, however they aren’t enough big set special effects pieces. The only two that stand out are near the beginning and at the climax. The look of the film gives it an almost black and white look. There are scenes where the only color is the red of The Spirit’s tie. Regardless, the movie looks fabulous on Blu-ray. However, this is also the source of other problem. The visuals are so nice looking that they distracted from the movie. Take for example, the snow, a lot of the scenes show snow falling and on Blu-ray the snow looks so beautiful that I sometimes lost my focus on the movie. The sound is also excellent, but be warned that action scenes and gun shots are loud, really loud.
The Blu-ray disc has some pretty nice features starting with Green World which describes the CGI techniques used for the movie, Miller on Miller where we get more information on the amazing mind of Frank Miller, a pretty cool alternated ending is also shown, but in story board form, a History Repeats feature where Miller speaks about Will Eisner the creator of The Spirit and an audio commentary by Frank Miller offering enough nuggets of info for those wanting to know all the in and outs of each scene.
The Spirit Blu-ray also marks the debut of the first LIONSGATE LIVE™ enabled title for the studio. LIONSGATE LIVE™ is a unique BD Live based menu system that delivers updateable exclusive content such as commentaries, games, ringtones, wallpapers, trailers and much more via a series of on-screen notifications and widgets. The Blu-ray Disc also features Molog, which allows users to insert and animate shapes, text, audio and other graphics right into the film as well as post “blogs” about the film to share with other registered MOLOG™ users. Unfortunately these features were not available at the time of the review
Review By Brad Peterson
Release Date: April 14, 2009
Bedtime Stories Blu-ray Review
Sunday, April 5th, 2009
FILM REVIEW:
The band Journey was really on to something with their hit song Don’t Stop Believing. If you want your dreams to come true, you’ve got to believe. This movie is an adventurous “journey” (yeah, I had to) for Skeeter Bronson (Adam Sandler) to learn exactly that, thanks mostly to his niece and nephew and their vivid imaginations. Gumballs, Ferraris, epic battles, and a kiss from a damsel in distress are all part of the fantasy that makes up this bedtime story. In this film there is a dashed line between fairy tale and reality and that is what makes it special. It has a touch of Disney magic and a touch of Adam Sandler comedy to make it fun for the whole family. Yes it is cliché and predictable, but it is funny, enjoyable, and very cute. That one word probably describes it best . . . cute. The story, the dialogue, the imagination, the niece and nephew played by Laura Ann Kesling and Jonathan Morgan Heit, and even their big-eyed pet Bugsy are all adorable. Oh yeah, so is Keri Russell in the role of Jill.
Even with all the cuteness this movie has, it lacks a little in quality. There is a good amount of character presentation along with the foundation of the story during the opening of this movie and yet the viewer has a tough time identifying with any of the major characters. Adam Sandler’s forte is presenting approachable characters that people can relate to and connect with. It is a large part of his extraordinary success in films. I struggled to figure out Adam’s character in this movie. Is he a slacker, a genius, a lazy bum, a self-centered dreamer, a sleeping giant, or just simply a talented guy who patiently waits for his big break? I couldn’t put my finger on it and thus I didn’t know where he was coming from during the movie. Same goes for his sister Wendy played by Courteney Cox as well as Jill (Keri Russell). These are most of the major characters and you can understand what is going on between them but their development is too shallow and their motivation is unclear. Some of the supporting roles were too obvious to mistake, though. Such as Violet Nottingham played by Teresa Palmer. She is the spoiled, self-proclaimed celebrity daughter of the rich hotel owner Barry Nottingham (Richard Griffiths). Hmmm, sounds familiar doesn’t it? Guy Pearce plays Kendall, the selfish hotel executive with a hidden agenda that benefits only himself. Can I tell you that I didn’t even recognize Lucy Lawless as Aspen who works at the front desk of the hotel and is Kendall’s accomplice. Russell Brand delivers another goofy, light-hearted role as Mickey, hotel employee and friend to Skeeter. All in all, everybody gave a decent performance but those main characters where hard to connect with. Luckily, the story wasn’t.
Given the nature of the story, you would have to expect the visual effects to keep up and they did. Not the best stuff ever but good enough for this production. You are taken to the Wild West with cowboys, Indians, and fast horses, a Roman coliseum for some chariot tricks, medieval times with knights in shining armor, and to the future on board a space station. The sky is not the limit when it comes to the imagination used in this picture. Even when it comes back to reality in the end, the climax of the film is really quite exciting and brings the whole thing together in Disney style. Director Adam Shankman has directed some good projects this decade; Wedding Planner, A Walk to Remember, Bringing Down the House, The Pacifier, and Hairspray to name a few. This is not his best work but it can definitely be included in this list.
Film Review By Cinemarcos
BLU-RAY: The film is presented in 1080P widescreen in a 2.35:1 aspect ration preserving its theatrical format. The picture is just flawless, giving the film and special effects clarity that only high definition can provide. Not only the picture looks excellent in this release, also the sound it is good, a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio (48kHz/24bit) that provides a good complement to the picture , however I was very surprised to find that the sound was not 7.1 DTS-HD. Not sure why Disney Home Entertainment decide to go with a 5.1 audio, instead of the 7.1.
The 3-disc Blu-ray is a limited time Special Offer Combo Pack that also includes a DVD copy of the of the film, allowing fans to own this classic story on standard def DVD while they are preparing to upgrade to 1080p Hi-def Blu-ray, so consumers can “future-proof” their collection.
In terms of Special Features, the Bedtime Stories’s three disc blu-ray falls a little bit short. Even though it includes a DVD copy of the film and a Digital copy, I was expecting more. It includes three short featurettes about the production. The first one is “Until Gravity Do Us Part” which talks about the gravity fighting scene between Adam Sandler and Guy Pearce. The Second one is “It’s Bugsy”, another short featurette about Bugsy the big-eyed guinea pig. And finally “To All The Little People”, in which the big Hollywwod stars talk about their experience working with the talented kids of the film. If you enjoyed the film the Blu-ray also includes about twelve deleted scenes that you may want to ckeck out. It also includes about seven minutes of outtakes, which are without a doubt the best featurette of the Blu-ray, really funny.
Like previous release the blu-ray comes with DB-Live, which allow users to get exclusive online content, users get opportunity to chat, participate in movie challenges and access movie mail. Your blu-ray player will need to be connected to the internet, in order to access this features.
Overall this release will be a good addition to your Disney collection.
Release Date: April 7, 2009
A Mighty Heart Blu-ray Review
Monday, March 23rd, 2009
When watching a film based on a true story, specially one that has been controversial and has received major attention from the press, I am inclined to speculate about the maze that lead to the chain of events. In an effort to recollect these events of what happened to Daniel Pearl in Karachi, Pakistan in 2002, the movie “A Mighty Heart” brings us much more than the facts. This is a film that was made with love, sensitivity and understanding from its planning to the final product.
After making political docudramas and movies like The Road to Guantanamo, and Welcome to Sarajevo, director Michael Winterbottom was chosen by producer Brad Pitt to conduct this movie. Winterbottom used Mariane Pearl’s book as an instrument to bring the big screen the bare truth and sense of reality that the book transpires. In doing so he met with the people that were close to Marianne at the time of the tragedy and asked the cast including Angelina Jolie, to meet on a personal basis with each of the characters they were going to interpret. For Jolie it was an honor to interpret the character of Marianne Pearl since from their first encounter, she was compelled with her story and only felt admiration for such a courageous and strong woman.
While watching this film the audience can get a better understanding of the political secrecy, religious ideology, and social issues that came to play in the death of Wall Street Journalist reporter Daniel Pearl. While this movie was filmed in Pakistan, India and France the backdrop scenery like the house keeper with the child at the Pearl’s residence, to the busy streets full of misery, and the senseless traffic jam, to the political riots all serve to bring life to the status of chaos going on in this country.
The plot contains the pregnant wife of Pearl desperately running against time in a foreign country where terrorist have mistaken her husband for a CIA agent pretending to be a journalist. It is made clear that being a Jew in this Arabian country did not help him and only added to the hatred of his terrorists. While the director used the supporting actors well, it is their role in the kidnapping what is mostly highlighted. One of the downfalls of this film is that some of the supporting actors lack of showing urgency to find Pearl and natural emotional distress over his death. I doubt that this was Winterbottom’s intention as Marianne clearly states how grateful she was for all the help received during the search for Pearl in one of the scenes.
The entire kidnapping maze from Pearl’s translator to his contacts and the assistance of the authorities in this country as well as the US involvement is clear and well elaborated. While all of this adds on to an entertaining suspenseful film, it is a sad, touching and personal story that has Angelina and Brad’s mission written all over it. To bring to the world the truth about what is going on in other countries.
The Blu-ray contains basically the same special features found on the previous DVD release, with the disappointment that these special features are not in high definition. It includes “Journey of Passion: The Making of “A Mighty Heart”; a good 30 minutes documentary about the film production. It also includes a short featurette about The Committee to Protect Journalists and theatrical trailers.
Like it was expected Paramount Home Entertainment HD presentation of the film is better than the DVD. A full 1080P widescreen with a 1.85:1 aspect ration preserving its theatrical format. Since most of the scenes in the film were shot during the day. The picture has vivid colors and zero saturation. I was not disappointed. All this visual experience is well complemented with a True HD 5.1 Dolby Digital for a good HD viewing pleasure
Review By Jen
Release Date: March 24, 2009
Bolt Blu-ray Review
Sunday, March 22nd, 2009
FILM REVIEW: When John Lasseter was named chief creative officer and principal creative advisor for Walt Disney Imagineering, many believed that this was the turning point for the Disney Animation Studio. After years of disappointments in the animation film world. Lasseter who has been the Oscar®-winning director for “Toy Story,” “A Bug’s Life,” “Toy Story 2” and “Cars” was now in charge of taking the famous animation studios back to the top of the animation world.”Bolt” is the first film under the executive production of John Lasseter, Collaborating with John was Ed Catmull, the computer animation pioneer who helped create Pixar Animation Studios. The film also marks the directing debut of Chris Williams and Byron Howard.
Bolt avoids the mistakes made by previous Disney animation films. It is not just for little kids like “Chicken Little” and it doesn’t ignore little kids like “Meet the Robinsons”. The story has enough material to please all demographics. The film has the right combination of action, drama and comedy, however the film lacks that defined character that creates a clear connection with the audience.
The quality of the animation sees an improvement in “Bolt” compared to previous Disney releases, but still the animation is not as impressive as the animation from its sibling studio Pixar. In another note “Bolt” is Disney’s first animated feature to be conceived and designed for 3-D. The previous Disney animated features—“Chicken Little” and “Meet the Robinsons”—were released in 3-D versions, however the post-production conversion process was created outside of the Studio. This process paid off in the film, it gave the movie better 3-D scenes.
There is enough entertainment to make Bolt one of the good family films of the season. The Pixar influence was a major upgrade for the Disney Animation Studio, putting it on track to return to its prime days
BLU-RAY: The film is presented in 1080P widescreen in a 1.78:1 aspect ration preserving its theatrical format. The picture is just flawless, giving the animation an outstation clarity that only high definition can provide. Not only the picture looks excellent in this release, also the sound it is good, a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio (48kHz/24bit) that provides a good complement to the picture , however I was very surprised to find that the sound was not 7.1 DTS-HD. Not sure why Disney Home Entertainment decide to only have 5.1 audio in this release, after all Pinocchio’s blu-ray is 7.1.
The 3-disc Blu-ray is a Special Offer Combo Pack that also includes a DVD copy of the of the film, allowing fans to own this classic story on standard def DVD while they are preparing to upgrade to 1080p Hi-def Blu-ray, so consumers can “future-proof” their collection.
Bolt’s three disc blu-ray set presentation is very similar to the recent combo packs released by Disney Home Entertainment this year ( Pinocchio and Sleeping Beauty). It is loaded with bonuses and features that will keep the whole family fully entertain. Many of these featurettes provide amazing details on how the film was created. Featurettes like “Creating The World of Bolt” , “Act, Speak! The Voices of Bolt” and “A New Breed of Directors: A Filmmakers’ Journey” take viewers beyond the making of the film. It also includes the music video “I thought I lost You” performed by Miley Cyrus and John Travolta. Like it is usual with Disney DVD and Blu-ray releases, this release includes the game “Bolt’s Be Awesome Mission Game”, in which the players get to help Bolt defeat the Green-Eyed man. Finally the must watch featurette of this pack is “The Super Rhino Short”. This short animated film features probably the character that gave Bolt the best laughs, Rhino. This is a really funny short. Don’t miss it.
Also the blu-ray comes with DB-Live, which allow users to get exclusive online content, users get opportunity to chat, participate in movie challenges and access movie mail. Your blu-ray player will need to be connected to the internet, in order to access this features.
Overall this release will be a good addition to your Disney collection.
Release Date: March 22, 2009
The Kite Runner Blu-ray Review
Saturday, March 21st, 2009
Based on the best selling book by Afghan American author Khaled Hosseini, “The Kite Runner”, was adapted for the big screen in 2007 and will be released on Blu-ray on March 24, 2009. In my opinion this is not only on of the best films of 2007, but also the most controversial. When DreamWorks decided to endorse this film is because they already knew it was going to be a big hit, especially with the participation of producer and director Marc Forster. It is no surprise that the film received the Golden Globe nomination of “Best Foreign Language Film” and at the Academy Awards won “Best Original Score (Alberto Iglesias)”.
The story is set in Afghanistan in the district of Wazir Akbar Khan, Kabul from the fall of monarchy in Afghanistan to the invasion of the Soviet Union. Hosseini tells the story of two boys who love kite fighting while roaming the streets of Kabul. Amir (Zecheria Ebrahimi) is the thirteen year old son of a well to do business man, Baba (Homayoun Ershadi) and
Hassan ( Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada) is the twelve year old Hazara servant boy that lives in Amir’s house. Unfortunately, while running a kite down for Amir, Hassan is anally raped by nazi minded bullies while his best friend, Amir watches and runs in fear. Not being able to deal with the guilt, Amir sets himself apart from Hassan, who proves time and time again a loyal friendship. The film takes us 15 years into the future (the book jumps back and forth more frequently) when Amir, a successful writer and his father Baba are living in Freemont, California after fleeing their country due to the Soviet invasion. After getting a phone call from Rahim Khan (Shaun Toub), Baba’s friend, Amir sees the opportunity to redeem himself of the guilt that has been hunting him. By going back to Afghanistan and facing the past, he will find the truth that will give him courage, hope and integrity.
The film was pushed back from being released for the safety of the children, who have been relocated to United Arab Emirates until they are older. Ahmad received $17,500 and Ali $13, 700 for their part in the film, however they fear for the common kidnapping of children with money in this country. Also, the rape scene while it has very little explicitness, it
is not as graphic as the book describes it. Regardless of that, the movie has been banned in Afghanistan due to this scene and the ethnic differences the film portrays.
The Blu-ray contains basically the same special features found on last years DVD release, with the disappointment that these special features are not in high definition. It includes the commentary with Marc Forster, Khaled Hosseini and David Benioff serve to understand more of this country and culture and how that impacted the making the film. Just like the novel, behind this great film there is a historical backdrop story, which can only be accessed on the Blu-ray.
Like it was expected Paramount Home Entertainment HD presentation of the film is better than the DVD. A full 1080P widescreen with a 1.85:1 aspect ration preserving its theatrical format. Since most of the scenes in the film were shot during the day. The picture has vivid colors and zero saturation. I was not disappointed. All this visual experience is well complemented with a True HD 5.1 Dolby Digital for a good HD viewing pleasure
Release Date: March 24, 2009
Primal Fear Blu-ray Review
Tuesday, March 10th, 2009
I first saw Primal Fear in the year 1996 and went in knowing nothing about it. It didn’t take long for me to get wrapped up in the movie and newcomer Edward Norton’s performance. Near the movie’s end, I felt I was hit with a steel bat across the face at it’s the first movie I can remember seeing with such an effective twisted ending. The marvelous ending and the performance by Edward Norton makes this movie an instant classic. Luckily, Paramount is releasing a special edition of the movie on Blu-ray called the Hard Evidence Edition. I’ve seen this movie on DVD a bunch of times and was delighted to re-visit it years later on Blu-ray.
In Primal Fear, Martin Vail (Richard Gere) is a famous defense lawyer who sets out to defend Aaron
(Edward Norton) who has just been accused of killing an Archbishop. Aaron tells Vail that he doesn’t remember anything except blacking out. Vail, becomes convinced that Aaron is innocent. However, it is soon discovered that Aaron suffers from multiple personality disorder and that he killed the Archbishop after blacking out and becoming the angry, aggressive Roy. Vail now sets up the court to declare his client insane and the director sets the audience up for a twist.
Watching this movie back in 1996 was a real joy and discovering Norton’s performance felt like something special. The movie on its own is good and effective, but Edward Norton’s performance takes it to the next level. Which is why it is without question that Norton got his Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor nomination. Cuba Gooding ended up winner that year for his performance in Jerry Maguire.
The picture looks good on Blu-ray High-definition, but suffers from looking a bit soft and flat. However it does look a lot better than the DVD version. The disc also contains a bunch of extra features including The Final Verdict-where producer Luccheis speaks about keeping the ending of the book, Casting Edward Norton-a delightful interview with Norton and his experience during the casting, and The Psychology of Guilt-a feature discussing the insanity defend and multiple personality disorder.
Review By Brad Peterson
Release Date: March 10, 2009
