The Muppet Movie Blu-ray review

 

Actors: Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, Dave Goelz

Director: James Frawley

Writers: Jack Burns, Jerry Juhl

Format: AC-3, Blu-ray, Color, DTS Surround Sound, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: English (DTS-HD High Res Audio)

Subtitles: French, Spanish, English

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: G (General Audience)

Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment

Release Date: August 13, 2013

Run Time: 95 minutes

 

 

        In celebration of just short of a 35^th Anniversary, the original Muppet Movie is being released on high definition Blu-ray. After years of success with The Muppet Show, Henson finally brought the gang to the big screen in 1979 with The Muppet Movie. It seems less likely that this release has to do with an anniversary, and more probable that this is merely a marketing ploy to get these loveable puppets into the minds of young audience members prior to the latest addition in the film franchise, Muppets Most Wanted (2014). Even if that is the case, I welcome any reason to return to this incredible first entry into the world of film for Jim Henson’s wonderful creations.

 

The Muppet Movie takes us to the imaginary beginning of all of the legendary characters, and how they found their way into show business. It is a magical film that manages to escape seeming at all dated, even with a few tunes that are apparently influenced by the times in which the film was made. Mostly it is a fun and enjoyable film that has plenty for adults and children alike to enjoy. A perk for adults will be all of the great cameos by huge stars, staying true to the formula which made the television such a success. Among the most memorable are Steve Martin as an irritated waiter and Mel Brooks as a mad German scientist.  

 

 

        The movie is set up as a movie within a movie, so it begins with all of The Muppets gathering in a studio screening room to watch the film they have just finished about the very beginning of The Muppets. The audience is then brought back to the beginning, when Kermit the Frog was just a frog on a log in a swamp. It isn’t until a Hollywood agent just happens to pass by in a canoe and tell Kermit that he should be in show business that Kermit decides to leave the swamp. As he travels towards Hollywood, he finds himself meeting all sorts of other animals and creatures that also have a dream in Hollywood, so they form a group as they make their way. The group gets larger and larger, and Kermit is also being pursued by a fast food mogul who wants Kermit to help promote his fried frog leg chain.

 

With danger, dancing, show business and songs, The Muppet Movie is filled with entertainment. Kermit has a very sophisticated sense of humor, and he often tells one-liners directly to the audience. Many of the jokes are incredibly sophisticated and only adults are likely to understand them, but there is plenty of other stuff for the children to enjoy as well. It was also incredible how some of the scenes were done with the puppets at the time the film was made, and to a certain extent the same remains true today. There were not the easy digital solutions which would be used today, so it is all about camera tricks and great puppetry.

 

The Blu-ray release of this classic film is highlighted by the enhanced audio and visuals, but it also has some exclusive new special features which were not included in any previously released DVD. Though one of the features from the previous DVD is now released as a Classic Bonus feature, all the rest are new. There is a Disney intermission feature which is similar to others from Disney, with a special Muppet touch. There is also a karaoke feature, allowing a sing-along option for the famous songs. There is also a technical featurette, with never-before-seen footage of the first outdoor camera test of the famous puppet characters.

 

       

Entertainment Value: 9.5/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 9/10

Historical Significance: 10/10

Disc Features: 8/10

 

 

On the Road Blu-ray review

 

Actors: Garrett Hedlund, Kristen Stewart, Sam Riley

Director: Walter Salles

Format: Blu-ray, Color, NTSC, Widescreen

Language: English  

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R (Restricted)

Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO

Release Date: August 6, 2013

Run Time: 124 minutes

 

 

        As long as it took for this film adaptation of Jack Kerouac’s generation-defining novel to come to arrive, it was sure to be met with mixed feelings. Any novel with a following is bound to be judgmental of any interpretation which exists off of the page and outside of the reader’s own imagination, and this is only truer for a piece of literature many hold as nearly holy. I have no impression of the original source material, though I can’t imagine Kerouac imagined a bunch of pretty boy actors playing the roles in a tepidly safe adaptation of what was once a controversial text.

 

        I can almost see the attempt to draw in a specific audience group with the casting choices, and it was nearly brilliant in construction while the execution failed miserably. Casting an actress from Twilight alongside a bunch of Abercrombie models markets the film toward a younger audience, and with the film taking place during the beat generation we are also given a clear example of how unoriginal and uninspired hipsters are. The problem with a film starring a young and attractive cast looking and acting similar to the target audience is that it then has to appeal to that target group. Kerouac’s novel may have been youthful and exuberant, but the source material seems to have aged with him and the narrative in this film is so lifeless that it nearly has one foot in the grave.

 

        Sam Riley heads up the cast as Sal Paradise, our narrator and a struggling author who finds his voice through a relationship and random adventures with the selfish whirlwind of personality, Dean Moriarty (Garrett Hudlund). They travel cross country, occasionally with Dean’s first young wife, Marylou (Kristen Stewart), in tow. There are times that Marylou is along, even as they travel for Dean to visit his second and current wife (Kristen Dunst) and children. We are meant to dismiss Dean’s abysmal irresponsibility, because he is a free spirit. In the end, Sal just comes of a putz for trusting Dean or ever thinking he is capable of friendship without needing something in return.

 

        The cast is impressive, although mostly under-used. All people seem to be talking about is Stewart’s “bold performance,” which is code for her being willing to show her breasts and taint the image which fueled her career in another adaptation of a popular book. Stewart is good for reasons other than nudity, which is actually tasteful and limited. The cast also includes Amy Adams, Elisabeth Moss, and Viggo Mortensen, though none are used as much as they should be. Each scene with one of these actors is heightened, until we are forced to return to the story of Dean and his shadow.

 

        The Blu-ray release includes deleted scenes and a trailer.

Entertainment Value: 6/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 6/10

Historical Significance: 6/10

Disc Features: 3/10

 

 

The Demented Blu-ray review

 

Actors: Kayla Ewell, Richard Kohnke, Ashlee Brian, Brittney Alger, Sarah Butler

Director: Christopher Roosevelt

Format: Color, NTSC, Widescreen

Language: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1

Number of discs: 2

Rated: R (Restricted)

Studio: ANCHOR BAY

Release Date: July 30, 2013

Run Time: 92 minutes

 

        There are two types of independent horror films, and this is how it has always been. On one hand you have filmmakers like Roger Corman and his modern-day imitators, making films which blatantly rip off a more successful mainstream film in hopes of stealing a little of the residual glory. The other types are made by the more daring filmmakers who use the freedom of independence cinema to make a film which might not have been made in mainstream cinema. Unfortunately, The Demented is one of the first type of low budget horror films, and even more disappointing is how late it is to the party.

 

        To say that all of The Demented has been done in other films better is an understatement, as the market has been flooded with these type of infection-based horror since 9/11. In yet another quarantined biohazard horror, a group of college friends escape for a weekend getaway at an estate in a Louisiana bayou when a missile attack disrupts their peace. Suddenly all of the people in the surrounding areas act rabid and are contagious, in another zombie-like scenario.

 

        There are moments in the film which are well shot, and even a few sequences of suspense that almost make it worth enduring the standard bad dialogue and over-acting. All the rest won’t have to look far in the horror genre to find something similar. The Blu-ray release includes a high definition presentation of this low expectation horror film.

 

Entertainment Value: 3/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 4/10

Historical Significance: 1/10

Disc Features: 1/10

 

 

Ishtar Blu-ray review

Actors: Warren Beatty, Dustin Hoffman

Director: Elaine May

Format: AC-3, Blu-ray, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: English

Subtitles: English

Dubbed: English

Subtitles for the Hearing Impaired: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: Sony

Release Date: August 6, 2013

Run Time: 107 minutes

 

        Ishtar was one of those passion projects with a horrible reputation in the press long before it was released in 1987. As is the case with most massive cinematic flops, it isn’t nearly as bad as you might imagine. Mostly, Ishtar just feels like a waste of time, both for the talent involved and anyone unfortunate enough to sit through it. The director’s cut has no major changes to vastly improve the blandness of the film, and somehow I can’t imagine many people are excited to see this homage to classic Bing Crosby road comedies released in high definition.

 

        Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman are the only things keeping this surprisingly unfunny comedy afloat and even their performances get lost amidst a convoluted satire of Reagan-era international politics. The film works best when the jabs are directed at the entertainment industry instead, and the first act of Ishtar has the potential of being a Spinal Tap for lounge singers, but it quickly falls apart when the pair travels to the fictional country.

 

        Beatty and Hoffman are Rogers and Clarke, two singer/songwriters with little talent and endless ambition. Upon the advice of their limited agent, the pair goes on a concert tour in the Middle Eastern republic of Ishtar. Instead of performing, the pair becomes mixed up with beautiful freedom fighter (Isabelle Adjani) and ends up inadvertently taking on the CIA (led by Charles Grodin).

 

        The scenery looks fine in high definition, but no amount of image and sound clarity can help make the jokes funny. The highlight of the film are the moments of intentionally bad song writing, and even that isn’t enough to demand either a director’s cut or a Blu-ray release.

 

       

Entertainment Value: 5/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 4/10

Historical Significance: 3/10

Disc Features: 1/10

The King of the Streets Blu-ray review

 

Actors: Yue Song, Li Yufei, Kang En, Yang Jianping, Yang Junping

Director: Yue Song

Format: Blu-ray, Dolby, NTSC, THX, Widescreen

Language: Mandarin Chinese

Subtitles: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: Well Go USA

Release Date: August 6, 2013

Run Time: 88 minutes

 

        The storyline in the King of the Streets is more than a little familiar, but I suppose when you make a movie filled with martial artists and fighters it becomes about something other than the narrative. The story and the acting appear sketched in, minimizing all but fight scenes which are plentiful. Star Yue Song is also the writer and co-director, making certain that he showcases his own real-life abilities above all else. This makes for entertaining action in a shell of a tired storyline.

 

        Yue Song plays Yue Feng, a character whose name shows the creativity in the writing process. Feng was once a brilliant street fighter, able to take on an endless number of attackers until an accidental death sent him to prison for eight years. After being released, Feng makes a vow not to fight anymore, but thankfully this is not taken very seriously. Most films would show the struggle within the character as he decides that the cause he is fighting for is worth ending his vow, but The King of the Streets doesn’t bother with pesky details such as characterization or convincing storylines. Instead, Feng just jumps right in and begins fighting as if he had never stopped. This is justifiable because he is fighting for the safety of a group of orphans, in another lazy manipulation of the storyline.

 

        None of the horrible screenplay seems to matter once the fighting begins, especially since the cast seems mostly comprised of top contenders in MMA, Jiu-jitsu, Jeet Kune DO, Sanda, and Muay Thai boxing. Any of the scenes of dialogue just get in the way of the action in this Bruce Lee wannabe. Watch it for the action alone, with little else needing to be skipped over. For the life of me I can’t even remember a scene with Song talking, though I’m sure it must have happened at some point in the 88 minute running time.

 

        The Blu-ray release includes no special features to discuss, and the only reason for high definition is for the extra punch it gives playback of the fight scenes.

 

Entertainment Value: 7/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 4/10

Historical Significance: 3/10

Disc Features: 0/10

 

 

Twixt Blu-ray review

 

Actors: Val Kilmer, Bruce Dern, Elle Fanning, Ben Chaplin, Joanne Whalley

Director: Francis Ford Coppola

Writers: Francis Ford Coppola

Producers: Francis Ford Coppola, Adriana Rotaru, Anahid Nazarian, Fred Roos, Jim Hays

Format: AC-3, Blu-ray, DTS Surround Sound, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: English (DTS 5.1)

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Dubbed: English

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Release Date: July 23, 2013

Run Time: 88 minutes

 

 

        Despite some similarities in marketing art, Francis Ford Coppola’s return to the horror genre has little of the impact that Dracula did in the 1990s. Although it is hardly fair to expect the same passion from the filmmaker as he once had, most infamously filming Apocalypse Now, Coppola’s return to cinema feels as though we are forced to watch a filmmaker’s career slowly die. While most filmmakers grow in talent and ability with each film, Coppola seems to be giving us the reverse with his filmography’s end. It goes without saying that this low-budget semi-horror film is unable to match up to the Godfather trilogy, Apocalypse Now (1979) or even Dracula (1992), but it is much sadder to note that Twixt is a step down in quality from Tetro (2009) and Youth Without Youth (2007) as well.

 

        Val Kilmer stars as Hall Baltimore, a Stephen King hack with a career that is plummeting. Searching for someone to care about his latest book in a small town, Hall discovers a disturbing murder in the town’s history which may be the perfect subject for his new book. His investigation brings him very casually upon the ghost of a young girl involved in the tragedy (Elle Fanning) within his dreams, along with the ghost of Edgar Allen Poe (Ben Chaplin). As he tries to merely steal from the dead for his book, Hall ends up becoming more entangled in the town’s mystery than he intended.

 

        The minimized budget is an understandable explanation for why this film looks so inconsistent, with Coppola’s recognizable style for the film’s more significant sequences and other moments looking as though they were shot with a laptop camera. What is more difficult to understand is how bad the acting is in much of this film. Shouldn’t budget be insignificant with a veteran filmmaker like Coppola? Whether it is laziness or just bad direction, some of the film’s sequences have unbearably performances, and this is all that holds a horror film without scares or action together.

 

        With an 88-minute running time and endless laughs to be had, both intentional and not, the only thing this thriller written, produced and directed by Coppola is missing; thrills. The Blu-ray includes a documentary by Gia Coppola, because God forbid anyone in that family attempts a career other than director.

         

Entertainment Value: 4/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 4/10

Historical Significance: 4/10

Disc Features: 4/10

 

 

Welcome to the Punch Blu-ray review

Actors: James McAvoy, Mark Strong

Director: Eran Creevy

Format: Blu-ray, Color, NTSC, Widescreen

Language: English

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R

Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO

Release Date: July 23, 2013

Run Time: 99 minutes

 

 

        Welcome to the Punch has about five minutes of relevant real-world discussion about the practicality of a firearm-free police force in a society where criminals often carry deadly weapons themselves. Then it dismisses the subject, puts a gun in the police protagonist’s hand and unravels into a brainless shoot-‘em-up. Though it leaves little too think about and was easily replaced in my brain with the next piece of spectacle, Welcome to the Punch is a solid action film with more impact in visual style than narrative content or character development.

 

        Despite having an easily forgettable screenplay from visually proficient writer/director Eran Creevy, Welcome to the Punch is elevated slightly, even in the scenes without an explosive soundtrack, thanks to a talented cast of actors who are too good for this material. James McAvoy continues his struggle to shake the boyish image which elevated him to fame, heading up the cast as detective Max Lewinsky, a man left permanently scarred after a failed attempt to take down criminal mastermind, Jacob Sternwood (Mark Strong). When Sternwood’s son is caught up in a failed criminal venture of his own, Max’s retired nemesis is forced to return to London. Seeing his opportunity to redeem himself and obtain revenge in the process, Max’s passion returns to the job as he hunts Sherwood down.

 

        I could explain the plot more, but if I wrote even one sentence further there is a chance it would reveal the only remaining twist. This is not a complex film, and surprises can be guessed long before they arrive for anyone who has seen the plethora of films which preceded this one. There is little in the story which is new or exciting, but none of that will matter to actions fans once the shooting begins.

 

        The Blu-ray includes a making-of featurette, as well as additional interviews with star players. There is also a trailer for the film.

 

Entertainment Value: 8.5/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 6/10

Historical Significance: 3/10

Disc Features: 5/10

 

 

RMN Quick Critique: Hitchcock (2012)

 

 

 

        Although I was relieved to see that the film’s storyline was about Alfred Hitchcock’s wife and her involvement in his career, I was disappointed by the inconsistency of the narrative. Filmmaker Sacha Gervasi attempts too many visual and mood references, all in a convoluted effort to insinuate Hitchcock inserted himself into the characters of his films. The best parts of this film are the real-life studio struggles and the subsequent marketing ploys Hitchcock used to draw audiences into Psycho, and the performances by stars Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren.

       

Entertainment: 8/10

Quality: 7/10

Availability: Blu-ray, DVD, Redbox

 

 

RMN Quick Critique: The Initiation (1984)

 

 

        Bad acting abounds while the deaths are at an all-time low, both in quantity and creativity, in this forgotten slasher from the 1980s. Occasionally so bad that it is fun to watch, The Initiation is mostly just bad. The twist at the end is inexplicable and would be laughed out of a writers’ meeting for even the worst soap opera.

       

Entertainment: 3/10

Quality: 2/10

Availability: DVD, Instant Netflix

 

 

Olympus Has Fallen DVD review

 

Language: English

Subtitles: Spanish, English

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R (Restricted)

Studio: Sony Pictures Entertainment

Release Date: August 13, 2013

Run Time: 120 minutes

 

 

 

 

 

 

        If Hollywood studios insist on competing with each other in narratives of choice, at least we have some variety in the stylistic choices of these films. Within the first half of 2013, there were at least three films with central storylines involving the White House being invaded. In the most cartoonish sense, we have the ninjas invading the Oval Office in G.I. Joe: Retaliation. More in-line with the buddy action comedies of the 1990s is Roland Emmerich’s White House Down, while director Antoine Fuqua takes us down a darker path with Olympus Has Fallen.

 

        Gerard Butler heads up the ‘Die Hard in the White House’ plot as former Presidential guard Mike Banning. After this secret service agent fails the president, he is shamed with a job across the street from the White House, but an opportunity for redemption arises when an insurgent attack suddenly takes out the ground security and invades the White House, codename Olympus. The President of the United States (Aaron Eckhart) is taken hostage in the bunker, with only Banning as a hope to save him.

 

        When I read reviews saying that this was a dark film, I guess I assumed that they were merely referring to the fact that the lights are off in the White House for much of the film. It is dark in this sense, but also in the sense that there is little humor or light spectacle in the deaths. The type of action utilized here is the same as those in the Expendables films, minus the cheesy one-liners. Banning doesn’t just kill the invaders; he brutally hurts them and then emotionlessly ends them. The film might have been helped with some humor and less patriotic fervor, or perhaps may have been better accepted by audiences ten years ago when it may have served some cathartic purpose.

       

Entertainment Value: 8/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 6/10

Historical Significance: 6/10

Disc Features: 1/10

 

The Ice Storm Blu-ray review

 

Actors: Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Tobey Maguire, Christina Ricci

Director: Ang Lee

Format: Blu-ray, Color, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: English

Subtitles: English  

Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R (Restricted)

Studio: Criterion Collection

Release Date: July 23, 2013

Run Time: 113 minutes

 

 

        It is easy to get caught up on the coincidences that The Ice Storm shares with the future works of its filmmaker and cast members. Four years before playing Spider-man, the film opens with Tobey Maguire reading and musing over a comic book. Spider-man is even made direct reference to in the novel by Rick Moody which this film is based on, and the super-hero family of the Fantastic Four is a central metaphor for the narrative. Director Ang Lee (The Life of Pi, Brokeback Mountain) would eventually direct a super-hero film as well, with 2003’s Hulk. In reality, however, The Ice Storm shares much more with Lee’s early work than the films which would follow.

 

        Though the narrative is a great deal more cynical and tragic, the style of The Ice Storm aligns more with the ‘Father Knows Best’ trilogy than it does any of Lee’s later works. Much of this may be because of the film’s haunting score by Mychael Danna, which utilizes flutes for the more poignant sections. The story follows the evening of particularly unpredictable ice storm on Thanksgiving in 1973 suburban Connecticut. Two families are caught up in their own melodrama as Richard Nixon’s Watergate scandal began to unravel in front of the public’s eyes. More significant to the storyline is the relationship between child and parent, with many of the adults acting in a manner similarly irresponsible and immature to how their child is also behaving.

 

        The cast of parents and children is filled with a number of recognizable young faces, with Katie Holmes giving her film debut in a smaller role. The two main families in the film are the Hoods and the Carvers. Elena and Ben Hood (Joan Allen and Kevin Kline) have a sixteen-year-old boy named Paul (Maguire) and a fourteen-year-old daughter named Wendy (Christina Ricci), while Jim and Janey Carver (Jamey Sheridan and Sigourney Weaver) have two boys named Mikey and Sandy (Elijah Wood and Adam Hann Byrd). Ben is having an affair with Janey, while Wendy experiments with both of the Carver boys in their basement.

 

        Sexuality is something to be flaunted and discussed openly in The Ice Storm, especially over casual conversation at dinner parties. This was an era which even nicknamed an informant in the Watergate scandal after the popular pornographic film. Never before (or since) was there a more sexually liberated society, and Lee satires the parent’s longing to act younger than they are while their children attempt to act older.

 

        The Blu-ray release of The Ice Storm presents a restored 2K digital film transfer, supervised by director Ang Lee and director of photography Frederick Elmes, with a 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. The special features include a commentary track with Lee and producer/screenwriter James Schamus. There is also a making-of documentary with interviews from cast and crew, and additional interviews with novelist Rick Moody. Some of the more unique special features include a series of illustrated audio interviews, while there are also the traditional deleted scenes and trailers.

Entertainment Value: 7/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 8/10

Historical Significance: 7/10

Disc Features: 9/10

 

 

New World Blu-ray review

Actors: Choi Min-sik, Hwang Jeong-min, Lee Jeong-jae, Park Seong-Woong, Song Ji-hyo

Director: Park Hoon Jeong

Format: Blu-ray, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, THX, Widescreen

Language: Korean

Subtitles: English

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: Well Go USA

Release Date: July 23, 2013

Run Time: 135 minutes

 

 

        In many ways, New World is far from original in its plot. If I were to add together all of the crime films involving an undercover cop and then separate them by country of origin, I would imagine that at least half would be Asian-language films. Though South Korean cinema of the last decade or so has said to have had most its influence from the heyday of 1990s Hollywood blockbusters, New World seems more likely to have been inspired by the plethora of Chinese crime films. It may have even blended in to become indistinguishable amongst them, if it weren’t for an altogether inspired ending. The conclusion of New World is one which cleverly relies on the expectations audiences have with the familiarity of this material, elevating the film to new heights as the credits begin to roll.

 

        The film begins with a shocking event that changes the dynamic in a powerful crime syndicate. When the head of the Goldmoon syndicate dies, three different men prepare their own rise to the top. As the top seat is being battled for by brute force and clandestine actions, one of the members has other issues to deal with. Ja-sung (Lee Jung jae) is an undercover cop who has been in deep-cover for eight years with the Goldmoon syndicate. Although the man he was investigating has died, Ja-sung is forced to stay undercover by the order of determined Police Chief Kang (Choi Min-sik). Soon it is more than just the arrests at stake, as a mole is being exposed within the syndicate and Ja-sung worries that he will be discovered before the case is closed.

 

        Those going into New World expecting a great deal of action are likely to be disappointed. There is some gangster violence, but this is much heavier on the drama than it is on the exploitation or spectacle. What action there is has a purpose within the grand scheme of the plot, rather than simply serving the bloodlust of the audience. While much of the film may be a bit slow for the genre, this is the kind of film which pays off to the patient viewer.

 

        The Blu-ray release includes a making-of featurette, as well as a photo gallery and a trailer.

       

Entertainment Value: 7/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 8/10

Historical Significance: 6/10

Disc Features: 5/10

 

 

Trance Blu-ray review

Actors: James McAvoy, Rosario Dawson, Vincent Cassel, Danny Sapani, Matt Cross

Director: Danny Boyle

Writers: Joe Ahearne, John Hodge

Producers: Danny Boyle, Bernard Bellew, Christian Colson, Diarmuid McKeown, François Ivernel

Format: AC-3, Blu-ray, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: English (DTS 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Dubbed: English, French, Spanish

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Release Date: July 23, 2013

Run Time: 102 minutes

 

 

        Danny Boyle is a director whose projects vary from one to the next, though with the use of a style that is effortlessly recognizable. Trance might have been a terrible film in the hands of another director. It still isn’t the best of Boyle’s filmography, but the screenplay’s weaknesses are less apparent until further inspection.

 

Taken as pure entertainment, Trance is a fast-paced thriller with a solid cast and a director in his prime. Boyle’s last two films were incredibly successful with critics and award season. Trance appears to be more of a return to roots, along the lines of Shallow Grave and Trainspotting, both of which also utilize some unsavory characters willing to betray each other for unnecessary desires.  

 

        The film’s plot revolves around a mystery involving a stolen painting which has gone missing, though this search clouds the real questions which need to be answered. Our narrator and apparent protagonist is an art auctioneer named Simon (James McAvoy), who becomes involved with a group of thieves led by a particularly unpleasant man named Franck (Vincent Cassel). His collaboration is threatened, however, when Simon cannot recall the location of the hidden painting after taking a large blow to his head.

 

The only natural step to take is for the criminals to hire a hypnotherapist to retrieve the important memory. This is one of those weaknesses in the plot which sounds far less convincing on paper than Boyle manages to make it onscreen. The hypnotherapist is played by Rosario Dawson, who literally lets it all show for the role of Elizabeth.

 

Trance is disorienting in plot, but once all has been revealed it becomes a much different film than what it begins with. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but a select audience group may find the underlining storyline somewhat disconcerting for a film which begins as pure caper. That being said, Dawson is able to carry this complex role off with ease.

 

The Blu-ray release of Trance also includes a Ultraviolet digital copy of the film, and a number of great special features.  There is an extensive making-of featurette and some deleted scenes, but the best two bonuses are a retrospective of Boyle’s career and a short film by Spencer Susser.       

 

Entertainment Value: 7/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 8/10

Historical Significance: 6/10

Disc Features: 7/10

 

 

Oblivion Blu-ray review

Actors: Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman, Olga Kurylenko, Andrea Riseborough, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Writers: Karl Gajdusek, Michael DeBruyn

Producers: Joseph Kosinski, Peter Chernin, Dylan Clark, Barry Levine, Duncan Henderson

Format: Color, Widescreen

Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (DTS 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (DTS 5.1)

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Dubbed: French, Spanish

Region: All Regions

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Number of discs: 2

Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)

Studio: Universal Studios

Release Date: August 6, 2013

Run Time: 124 minutes

 

 

        There are a lot of problems with Oblivion, but you would be hard-pressed to find a moment during the 125-minute running-time where I cared about these shortcomings. It is no surprise that this film kicked off the summer season, as it is the quintessential piece of Blockbuster cinema. From big stars to big effects, Oblivion hits all of the elements of glossy Hollywood filmmaking, but none drive the film more than the energetic electronic soundtrack by rock band, M83. One of the Blu-ray’s most spectacular additions is a viewing option for the film which isolates the score alone.

 

        The storyline for Oblivion is bound to seem familiar, combining elements of plot from a variety of science fiction films from the past several decades. The one thing that can be said of Oblivion is that it presents these typical plot twists in a manner which is somewhat easier to swallow. We are not immediately immersed in the lunacy of the plot, but instead allowed to go one step at a time. It is only upon further inspection that Oblivion falls short, while the spectacle of the theater is precisely what patrons shell out money to see. The Blu-ray is nearly as spectacular, assuming your home theater is up for the task.

 

        The storyline follows a security repair operator living on a desolate post-apocalyptic Earth. We are told in voice-over about the war which ended a possibility for humanity on the planet, and Jack Harper (Tom Cruise) explains his task of fighting off the alien invaders who attempt to sabotage the machines taking all of the water from the planet for humanity’s move to another home. Mostly Jack just repairs the machines that are equipped to do all of the fighting, drones which fly around the planet like sentries. The plot becomes more complex, though these twists are better experienced rather than being told about them. There were several moments during the film when I knew that there was a surprise around the corner, but a few times the direction of the shift actually surprised me. This is not to say that any of it was original, but the approach in filmmaking by Joseph Kosinski (Tron: Legacy) made it feel fresh in the moment. Morgan Freeman, Melissa Leo and Olga Kurylenko co-star.

 

        The Blu-ray combo package includes a DVD and digital Ultraviolet copy of the film. Exclusive to the Blu-ray is the isolated score track, as well as two featurettes. The first is about the making of the Bubble Ships predominant in the film’s action sequences, with the second focused on the film’s stunt sequences. Also included in the special features are a number of deleted scenes, a commentary track with Cruise and Kosinski, and three additional making-of featurettes. 

 

Entertainment Value: 8.5/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 7.5/10

Historical Significance: 5/10

Disc Features: 7.5/10

 

 

First Trailer for Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave

     The name Steve McQueen once brought visions to mind of a 1968 Mustang in San Francisco or motorcycle escape from a World War II POW camp, and while those images of "The King of Cool" still remain, they are now joined by the work of English filmmaker of the same name. The English McQueen only has two previously released feature films, but a career of prestige as an artist in many senses of the word. He was made the Official War Artist for Iraq in association with the Imperial War Museum in 2003 and has been awarded both OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) and CBE (Commander in the Order of the British Empire), in 2002 and 2011 respectively. Though predominately known for his photography and film work, McQueen also works in instillation art, the most notable being "Blues Before Sunrise," which featured two weeks in which all of the 275 street lamps of Vondelpark, Amsterdam were colored blue.

     For a man as accomplished as he is, McQueen's first two feature films were hardly mainstream or easily accessible. Hunger (2008) follows the final days of imprisoned Irish Republican Bobby Sands (played by Michael Fassbender), who gave his own life in an unbelievable show of dedication in a hunger strike. Paired with a career-changing performance from Fassbender, Hunger is breathtakingly shot by McQueen's regular director of photography, Sean Bobbitt. Despite his sophomore feature also bringing McQueen to the United States (although utilizing an English cast), Shame (2011) was actually less accessible due to an NC-17 rating.

     This year, however, may be the year that McQueen's undeniable critical achievements as a director is given the opportunity for a mainstream box office success. The first trailer for 12 Years a Slave has hit the web, along with the film's one-sheet poster, slated for an October 18 release. Based on the non-fiction account of Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free black man pre-Civil War upstate New York who is ubducted and sold to slavery, 12 Years a Slave was adapted by screenwriter John Ridley. Though this is the first time McQueen has directed something he has not also written, all of the other familiar elements seem to be in place. Most notable is the return of Fassbender in a co-starring role, as well as cinematographer Bobbitt. In addition to McQueen's usual players, 12 Years a Slave boasts an all-star cast that features Brad Pitt, Paul Dano and Paul Giamatti.