Home Media Magazine - December 7-13, 2008 - (Page 14)

REVIEWS BLU-RAY SPOTLIGHT Edited by John Latchem www.homemediamagazine.com I THE DARK KNIGHT Street 12/9 I JAMES BOND COLLECTION VOL. 1: DR. NO, LIVE AND LET DIE, DIE ANOTHER DAY VOL. 2: FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, THUNDERBALL, FOR YOUR EYES ONLY Fox/MGM, Action, Individual movies $34.98 each, three-disc Blu-ray set $89.98 each. Stars Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, Jane Seymour, Halle Berry. Warner, Action, B.O. $529.7 million, $28.98 DVD, $34.99 two-DVD set, $35.99 Blu-ray, ‘PG-13’ for intense sequences of violence and some menace. Stars Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Eric Roberts, Anthony Michael Hall, Nestor Carbonell, Melinda McGraw, Nathan Gamble, Michael Jai White. T he theatrical release of the latest James Bond film, Quantum of Solace, has offered the perfect window for a slew of Blu-ray releases of the earlier films. Each includes a discount off the cost of a ticket to the new film. This collection is essentially a 1080p upgrade of the “Ultimate James Bond Collection” DVDs from a few years ago. That’s not a bad thing, as these films have never looked or sounded better, but it would have been nice to have some new exclusive BD content. At least some of the extras on each disc are offered in HD. This first wave includes just six of the 20 films released prior to 2006’s Casino Royale, which also has been newly released as a Blu-ray collector’s edition ($38.96) from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The initial line-up of classic Bond includes the first two Bond films, and two of the best: 1962’s Dr. No and 1963’s From Russia With Love, in which Sean Connery defined Bond for the ages. Thunderball (1965), Connery’s fourth Bond, offers a wider view of the action with a 2.35:1 aspect ratio. This movie suffers the most from the HD upgrade, especially in the underwater sequences, likely more an issue of the technology of the times. The two Roger Moore films in the first wave — Live and Let Die (1973) and For Your Eyes Only (1981) — show that Moore fits the tuxedo perfectly. For Your Eyes Only looks gorgeous in 1080p. The sound is excellent as well. In terms of new features, American audiences get a commentary track from Moore that was once offered only on the British DVD. Die Another Day (2002) is the only Pierce Brosnan Bond in this collection, and it’s his last go as 007. Like Casino Royale, this film looks amazing in HD and is clearly one of the best-looking and best-sounding films of the set. The visual upgrades of these films are good enough for those who own the earlier DVDs to convert to BD, even though the extras are the same. Bond is one of those franchises that helps make a great BD library, regardless of the overall quality of the actual film content. – John Gaudiosi F or cinephiles on the fence about converting to high-def, The Dark Knight should provide more than enough reason to upgrade to Blu-ray Disc. The film looks absolutely amazing in 1080p. Director Christopher Nolan filmed several notable sequences with Imax cameras, and the Blu-ray takes full advantage of the larger aspect ratio by completely filling an HDTV screen with the stunning images. The Dark Knight exceeds limits of the so-called “comicbook” movie, ascending to the pinnacle of the genre. The follow-up to Batman Begins is so much more than the story of the war between Batman (Christian Bale) and the Joker (the late Heath Ledger, turning in an Oscar-worthy performance). Nolan has focused the source material into a brilliant morality play about the struggle between democracy and terrorism. As far as extras go, the two-DVD special-edition should keep fans happy, but it is woefully inadequate compared to the Blu-ray version. None of the versions includes a commentary, which is unfortunate, but the Blu-ray version offers optional “focus points,” presented as insightful behind-the-scenes featurettes that can be played when prompted during the film, or separately. The Blu-ray also includes two very good made-for-cable documentaries about Batman — one covering his technology, the other dealing with the psychology of the character and his enemies. The DVD version is offered with no extras on the movie disc. The second disc of the special-edition DVD includes a handful of the “focus points” featurettes, and offers isolated versions of the six Imax scenes presented in the proper aspect ratio. Just for fun, both the Blu-ray and DVD special editions include a few “Gotham Tonight” faux-news clips that further explore the world within the film. – John Latchem I IRMA VEP: ESSENTIAL EDITION Street 12/9 Zeitgeist, Comedy, $29.99 DVD, NR. Stars Maggie Cheung, Jean-Pierre Léaud, Nathalie Richard. D irector Olivier Assayas’ bizarre 1997 concoction stars Hong Kong action diva Maggie Cheung as herself, signing on to a French production that spirals out of control. The director, René Vidal (Léaud), seems to be undergoing a mid-life crisis as he attempts a strange remake of the 1915 silent-film classic Les Vampires. First, he casts Cheung as Irma Vep (an anagram of “vampire”) after seeing her in the Johnny To actioner Heroic Trio. Then he orders her costumed in a head-to-toe latex jumpsuit modeled after Catwoman from Batman Returns. His film crew makes fun of him, but Cheung defends him, all the while sidestepping advances by the film’s costume designer, Zoe (Richard), who seeks a lesbian encounter. As Vidal loses his grip on reality, his descent mirrors the state of the French film industry at the time, an intentional satiric statement by Assayas. The film’s lenient pacing and reliance on offbeat moments set it strictly in the arthouse realm, but fans of such off-the-wall content will find plenty to enjoy. This Essential Edition includes black-and-white rushes of the film within a film, as well as the short Man Yuk: A Portrait of Maggie Cheung by Assayas, who married Cheung in 1998 (they divorced in 2001). – John Latchem 14 Home Media Magazine December 7–13, 2008 http://www.homemediamagazine.com

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Home Media Magazine - December 7-13, 2008 Contents News News High-Def News Electronic Delivery News TV DVD Reviews Pipeline Research Top 20 DVD Sellers Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts Just Announced

Home Media Magazine - December 7-13, 2008

Home Media Magazine - December 7-13, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - December 7-13, 2008 (Page Cover1) Home Media Magazine - December 7-13, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - December 7-13, 2008 (Page Cover2) Home Media Magazine - December 7-13, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - December 7-13, 2008 (Page 1) Home Media Magazine - December 7-13, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - December 7-13, 2008 (Page 2) Home Media Magazine - December 7-13, 2008 - Contents (Page 3) Home Media Magazine - December 7-13, 2008 - Contents (Page 4) Home Media Magazine - December 7-13, 2008 - News (Page 5) Home Media Magazine - December 7-13, 2008 - News (Page 6) Home Media Magazine - December 7-13, 2008 - News (Page 7) Home Media Magazine - December 7-13, 2008 - High-Def News (Page 8) Home Media Magazine - December 7-13, 2008 - High-Def News (Page 9) Home Media Magazine - December 7-13, 2008 - Electronic Delivery News (Page 10) Home Media Magazine - December 7-13, 2008 - Electronic Delivery News (Page 11) Home Media Magazine - December 7-13, 2008 - TV DVD (Page 12) Home Media Magazine - December 7-13, 2008 - TV DVD (Page 13) Home Media Magazine - December 7-13, 2008 - Reviews (Page 14) Home Media Magazine - December 7-13, 2008 - Reviews (Page 15) Home Media Magazine - December 7-13, 2008 - Reviews (Page 16) Home Media Magazine - December 7-13, 2008 - Reviews (Page 17) Home Media Magazine - December 7-13, 2008 - Reviews (Page 18) Home Media Magazine - December 7-13, 2008 - Reviews (Page 19) Home Media Magazine - December 7-13, 2008 - Pipeline (Page 20) Home Media Magazine - December 7-13, 2008 - Pipeline (Page 21) Home Media Magazine - December 7-13, 2008 - Top 20 DVD Sellers (Page 22) Home Media Magazine - December 7-13, 2008 - Top 20 DVD Sellers (Page 23) Home Media Magazine - December 7-13, 2008 - Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts (Page 24) Home Media Magazine - December 7-13, 2008 - Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts (Page 25) Home Media Magazine - December 7-13, 2008 - Just Announced (Page 26) Home Media Magazine - December 7-13, 2008 - Just Announced (Page 27) Home Media Magazine - December 7-13, 2008 - Just Announced (Page 28) Home Media Magazine - December 7-13, 2008 - Just Announced (Page Cover3) Home Media Magazine - December 7-13, 2008 - Just Announced (Page Cover4) 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