Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 - (Page 18) REVIEWS BLU-RAY SPOTLIGHT I THE BOURNE TRILOGY Street 1/27 Universal, Action, $119.98 three-disc Blu-ray set, ‘PG-13.’ Stars Matt Damon, Julia Stiles, Joan Allen, Chris Cooper, Brian Cox, Karl Urban, David Strathairn, Albert Finney, Scott Glenn, Franka Potente, Clive Owen. Edited by John Latchem www.homemediamagazine.com I HULK VS. Street 1/27 Lionsgate, Animated, $19.98 DVD, $24.98 two-DVD T here is no disputing that 2002’s The Bourne Identity, 2004’s The Bourne Supremacy and 2007’s The Bourne Ultimatum were landmark films in the action genre. The saga of Jason Bourne (Matt Damon), a former CIA operative who loses his memory and sets off to discover who he was and make amends for his sins, hauled in more than $525 million combined at the domestic box office. The trilogy redefined action films in the 21st century and inspired the reinvention of the James Bond films. All the extensive extras from the DVDs have been ported over, except for the trailers, which should be available through BD Live. The Blu-ray version of The Bourne Identity includes the three featurettes about “Bourne” author Robert Ludlum that were previously offered on a bonus disc with the DVD trilogy. Ultimatum also includes the “Be Bourne Spy Train- ing” extra from the HD DVD, a fun game in which viewers are shown five clips and asked questions about their ability to observe minor details. These Blu-rays also include Universal’s U-Control functions that offer access to three running extras on each film. “Bourne Dossiers” overlays certain scenes with data files on characters and locations relevant to the situation. “Bourne Orientation” cuts into the film to present a recap of key scenes from other parts of the trilogy that relate to the plot. Both are pretty cool. There’s also the standard picture-in-picture function in which short featurettes pop up to shed light on the current scene. In a nod to corporate sponsorship and product placement, Ultimatum also includes “Volkswagen Get More Info,” which is basically just a pop-up sales brochure for some of the cars used in the film. The films themselves look great in HD compared to DVD, but don’t pop off the screen in the same way other recent films do, such as – John Latchem The Dark Knight. set, $29.99 Blu-ray, ‘PG-13’ for animated violence. T 2 Hot Docs! OUR DAILY BREAD A Film by Nikolaus Geyrhalter I HIS NAME WAS JASON: 30 YEARS OF FRIDAY THE 13TH Street 2/3 Anchor Bay, Documentary, $19.97 two-DVD set, NR. Welcome to the world of industrial food production and high tech farming. “The 2001: A Space Odyssey of modern food production.” – Stuart Klawans, The Nation A 92 minutes / Color / 2005 Enhanced for Widescreen TVs UPC # 8-54565-00111-4 SRP: $29.98 One the year’s 10 best!” – Manohla Dargis, The New York Times National Bonus Features! Theatrical • Behind the scenes photo gallery Release “A Must See! 100 cities! • Film stills gallery • 2xPDF of filmmakers interviews • Filmography 92 minutes / Color / 2007 UPC # 8-54565-00109-1 SRP: $29.98 HollywoodOPERATION tried to gi FILMMAKER him the c of a lifetim Hollywood“Tense & transfixing!” tried to g him the c “Obsessively watchable!” FILMMAKER of a lifetim π œ Hollywood gave him the chance of a lifetime π Grand Jury Prize Best Documentary 2007 AFI Fest œ A Film by Nina Davenport When Hollywood gives a young Iraqi film student the opportunity of a lifetime, nothing goes according to plan… Featuring Liev Schreiber, Elijah Wood and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson OPERATION a film by NINA DAVENPORT – JESSICA WINTER, O THE OPRAH MAGAZINE – TY BURR, THE BOSTON GLOBE BONUS FEATURES! BEST DOCUMENTARY Grand Jury Prize - 5 Deleted Scenes - Interview with Nina Davenport - Filmmaker Biography 2007 AFI Fest CONTACT: HomeVideo@IcarusFilms.com TEL 800-876-1710 FAX 718-488-8642 nchor Bay Entertainment is billing His Name Was Jason as “the ultimate tribute documentary,” and I have to admit it is a pretty accurate description of this film about our favorite hockey-masked villain. The two-DVD “Splatter Edition” includes the feature-length documentary, a host of bonus features, a limitededition poster and a Hollywood Movie Money ticket for admission to the 2009 theatrical remake of Friday the 13th. Although the doc could be considered informative to non-horror viewers, it is clearly meant for fans of the genre, specifically those who have a fondness for the “Friday the 13th” movies. It is entertainingly hosted by renowned special effects make-up artist and actor Tom Savini, who was responsible for the make-up effects in the original Friday the 13th in 1980, among his many other credits. The audience is taken on a journey down memory lane, spanning the entire franchise history, through an impressive abundance of interviews and testimonials from the filmmakers, crew and actors associated with the films, as well as fans, genre journalists and contemporary horror practitioners. While the doc is incredibly amusing (much like reminiscing with old friends), some of the bonus features end up being just too much information for one sitting. However, they may appeal to fans interested in every detail of the making of these films. For entertainment value I recommend the featurette “Friday the 13th in 4 Minutes,” wherein directors Joe Lynch (Wrong Turn 2), Adam Green (Hatchet) and DreadCentral.com editor-in-chief Steve Barton summarize the plots of the entire franchise in four minutes. It is edited to appear as if they are finishing each other’s sentences — and these guys are funny. – Kyra Kudick he two titles that comprise Hulk vs. — Hulk vs. Thor and Hulk vs. Wolverine — provide comic book geeks with what they love: stories steeped in comic lore that don’t skimp on violent action. Both titles feature various characters from the Marvel Comics universe and will thrill fans who read deeply into the series. Prominent roles are given to the wisecracking Deadpool in Hulk vs. Wolverine and the devious Loki in Hulk vs. Thor, for example. Hulk vs. Wolverine does well by following the actual mythology of Wolverine — the character initially appeared in “The Incredible Hulk” comic book series as an adversary of the Hulk, before later joining the X-Men. This title also sets the stage for the new animated TV series “Wolverine and the X-Men.” But Hulk vs. Thor does better by adding a story with some depth to it, instead of trying to cram as much violence and as many characters in as possible. The Thor title centers on the battle to protect Odin, king of the gods, in his slumber from Thor’s villainous stepbrother Loki and his assistant, the enchantress Amora. Overall, though, the focus is on action, and both titles deliver in spades. Despite being animated in bright colors, the battles are dramatic and brutal, and perhaps too violent even for the ‘PG-13’ rating. The DVD also comes with several commentaries, making-of featurettes and footage from the 2008 San Diego Comic-Con International, nicely rounding out what are essentially two long TV episodes. – Billy Gil 18 Home Media Magazine January 26–February 1, 2009 http://www.homemediamagazine.com http://www.dreadcentral.com http://www.dreadcentral.com
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 Contents News TV DVD Reviews Just Announced Research Top 20 Sellers Top 20 Rentals Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 - Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 (Page Cover1) Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 - Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 (Page Cover2) Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 - Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 (Page 1) Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 - Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 (Page 2) Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 - Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 (Page 3) Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 - Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 (Page 4) Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 - Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 (Page 5) Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 - Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 (Page 6) Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 - Contents (Page 7) Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 - Contents (Page 8) Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 - Contents (Page 9) Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 - News (Page 10) Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 - News (Page 11) Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 - News (Page 12) Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 - News (Page 13) Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 - News (Page 14) Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 - News (Page 15) Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 - TV DVD (Page 16) Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 - TV DVD (Page 17) Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 - Reviews (Page 18) Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 - Reviews (Page 19) Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 - Reviews (Page 20) Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 - Reviews (Page 21) Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 - Reviews (Page 22) Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 - Reviews (Page 23) Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 - Reviews (Page 24) Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 - Reviews (Page 25) Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 - Reviews (Page 26) Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 - Reviews (Page 27) Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 - Just Announced (Page 28) Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 - Just Announced (Page 29) Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 - Top 20 Rentals (Page 30) Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 - Top 20 Rentals (Page 31) Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 - Top 20 Rentals (Page 32) Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 - Top 20 Rentals (Page Cover3) Home Media Magazine - January 26 - February 1, 2009 - Top 20 Rentals (Page Cover4)
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