Mainstream Cinema

The case for euthanising Eddie Murphy

I thought it would be a long time before I came across a film worse than Dr. Uwe Boll's House of the Dead. Now, however, thanks to the magic of Amazon's rental service, I've found one.

As you may have noticed, my HD Image Quality Rankings list includes several films that I myself don't own. The reason for this is that I like to keep abreast of developments in HD-land by renting and checking out as many titles as possible. I don't always manage to watch them all the way through, but usually I can get a reasonably good impression of how a particular disc measures up within a few minutes. And, if the film happens to be particularly good - or bad - I'll be more inclined to stick with it for the duration. Late last year, I became aware that a particular film had been released on HD DVD (and Blu-ray). Its name was Norbit, it starred Eddie Murphy, and it brought with it a reputation so abhorrent that I just knew it and myself would cross paths one day.

No escape clause, unfortunately.

As you will know if you have been reading my brother's site, he is shortly to be the proud owner of a projector. You'll probably also be aware that projector bulbs aren't cheap, which means that, every time you use it, you can almost hear the pennies dropping out of your wallet and hitting the ground. The notion of using some of the bulb's valuable power on a film like Norbit wasn't exactly what he had in mind, but we eventually reached a deal: Norbit could be viewed on the projector, but only on the condition that I wrote a full-length review of it.

However, the best-laid plans of mice and men and all that... One of the problems with online DVD rental programmes is that you often don't know which title you'll be receiving next. I had banked on Norbit not reaching me until the projector had safely arrived and been installed, so imagine my surprise (and faint feelings of nausea) when it turned up yesterday. (For some reason, this title does not appear to have been in high demand.) Realising, however, that, if I returned the disc or held on to it until the projector arrived, I would have wasted one of my precious monthly rental slots, I decided to bite the bullet and watch Norbit anyway, projector or no projector.

Fifteen minutes in, my brother turned to me and said "You know, it's okay if you want to just tear up the contract."

I persevered, however. What sort of watcher of bad movies would I be if I let a little thing like Norbit scare me away? Besides, I knew that my loyal readers would be waiting on tenterhooks for my verdict...

Norbit is yet another low-brow comedy in which Eddie Murphy dons a fat suit and plays several different characters. One of these is the titular Norbit, a weedy, pathetic little man who is married to Rasputia (also Murphy), a virtual elephant of a woman with a personality as foul as her odour. Norbit is an orphan, who was brought up by a Chinese man named Mr. Wong (Murphy, again, this time in yellowface). Mr. Wong's orphanage is up for sale, and the prospective owners include Rasputia's three vicious brothers, who plan to turn it into a titty bar and make Norbit's life hell at the same time. The other is Kate (Thandie Newton), a fellow orphan and the love of poor, browbeaten Norbit's miserable life. (Can you say "ahhhh"?) Oh, but she's engaged to Deion (Cuba Gooding Jr., who can currently be seen stepping into dear old Eddie Murphy's shoes in Daddy Day Camp, the follow-up to that masterpiece, Daddy Day Care), who is in league with the evil brothers! Will this delightful fairytale romance have a happy ending, or will Norbit have his face smashed in with a rusty hook? (I know which I'd prefer.)

Norbit's humour is best summed up as a never-ending series of fat jokes that aren't funny, with copious amounts of toilet humour and a healthy dose of racism thrown in for good measure. As an example of what passes for a gag in this supposed comedy, let's take the scene in which, having failed to carry his overweight bride over the threshold (because she's fat), Norbit stands quaking in his boots in the bedroom as the delightful Rasputia thunders towards him. She lands on top of him, the force throwing him backwards on to the bed (because she's fat), at which point the bed collapses (because she's fat). Safe in the knowledge that the audience will find this absolutely hysterical, the filmmakers then proceed to repeat the exact same gag three times, the only differences being the various costumes that the two Eddies are wearing. Oh, and, on the final occasion, the bed doesn't collapse, because it has been reinforced with concrete. You laughing yet?

Take, for another example, the film's witty wordplay. At the wedding reception, the delightful Mr. Wong, delivering the best man's speech, tells the guests that he is sad for Norbit because he is married to a gorilla. The aforementioned gorilla's family take exception to this, at which point Wong hastily reassures them that he is only kidding.

That's the joke.

No really, that's it. The entire film is one long series of build-ups without any punchlines. Each time the writers provide us with a situation, we continually assume that it's going somewhere, but it never does. At the same wedding, it is discovered that a slice is missing from the wedding cake. Cut to a shot of Rasputia with icing and sponge all over her face. You assume that the laughs will come from either her or the other characters' reactions. Instead, the film carries on to the next scene. "Norbit!" screams the cover art. "Funny!" is hollers underneath. I assure you, it is anything but.

Oh, and before I forget, I must take the time to mention that Mr. Wong is easily the single most racist creation I can remember seeing in a film in god knows how long. Why Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips continues to be suppressed while Eddie Murphy is allowed to paint himself yellow and utter all manner of inanities in a guttural voice (hilariously substituting "r" for "l", by the way - gotta love the attention to detail) is a mystery to me. You get the impression that perhaps the filmmakers were aware that this portrayal of a Chinese man might be a tad offensive, so they attempt to offset this late in the game by revealing that Wong is in fact a screaming racist himself ("Yes, Wong very racist. Don't like black. Don't like Jew either. But black and Jew love Chinese food. Go figure."), which, judging by the inverse logic to which the writers clearly ascribe (the same logic which allows them to mistake "devoid of humour" for "full of humour"), presumably means that everything's okay. I should probably point out that, if a white actor dressed up as a Chinese man and made these sort of "jokes" in this day and age, he would probably be lynched. However, Eddie Murphy, as a member of a minority group, seems to have a licence to offend every other minority group under the sun.

The rest of the film is made up of the same sort of inane gibberish and schoolyard bullshit that a kindergartener could have come up with. I could be charitable and say that Rick Baker's make-up effects are impressive (Murphy's transformation into Mr. Wong is nothing short of completely convincing), but that's like dishing out accolades for coming up with a completely authentic recreation of faecal matter which even smells like the real thing. It wasn't funny when Murphy did it in his remake of The Nutty Professor and it sure as hell isn't funny now. This is a tedious, mean-spirited, nasty, unfunny, noxious, loathsome, fucking tragic waste of celluloid. Baron Scarpia, I lay down the gauntlet.

Victoria Alexander in her review for FilmsInReview.com (one of the only positive appraisals I could find) crowed about how the film "celebrat[es] a big black woman who has not been victimized by a non-achievable, absurd standard of beauty fostered upon black and white women". Assuming she wasn't being ironic, then I can only lament for a culture that actually considers Rasputia to be a positive portrayal of a fat black woman.

1/10.

Oh, and to add insult to injury, the HD DVD transfer is flawless.

300 half-naked men

Last night, I finally got a chance to sit down and watch the HD DVD release of 300, which had been sitting on my shelf for nearly three months. Unfortunately, the wait was most assuredly not worth it. While the transfer itself was absolutely stellar, I found myself phenomenally bored by what turned out to be little more than a two-hour display of testosterone, CG and tedious fight scenes. It's blatantly the most homoerotic movie Hollywood has put out in the last few years, and I suppose for that alone it deserves some kudos, but unfortunately homoeroticism doesn't float my boat, and there was precious little else to entertain me. If your idea of fun is watching a gaggle of men puffing out their ludicrously overdeveloped torsos, wandering around in skimpy pants and fighting each other, then you may get a kick out of this. I personally just found it all rather boring.

300
(Warner, USA, VC-1)

Blu-ray review: Ratatouille

All things considered, this is a superlative release. The audio-visual quality is so impressive that, if it had been bare-bones, this disc would have been getting my unreserved recommendation. As it is, you may have to sift through the material on offer to get to the juicy bits, but there is a wealth of information on offer provided you are able to put up with the less than ideal menu system. Ratatouille on Blu-ray is just what this diner ordered.

I've reviewed Disney's Region A Blu-ray release of Pixar's latest film, Ratatouille, after having promised not to abuse this opportunity to use as many metaphors about cooking as possible.

The DVD from Hell

While I was out at work yesterday, my 666th DVD arrived... and it turned out to de the decidedly non-satanic Veronica Guerin. Too bad I didn't have the foresight to mark the occasion with something more appropriate, he he.

I first saw Veronica Guerin two Christmases ago, when I had taken out a subscription to Blockbuster Online and was sifting through various films that I thought sounded interesting. I enjoyed it greatly at the time, and, last week, when I watched it on TV with the sides of the picture unceremoniously lopped off (damn you to heck, 1.78:1!), was even more impressed by it. Heaven alone knows how Joel Schumacher and Jerry Bruckheimer managed to turn a film like this out between them, but they somehow did.

The DVD itself was a mere £3.99, but, upon popping it into my computer, I was a little annoyed to discover that this is in fact a re-release, which strips out the extras from the original version in order to fit the entire film on to a single layer disc. And this despite the back cover claiming that "layer transition may trigger a slight pause". Go figure.

DVDs I bought or received in the month of November

• 2001: A Space Odyssey (R0 USA, HD DVD)
• A Clockwork Orange (R0 USA, HD DVD)
• Eyes Wide Shut (R0 USA, HD DVD)
• The Fly (RA USA, Blu-ray)
• Full Metal Jacket [remastered edition] (R0 USA, HD DVD)
• The Mario Bava Collection Volume 2 (R1 USA, DVD)
• Pan's Labyrinth (R0 UK, HD DVD)
• Peep Show: Series 4 (R2 UK, DVD)
• Ratatouille (RA USA, Blu-ray)
• The Shining (R0 USA, HD DVD)
• Soldier of Orange (R0 UK, DVD)
• The Stendhal Syndrome: Special Edition (R0 USA, DVD)
• Tokyo Godfathers (R2 UK, DVD)
• Les Triplettes de Belleville (R0 France, HD DVD)

A good month for high definition, this, and another expensive one too.

Eyes half shut

Below are some screen captures from Eyes Wide Shut, comparing the old fullscreen DVD release with the new widescreen HD DVD. Which framing looks more accurate to you?

Example 1:

 
Example 2:

 
Example 3:

 
Example 4:

Hair of the rat

If I ever met Pixar's Rick Sayre, I would shake him warmly by the hand and say "Thank you, sir, for a job well done." The guy is possibly the best professional encoder in the business - he struck gold with the PAL DVD of The Incredibles, and he's done so again with Ratatouille. Even the absolute best HD releases generally have mild compression artefacts if you pause and zoom in close enough to inspect them in minute detail. Not so with Ratatouille. The image is, to my eyes, completely flawless. It just doesn't get better than this.

Ratatouille
(Disney, USA, AVC)

Oh, nausea!

I got through the whole of today without feeling sick once. I put this down to my decision to stop taking the Regulan (which my GP told me was probably a wise move when I suggested it to him), which was emptying my bowels at an impressive rate but leaving me feeling like crap for several hours after each, erm, evacuation. By the way, the GP (a different one from the one who put me on the stuff in the first place) gave me a pretty thorough examination, but could find no obvious explanation as to why I have been experiencing the pains I've been feeling. He said there was a possibility that it had been brought on by a varicose vein, which would correct itself in time, but otherwise couldn't offer any definitive diagnosis, and so has referred me to the hospital for an ultrasound, x-rays and the like. I'm feeling somewhat less worried now, though, because he obviously didn't consider it to be anything life-threatening, and the pains do seem to have abated somewhat over the last 24 hours, which makes me wonder if they were partly being accentuated by anxiety. I know that, if you constantly worry about something, it's always going to seem worse. Conversely, I managed to forget my aches and pains at various points throughout the day, which I take to be a good sign.

Unfortunately, the people responsible for mangling Suspiria (see my previous post on the issue here) seem to be doing their damnedest to make me feel as ill as possible. I got home from work this evening to find screen captures of the upcoming French 3-disc collector's edition from Wild Side waiting for me, and, judging by them, the new French transfer looks just as bad, if not worse than, the Italian "definitive" DVD. I've cancelled my pre-order - if it looks this bad, then all the bonus materials in the world won't convince me that it's worth shelling out €30 for.

In more positive news, my HD DVD of Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket arrived today from Amazon.com. I haven't seen the previous 2006 HD DVD release of this film, but apparently it looked like crap, so I'm happy to report that this new remastered edition looks excellent, along the same likes as 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Shining rather than A Clockwork Orange and Eyes Wide Shut. Detail is excellent, and this is definitely one of the best-looking discs Warner have put out, regardless of when the film itself was made (they've put out plenty of HD releases of 2006 and 2007 films that look vastly inferior). This is another "major" film that I've yet to see, so I'm looking forward to sitting down to watch both it and The Shining at some point in the near future.

Cooked to perfection

My review copy of the Blu-ray release of Ratatouille arrived this morning from DVD Pacific.

It goes without saying that my expectation were very, very high for this release. Pixar have put out some of the best-looking standard definition DVD releases ever, with their UK edition of The Incredibles being one of the few titles that I actually consider to be as close to "as good as it gets". Okay, so Finding Nemo ain't so hot in comparison, but they've never put out anything that's less than "very good".

Anyway, I wasn't disappointed. If there is a single flaw in Ratatouille's transfer, I can't see it. According to writer/director Brad Bird, it was handled by a Pixar technician named Rick Sayre, who also supervised The Incredibles' DVD transfer, and it looks sublime from start to finish. There is a lot of difficult material here, particularly running water, fur and various spices, but the encoder never seems to slip up once, and, while the visual look of Ratatouille doesn't quite have the crispness of Sony's Open Season (it was intentionally given a slightly softer, "warmer" sheen), I know which film I'd rather watch. For those who crave sharpness above all else, Pixar's Cars, released at the same time as Ratatouille and being delivered to the HMS Whimsy shortly, could easily become the new HD disc of choice (at least judging by the trailer on the Ratatouille DVD, which is a little over-compressed but beyond criticism in terms of detail).

That said, for me, by far the most striking aspect of this BD (barring the "Depending on your player, this disc may take up to three minutes to start" disclaimer at the start) was the trailer that played before the film, showing brief high definition clips of Peter Pan, The Jungle Book, The Lion King and Pocahontas. Disney, why must you keep us waiting so?

An HD DVD that shines

My copy of the recent HD DVD release of Stanley Kubrick's The Shining arrived on Saturday from Amazon.com. Now I'm only waiting on Full Metal Jacket, and so far, the Kubrick HD DVDs are basically two for two. A Clockwork Orange and Eyes Wide Shut both look reasonably good, if a little underwhelming, whereas 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Shining both look excellent - definitely in the top tier of Warner's catalogue releases. Now, obviously The Shining is a less visually stunning film than 2001, so it lacks the "wow" moments offered by the earlier title, but this appears to be an excellent representation of the source materials all the same. A bit of light noise reduction is visible at times, but otherwise I'd have a hard time making any specific criticisms.

Oh, and just to weigh in on the aspect ratio issue once again, having flicked my way through various scenes in The Shining (I'll watch the whole film soon, honest), I find it hard to understand why anyone would prefer the open matte version. The compositions, at 1.78:1 (close enough to the intended theatrical ratio of 1.85:1 for me not to bother splitting hairs about it), are absolutely sublime, and I can only imagine the open matte version looking decidedly wonky (which, judging by the screenshots posted at DVD Beaver, it most certainly does).

This is going to set you back several Disney dollars... (Part 4)

You can view Part 1 (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to Alice in Wonderland) here, Part 2 (Peter Pan to The Black Cauldron) here and Part 3 (The Great Mouse Detective to Tarzan) here.

Fantasia 2000 (James Algar, Gaëtan Brizzi, Paul Brizzi, Hendel Butoy, Francis Glebas, Eric Goldberg, Don Hahn, Pixote Hunt, 1999) - I don't own this one on DVD. The R1 US single-disc edition includes a DTS track, commentaries and other bonus materials not found on the R2 versions. This and the 3-disc Collector's Edition (bundled with Fantasia) are both OOP.

The Emperor's New Groove (Mark Dindal, 2000) - I don't own this one on DVD. All versions present the film in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1, accompanied by the original 5.1 mix. The OOP R1 2-disc Collector's Edition features a DTS track not found on the other releases, but otherwise all 2-disc variants throughout the world appear to be identical. Avoid the various (also OOP) single-disc releases.

Atlantis: The Lost Empire (Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise, 2001) - All of the various 2-disc Collector's Edition releases present the film in its original 2.39:1 aspect ratio, accompanied by the original 5.1 mix in both Dolby Digital and, in English-speaking territories, DTS forms, plus a massive array of extras. There is also a single-disc R1 release, but at all costs avoid the R2 UK single-disc version, which features only a cropped 1.33:1 presentation of the film.

Lilo & Stitch (Chris Sanders, Dean DeBlois, 2002) - All releases present the film in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1, accompanied by the original Dolby Digital 5.1 mix. Virtually every territory except North America has a 2-disc Special Edition packed full of extras, with the R4 Australian release also including an English DTS 5.1 track and therefore being the best available version. At all costs avoid the R2 English and German releases, which have been censored (particularly the German release, which is missing upwards of a minute of footage). The UK versions also have a Gareth Gates song inserted over the closing credits.

Treasure Planet (John Musker, Ron Clements, 2002) - All releases present the film in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1, accompanied by the original Dolby Digital 5.1 mix. The R2 UK release also includes a DTS 5.1 track, making it the preferred version. Having seen both PAL and NTSC transfers, I would say that the PAL version offers improved detail while also exhibiting slightly more in the way of compression artefacts.

Brother Bear (Aaron Blaise, Bob Walker, 2003) - The R1 2-disc Special Edition includes two versions of the film, one corresponding to the theatrical presentation of the film (starting in windowboxed 1.85:1 before expanding to 2.39:1), and the other cropped to 1.66:1 throughout. The R2 UK version, meanwhile, comes on a single disc and includes only the cropped 1.66:1 version. According to Rewind, the R2 Norwegian release is also OAR. Both English-language versions also include a DTS track. Note that the R1 release has very poor image quality (extreme amounts of filtering).

Home on the Range (John Sanford, Will Finn, 2004) - Draw between all releases, which present the film in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1, accompanied by the original Dolby Digital 5.1 mix.

Hooray for HD DVD!

Once again, I must apologise for the sparsity of updates over the last few days. It turns out that the problems I was having didn't go away - if anything, they got worse. I took a trip to the doctor this afternoon, and, while I didn't come away with a definite diagnosis, she said that the most likely answer was that I have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). Apparently, there's not a great deal that can be done about it, beyond establishing a diet that agrees with me and making sure I take lots of fibre and fluids, but I did get a prescription for a high fibre drink called Regulan, which, taken over the course of the next 30 days, should flush anything nasty out of my bowel and intestines (and all for under a fiver - seriously, one of the few things about this country that I'll never knock is the NHS).

Anyway, while I wait for my Regulan to take effect, I'm going to take my mind off the horrendous stabbing pains in my gut by posting about the two HD DVDs that arrived recently (Wednesday and Thursday respectively), A Clockwork Orange and Eyes Wide Shut. While 2001: A Space Odyssey featured an absolutely sumptuous transfer on HD DVD (I'll post screen captures soon, I promise), these two look fairly good but not great. Detail levels are above average, but there are some tell-tale signs of grain reduction, and overall they just don't leap of the screen in the way that 2001 does. Particularly revealing is the fact that my old standard definition DVD of Eyes Wide Shut actually shows more grain than this new HD transfer. Now, maybe it was just the naturally lower resolution of the DVD accentuating the grain, but one thing's for sure, this is the first time I've seen an HD release that is less grainy than its standard definition counterpart.

Oh, and, by the way, although the packaging claims that the both the censored American R-rated and international unedited versions are included on the same disc, in actual fact only the unedited version is there (I checked - no dodgy CGI men obscuring the rumpy-bumpy). Apparently, the Blu-ray and DVD versions released at the same time are the same. I'm personally not complaining - at least they included the right version! - but I'm slightly disappointed not to be able to see the apparently ridiculous censorship for myself, and I'm sure someone's going to take Warner to the cleaners for false advertising (the back cover clearly states that the film is rated "R").

Finally, a quick note on Eyes Wide Shut's aspect ratio. As you probably know by now, the previous DVD release was presented in a 1.33:1 open matte aspect ratio, supposedly reflecting Stanley Kubrick's preferences (although, of course, he isn't about any more to ask). The new HD DVD, Blu-ray and DVD versions, meanwhile, are presented in a matted 1.78:1 ratio (as per all Warner releases with an intended 1.85:1 ratio). Now, I'm aware that the issue of how these films should be presented has been argued about since time immemorial, with passionate and convincing arguments coming from both sides of the fence, but ultimately I trust my eyes more than any theorising, and, having watched the 1.33:1 and 1.78:1 versions side by side, I am in no doubt that the 1.78:1 looks more "right". Again, screenshots will follow when I get the chance to do them.

DVD debacle, Blu-ray bonzana, HD DVD hullabalooza!

I've kind of been slacking on updates regarding new DVD, Blu-ray and HD DVD releases that have been pouring on to my desk. As it happens, one of each has arrived in the last week (not counting Les Triplettes de Belleville, discussed here). What can I say? I haven't been feeling all that great over the last week or so, and as a result I've been a bit distracted. I was feeling decidedly queasy on Saturday, and in addition to that I think I've done something to a muscle, or joint, or bone, in my hip. For over a week, I've been having pains of varying degrees throughout my left hand side from my waist down, and, on Saturday night, I woke up with my whole leg spasming of its own accord. I was actually contemplating going to the hospital, but things seem to be settling down somewhat now, so I'm currently assuming that whatever was damaged is sorting itself out. I have a suspicion that it has something to do with the heavy crates I was carrying about at work just under a fortnight ago. One incident report coming right up!

Anyway, in jollier news...

My review copy of Blue Underground's US 2-disc Special Edition of Dario Argento's The Stendhal Syndrome reached me. I've done little more than take a cursory glance at the transfer, which doesn't appear to be particularly good (although not much worse than I was expecting, given Blue Underground's track record for having an unhealthy obsession with the edge enhancement and filtering dials), and watched the Dario Argento interview on the second disc (which was very informative, even if he did gloss over the supposed conflicts he had with cinematographer Guiseppe Rotunno during the shoot). I intend to take a fuller look at it towards the end of the week, with a review (including a newly rewritten article on the film, similar to what I did for Suspiria and Inferno) coming soon.

I also picked up a copy of Fox's recent Region A Blu-ray release of The Fly, making this my first ever high definition David Cronenberg film (with Eastern Promises to follow on HD DVD in December) and only my second Fox DVD. From what I've seen of it, it appears to be a pretty good representation of the source materials, although perhaps a bit softer than I would have liked. Unfortunately, the original stereo audio mix has been junked in favour of a souped up 5.1 remix. For shame, Fox, for shame.

Finally, the HD DVD release of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey arrived on Saturday. Believe it or not, I haven't seen the film before and am decidedly curious to sit down and watch it for the first time. I have a feeling it's going to be one of those films that takes a while to "get", but one thing I do know for sure, at this stage, is that it features a very nice transfer. While I am a little concerned about its almost grainless look, in every other area it appears to be excellent, with a much higher level of detail than I am generally used to seeing from Warner's HD releases. The line-up of extras looks very good, too, with the Channel 4-made documentary 2001: The Making of a Myth thrown in along with a commentary and several other documentaries and featurettes. The other four Kubrick titles released on HD DVD at the same time (A Clockwork Orange, Eyes Wide Shut, Full Metal Jacket and The Shining) are also on their way, although, due to supply issues at Amazon.com, they were all dispatched at different times.

DVDs I bought or received in the month of October

• Black Book (R0 USA, Blu-ray)
• Dawn of the Dead (RA USA, Blu-ray)
• Day of the Dead (RA USA, Blu-ray)
• Fallen Angel (R2 UK, DVD)
• The Fly (RA USA, Blu-ray)
• Halloween (RA USA, Blu-ray)
• Inferno (R2 Italy, DVD)
• The Jungle Book: Platinum Edition (R0 USA, DVD)
• Masters of Horror: Season 1, Volume 1 (RA USA, Blu-ray)
• Masters of Horror: Season 1, Volume 2 (RA USA, Blu-ray)
• Mission Impossible III (R0 USA, HD DVD)
• Nikita/Subway (R2 UK, DVD)
• Oldboy (R0 UK, Blu-ray)
• Seed of Chucky (R0 USA, HD DVD)
• The Stendhal Syndrome (R0 USA, DVD)
• Suspiria: Definitive Edition (R2 Italy, DVD)
• Veronica Mars: The Complete Third Season (R1 USA, DVD)

No question about it, this was a very Blu month. A very expensive one too, although at least I managed to snag three review copies.

Halloween HD DVD review: Underworld: Extended Cut

In terms of bonus content, Sony Pictures' recent US Blu-ray release of Underworld, which ports over most of the extras from the standard definition release of the extended cut, is definitely preferable. For those who are restricted to HD DVD only, however, this release provides a magnificent audio-visual presentation of the film that I struggle to imagine being bettered.

Concluding this year's Halloween special, I've reviewed Concorde Home Entertainment's HD DVD release of Underworld, a film which may not offer much in the way of seasonal cheer, but at least has vampires and werewolves in it.

Halloween Blu-ray review: The Descent

The Descent is one of the most impressive high definition releases I have seen so far, not only for featuring a stellar transfer and solid audio support, but also for featuring one of the best modern films released on either format thus far, and for being one of the few Blu-ray releases to not only port over all of the extras from its standard definition counterpart, but also for including an array of HD exclusive bonuses. Yes, the lack of true picture-in-picture means that the effect is not as seamless as it could have been, but this is overall a magnificent release and the best Blu-ray disc I've seen.

As part of DVD Times' Halloween 2007 coverage, I've reviewed last year's Blu-ray release of The Descent, and excellent presentation of Neil Marshall's superb horror film put together by Lions Gate.

Attention spookmeisters!

Well, in just a few hours it will be All Hallows Eve, and, as promised, I have some spooktacular reviews for you. Unfortunately, the list is somewhat shorter than I would have hoped, due to my coming down with a nasty case of writer's block, which didn't clear up in time for me to get through my entire list of titles. Still, here's what you can expect to see tomorrow:

• Midnight: The Descent (RA USA, Blu-ray)
• 6 AM: Suspiria: Definitive Edition (R2 Italy, DVD)
• 12 PM: Inferno (R2 Italy, DVD)
• 6 PM: Underworld: Extended Cut (R0 Germany, HD DVD)

Unfortunately, I'll be out at work all day tomorrow, so I won't be on hand to post links to the reviews themselves until I get home. If you just have to be at the front of the queue, I suggest you loiter around DVD Times and watch out for them as they materialise. Unless you have anything better to do, that is.

This is going to set you back several Disney dollars... (Part 3)

You can view Part 1 (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to Alice in Wonderland) here, and Part 2 (Peter Pan to The Black Cauldron) here.

The Great Mouse Detective [a.k.a. Basil the Great Mouse Detective] (John Musker, Ron Clements, Dave Michener, Burny Mattinson, 1986) - Draw between all the current releases, which all present the film in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1 and with the original stereo audio replaced with a 5.1 remix. The Region 2 UK release features scratchier opening credits due to the title having been replaced with the UK variant, Basil the Great Mouse Detective, but otherwise the transfer is comparable to its Region 1 counterpart. Both versions that I have seen feature what seems suspiciously like missing sound effects during the climactic fight between Basil and Ratigan, but, not having seen an earlier, non-remixed version, I can't say for sure.

Oliver & Company (George Scribner, 1988) - All the current releases present the film in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1 and with the original stereo audio replaced with a 5.1 remix. The Region 1 release, however, gains a bonus cartoon short, Lend a Paw, not found on any other version.

The Little Mermaid (John Musker, Ron Clements, 1989) - The 2006 Platinum Edition is the version to go for, as it features an anamorphic presentation and the most extras. Its Dolby Digital 5.1 track is presumably derived from the 6-track audio that accompanied 70mm screenings of the film. Please note, however, that, unlike the now OOP Limited Issue version, it has been cropped from 1.66:1 to its theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1. It also suffers from DVNR artefacts.

The Rescuers Down Under (Hendel Butoy, Mike Gabriel, 1990) - All the current releases present the film in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1 and include the same extras. The Region 1 Gold Collection release features a Dolby Digital 4.0 track, whereas all other releases have a 5.1 track. The original theatrical mix was presumably stereo, making neither track ideal.

Beauty and the Beast (Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise, 1991) - I don't own the one on DVD. All releases present the film in its theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1, matted from the CAPS native 1.66:1, and feature a Dolby Digital 5.1 presumably derived from the 6-track audio that accompanied 70mm presentations of the film. The 2-disc Platinum Edition was released in all territories, although I am under the impression that the OOP Region 1 version suffers from compression and edge enhancement issues, more so than the Region 2 releases, which are also affected. Note that a single-disc "Special Edition" was released in the UK, which features minimal extras and includes only the new extended version of the film, which includes a "newly rediscovered" song, so it should be avoided.

Aladdin (John Musker, Ron Clements, 1992) - All releases are the same in terms of content, presenting the film in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1 and with its original Dolby Digital 5.1 audio mix (plus a "Disney Enhanced Home Theatre remix), along with copious extras spread across two discs. Having seen both the Region 1 and Region 2 UK releases, I would say that the Region 1 version has a marginally better transfer (comparison here).

The Lion King (Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff, 1994) - All releases are the same in terms of content, presenting the film in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1 and with its original Dolby Digital 5.1 audio mix (plus a "Disney Enhanced Home Theatre remix), along with extras spread across two discs. Please note, however, that all versions are derived from the 2002 IMAX re-release, which features some modified animation and effects, as well as a different Walt Disney Pictures logo and static (rather than scrolling) end credits. It also features a newly-integrated song, the Morning Report, which can be disabled from the setup menu.

Pocahontas (Mike Gabriel, Eric Goldberg, 1995) - Go for any one of the various 2-disc releases (10th Anniversary Edition in Region 1 territories, but released under different labels elsewhere), which feature the most extras and present the film anamorphically in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1 with its original Dolby Digital 5.1 audio mix. Avoid the earlier single disc releases, which are non-anamorphic and have very poor image quality.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise, 1996) - I don't own this one on DVD. All releases present the film in its matted theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1, cropping a small amount of information compared with the native CAPS 1.66:1 ratio, and feature the original Dolby Digital 5.1 audio mix. The Region 1 release also features a DTS track and an audio commentary not found elsewhere, but has poorer image quality than the various PAL releases (comparison at Bjoern's Place).

Hercules (John Musker, Ron Clements, 1997) - I don't own this one on DVD. All releases are non-anamorphic and present the film in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1, accompanied by the original Dolby Digital 5.1 mix. The Region 2 re-release (i.e. not the one distributed by Warner Home Video) comes with an additional featurette.

Mulan (Barry Cook, Tony Bancroft, 1998) - All UK releases have been cut to remove a headbutt (although the film was initially released uncut erroneously, and copies of this recalled UK disc now fetch a hefty price on eBay). The best version is the Region 4 Australian 2-disc Special Edition, which presents the film in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1, accompanied by the original Dolby Digital 5.1 mix plus several extras. The Region 1 Special Edition includes the same extras but has poorer image quality, especially during the final third of the film (comparison here). The UK Special Edition features a DTS track but is cut. The earlier single editions feature minimal extras and a film-sourced transfer matted to 1.78:1, with the Region 1 version being non-anamorphic.

Tarzan (Kevin Lima, Chris Buck, 1999) - All versions present the film in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1, while most versions feature a Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track; the Dutch, Scandinavian and UK Special Edition releases feature a Dolby Digital 5.1 track. The 2-disc Region 1 Collector's Edition boasts some additional featurettes not found on other releases. Also note that the old UK Collector's Edition is missing the audio commentary, but that it is included on the newer UK Special Edition. Avoid the various single-disc editions, which are lacking most of the extras.

Part 4 will follow in the not too distant future...

Movie madness

Yesterday was quite a delay for deliveries for me, starting with the arrival of the third and final season of Veronica Mars from DVD Pacific. Veronica Mars is not a show that I wholeheartedly adore, but I did enjoy the previous two seasons on DVD to varying degrees, and I found myself with a definite desire to hear how the story ends (although, by all accounts, there is little sense of closure in the final episode due to the amount of confusion as to whether the show would be picked up for a fourth season). If nothing else, the move out of the high school environment which dominated Seasons 1 and 2 should provide a much-needed change of pace, while I understand that, mindful of how difficult it was for viewers to get into the previous seasons midway, the producers broke Season 3 into several "mini-arcs" rather than going for one continuous year-long mystery.

Up next: the 2-disc Collector's Edition of Mission Impossible 3 on HD DVD, also from DVD Pacific (dang, those guys should be paying me royalties!). From the brief glance that I took at it when it arrived, the transfer is every bit as good as I remembered - a virtually flawless presentation and one of the few times I can remember seeing a film photographed in anamorphic Panavision looking this good in high definition I suspect this is due to the fact that Panavision has lost a considerable amount of popularity with filmmakers in recent years, with Super35 tending to be the preferred process for shooting 2.39:1 titles these days. As a result, most Panavision titles released in HD are older, catalogue titles, many of which come from weaker masters. Not so with Mission Impossible 3, which is crisp and clear throughout, with nary an edge halo or soft shot to be found, and only a couple of compression issues preventing it from receiving full marks (we're talking 9.9/10 stuff here).

The third and final delivery yesterday was the R2 Italian release of Inferno, from DVD.it. This particular release, which is very interesting, will be the subject of a dedicated post that I hope to upload at some point tonight.

Finally, today, the HD DVD release of Seed of Chucky arrived from, you guessed it, DVD Pacific. (Oh, shut up - I like this film, even if it's in a "so bad it's good" way.) I really wasn't sure what to expect in terms of image quality for this one, but I'm pleased to report that it looks very fine indeed. It comes from a film element rather than a digital intermediate, but it's one of the best film-sourced HD transfers I've seen recently, especially from Universal, who have churned out some decidedly underwhelming-looking catalogue titles this year. A handful of shots, and even a couple of entire scenes, look noticeably softer than the rest of the film, but at its best, it has a nicely crisp appearance without looking processed in any way. A very high 8/10, and it would have been a 9 if not for the softer scenes.

This is going to set you back several Disney dollars... (Part 2)

You can view Part 1 (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to Alice in Wonderland) here.

Peter Pan (Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, 1953) - The 2006 Region 1 Platinum Edition includes the most extras, as well as the original mono audio mix. Non-Region 1 releases of the Platinum Edition ditch the original mono mix. Older releases, including the now-OOP Special Edition and Limited Issue versions, also omit the mono track and most (if not all) of the extras.

Lady and the Tramp (Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, 1955) - The best available version is the Region 1 2-disc Platinum Edition, which includes the 2.55:1 Cinemascope presentation of the film with its original 3-channel audio. A 1.33:1 version is also included, but this is just a pan and scan presentation of the Cinemascope version rather than the differently framed Academy version that was released for theatres not equipped for Cinemascope (this version has never been released on DVD). The Region 2 versions of the Platinum Edition ditch the 3-channel mix and pan and scan version. The OOP Limited Issue release features only a 5.1 remix and has much poorer image quality, slightly cropped to 2.35:1, plus a complete lack of extras. At all costs avoid the older, non-Platinum Region 2 releases, which are presented in pan and scan only.

Sleeping Beauty (Clyde Geronimi, 1959) - I don't own this one on DVD. All editions are currently OOP, although a Platinum Edition is scheduled for release on DVD and Blu-ray in October 2008. None of the previous releases include the mono audio that accompanied Academy ratio presentations of the film, but the Dolby Digital 5.1 mix found on every DVD is presumably derived from the 6-track mix accompanying 70mm prints of the film. Avoid the older, single-disc Region 2 releases, which are presented in 1.33:1 pan and scan; the various 2-disc Collector's Editions all include the original 2.35:1 presentation (unlike Lady and the Tramp, the 1.33:1 prints were merely cropped rather than reframed), while the UK release features a DTS 5.1 track. The US version, however, contains a commentary not found elsewhere, so it basically comes down to a choice between audio and extras.

101 Dalmatians (Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske, Wolfgang Reitherman, 1961) - I don't own this one on DVD. All releases are currently OOP. They all present the film in the preferable 1.33:1 Academy ratio rather than the 1.75:1 theatrical ratio (see here for an explanation to this controversy), and feature 2.0 surround audio rather than the original mono mix. A 2-disc Platinum Edition is due out in March 2008, and is expected to feature the original mono audio (on the Region 1 release, at any rate), and be matted to the theatrical 1.75:1 ratio.

The Sword in the Stone (Wolfgang Reitherman, 1963) - All current releases present the film in the preferable 1.33:1 Academy ratio rather than the 1.75:1 theatrical ratio (see here for an explanation to this controversy), and present the audio in a 5.1 remix rather than the original mono recording. Judging by footage shown in the documentary on Platinum Edition release of The Jungle Book, a new edition will be released in matted widescreen at some point in the future.

The Jungle Book (Wolfgang Reitherman, 1967) - The recently released 2-disc Region 1 Platinum Edition includes the best selection of extras and also includes the original mono audio mix (no word yet on whether the mono mix is included on Region 2 editions, but judging by recent trends, this is probably unlikely). Note, however, that it is presented in a matted theatrical ratio of 1.75:1 rather than the preferable 1.33:1 Academy ratio (see here for an explanation to this controversy). The various OOP single-disc releases present the film in its Academy ratio, but feature poorer image quality and remixed 2.0 surround audio.

The Aristocats (Wolfgang Reitherman, 1970) - I don't own this one on DVD. All the current releases present the film in the preferable 1.33:1 Academy ratio rather than the 1.75:1 theatrical ratio (see here for an explanation to this controversy), and present the audio in a remix (2.0 surround in Region 1 territories, 5.1 for Region 2) rather than the original mono recording. A 2-disc Special Edition is due out at some point in the future, presumably with a matted 1.75:1 transfer and the original mono audio mix.

Robin Hood (Wolfgang Reitherman, 1973) - All pre-2006 editions present the film in the preferable 1.33:1 Academy ratio rather than the 1.75:1 theatrical ratio (see here for an explanation to this controversy). The OOP Region 1 Gold Collection release features the original mono mix, while all other versions include only a 5.1 remix. The recently released Most Wanted Edition ditches the mono track and presents the film in a matted 1.75:1 ratio. The Region 2 UK release is also confirmed to suffer from severe DVNR artefacts (evidence here), but I have no idea whether the Region 1 version is similarly affected.

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (Wolfgang Reitherman, John Lounsbery, 1977) - I don't own this one on DVD. The OOP Region 1 25th Anniversary Edition presents the film in its intended 1.33:1 aspect ratio and features only a Dolby Digital 5.1 remix instead of the original mono track. The more recent Friendship Edition features similar specs, but boasts an improved transfer and includes some additional extras. Region 2 releases appear to correspond to the Region 1 25th Anniversary Edition in terms of specs and bonus materials.

The Rescuers (Wolfgang Reitherman, John Lounsbery, Art Stevens, 1977) - All available releases present the film in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1, which appears to be an accurate reproduction of its intended framing, and feature a 5.1 remix in place of the original mono audio.

The Fox and the Hound (Art Stevens, Ted Berman, Richard Rich, 1981) - All available editions are presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, which appears noticeably cropped, suggesting that this is a pan and scan job rather than an open matte affair like the 60s and 70s productions. All releases dump the original mono audio mix in favour of a remix (2.0 surround on the OOP Region 1 Gold Collection release, 5.1 for all other versions).

The Black Cauldron (Ted Berman, Richard Rich, 1985) - All releases present the film in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio of its 35mm screenings (a 2.20:1 ratio was used for the Super Technirama 70mm version); however, all but the French Region 2 release are non-anamorphic. The French release, which also includes English subtitles, seems therefore to be the preferred edition to get. All releases feature a Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track, which I presume is derived from the 6-track mix that accompanied 70mm prints of the film.

Part 3 will follow in the not too distant future...