Film

Steven Seagal plays John Hatcher, a DEA officer who after accidentally gunning down the naked prostitute that killed his partner (seriously…), realizes he has become what he most despised. He retires from the force and decides to go back home and live with his sister. Obviously, trouble has a way of finding its way back into Hatcher’s life when he gets mixed up in a drug war between the mafia and a Jamaican gang run by a mysterious, possibly magical villain named Screwface (again seriously… I can’t make this up).

Screwface is played deliciously over-the-top by actor Basil Wallace. He’s one of those slightly insane bad guys that even gives his own men the creeps. Although, who could blame them. There is a scene in the movie where Screwface is in the middle of a game of dominos when he receives some upsetting news. He freaks out, flips the table over, rips off one of the table’s legs and proceeds to beat one of his men almost to death with it. And of course, he is believed to have magical powers or something. Who knows? Still, he’s one of the more entertaining bad guys to ever chew scenery around a Steven Seagal movie. I imagine Tommy Lee Jones (Under Siege) and Michael Caine (On Deadly Ground) somewhere giving Wallace a pat on the back. “You’re in the cool club now boy!” one of them would say. I know Marked for Death came out before those other movies, but I can dream it can’t I?

The movie is competently directed by Dwight H. Little, the man behind the camera on movies like Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers and Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home. The guy seems to be able to handle any genre with ease and this movie has a real strong pace. The action scenes are very well choreographed, with Steven Seagal using his aikido techniques to take on as many as six guys at once almost effortlessly. There is a particularly good scene that takes place in a Tiffany’s and involves Hatcher throwing people through numerous glass display cases. As well, the final battle between Hatcher and Screwface literally has to be seen to be believed. (Spoiler Alert!) All I’m going to say is that if you have already turned someone into a blind paraplegic, you don’t also have to throw him down an elevator shaft. (Spoilers end)

Excellent fights scenes, mixed with an interesting Voodoo element and you got yourself Marked for Death, a classic ‘movie for guys who like movies’ complete with a funky reggae soundtrack. Steven Seagal fans already know this movie as one of the better early ones and they won’t be disappointed. It still holds up after all of these years. Although, the problem with bad stunt doubles lately in his movies, now clearly seems to have always been a problem.

As a P.S., it’s funny seeing actor Danny Trejo as a goon Steven Seagal casually beats up and throws into the trunk of his car in an early scene in this movie. Although they would also star in the direct to DVD action flick Urban Justice together, ironically enough, this fall, twenty years after the release of this movie, Steven Seagal would star in his first theatrical release in nine years as a villain in Machete, opposite Danny Trejo as the lead. Hopefully, the magic will strike twice.

Video

Marked for Death’s video is displayed in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1 using the AVC MPEG 4 codec. The film is one of those catalogue titles that doesn’t get much care or restoration, but at least the negative is a pretty clean one.

Colours are a bit plain and skin tones are reddish at times. The palette is pretty neutral, which is a staple of early 90’s flicks as well as the indoor scenes have that awesome foggy looked created by actually using a fog machine to fill the set with a hazy smoke to soften the image.

Besides having some dated attributes the film’s video quality isn’t too bad, scenes that are shot in daylight look really great with little to no visible grain and even some of the lower lit indoor scenes are pretty clean. However when we move to the late night scenes, especially during the Jamaican assault the grain is noticeable.

The image is pretty sharp and some scenes really display some great detail, such as the pores and texture of an actor’s face in a close up, but a lot of early 90’s did their best to soften the image, such as the fogging technique. There’s definitely not an issue with an overly soft image, but it would’ve been nice to have a slightly crisper display.

Audio

Marked for Death’s audio comes at us using the DTS-HD Master audio 5.1 mix, but as we’ve learned many times before; having one of the best audio codecs doesn’t mean we’re getting some of the best audio and this film is no exception.

We’re given a pretty straight forward mix with little to no “outside-of-the-box” play. A lot of the sound effects come through the main speaker and the low end frequencies don’t come out that much. A lot of the explosions and crashes that occur barely register, but regardless we get a very clear mix nonetheless.

The dialogue is clean, while staying in the center. The score, which just screams early 90’s action flick, stays in its place and doesn’t overshadow the sound effects. The sound effects themselves are somewhat flat, but do have some pop considering the film is 20 years old. A bit of irony in the mix is that the Jamaican assault near the end of the film uses mostly silenced weapons, so it was interesting to try and critique the sound effects when there were none.

Special Features

Although this is the 20^th anniversary of Marked for Death, we don’t get a single special feature.

Final Thoughts

If you’re into classic mindless action, then look no further than Steven Seagall. The audio and video presentation on this disc makes my old VHS copy look like it had taken a karate chop from Seagall himself; it’s a great presentation for a catalogue release and although it doesn’t stand out as showcase worthy it could’ve been a lot worse.

After reading the books, I was excited to discover that an animated version of the book existed, and lobbied hard to get my buddies to rent it when we were having a movie night.  And after we all sat back and viewed the movie, we looked at each other with the same expression on our faces: “What in heck was that?”

So the question is, after 28 years of watching various forms of animation, have I gained a new appreciation for Ralph Bakshi’s labor of love?  Does being on Blu-ray make the movie any better?

Film

Thinking back on all the animation I’ve watched over the years, I have difficulty recalling any animated movie that is quite as intrinsically ugly as this one.  Being on Blu-ray actually exacerbates this problem.  Washed out and stylistic backgrounds, inking issues, and the horridly ugly rotoscoping (using live actors as the basis for animation) makes this a visually unappealing movie.

Moreso, I could also criticize the color palette used, the lack of quality control of the animation, the bad 1970’s era sound effects, and the poor visualization of the scenes and characters.  In glorious 1080p, all of these flaws are held up for the viewer to see, and they become so distracting that they affect one’s ability to watch and enjoy the movie.

What is most egregiously lost in this film is the beauty and emotiveness of Tolkien’s writing in the Lord of the Rings.  An attentive reader can feel tranquility, compassion, happiness, apprehension, awe, and fear through Tolkien’s beautiful narrative.  This emotional resonance is mysteriously absent from the movie; it feels rushed, grim, and unhappy.  Worst of all, this film takes characters that we love (or hate), and makes us feel apathy for them.  Then, in culmination of this, it only tells the first half of the Lord of the Rings story – this move was not successful enough for the studio to green light the second half.

Being upfront, I am not a huge fan of Ralph Bakshi’s work.  Although I do have a age-based fondness for his somewhat psychedelic Spider-Man TV series, I thought Fritz the Cat was exploitive rather than groundbreaking.

Mr. Bakshi stated that he was a fan of the books, motivating his desire to make this film.  However, there had to be some sort of external pressure (budget?  Release date?) that resulted in this movie being as poor as it was.

For someone who loves the books, this film is a bitter disappointment.  For one who has never read the books, the film is incomprehensible.

Video

This is, bar none, the worst looking Blu-ray I have seen to date.  Unfortunately, I believe this is not due to the transfer and encoding – it is mainly due to the poor quality of the masters.  Considering the limited appeal of this release, it is difficult to imagine a circumstance under which  Warner Brothers would put resources into a full restoration of this film.  And they didn’t disappoint, with the film looking like it came straight out of a 1970’s film canister.

As mentioned in the “Film” section, there are quality control issues with inking throughout the movie, there is noise and dust speckles in almost every dark area, animations lack a certain grace, and the backgrounds are washed of life and color.  Worst of all, the rotoscoping that looked horrible on VHS looks even more horrible in Blu-ray.

It has been suggested that the rotoscoping was done to save money, as it was a quicker and easier process than drawing frames from scratch.  To me, rotoscoping looks like someone solarized a real person, and inserted their image into the film; something that looks absolutely horrid, and out of sync with the rest of the movie around it.

Audio

The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio presentation of this movie was actually quite good considering the age of the material.  As can be expected, the dynamic range was very limited, missing that sharp clear top end and firm rolling bottom end.  A lot of the sounds happen in the midrange section of the audio spectrum, and a lot of them happen in the front speakers.

Generally not a bad presentation.  Although the voice acting is rather tepid, it goes well with the poor quality 70’s era sound effects.  Generally, I’m not quite sure how any Hobbit wearing the ring could stealthily disappear with a giant flash of light and a magic sound straight out of Hanna-Barbera’s Shazzan.

Special Features

Not much here for special features – just a half-hour SD documentary about Ralph Bakshi’s career, his impact on Hollywood, and his making of Lord of the Rings.  Generally this is an okay piece, but nothing special.  Even though my review copy also came with a Digital Copy, I’m not sure (considering the movie) that it adds much value.

Final Thoughts

Sometimes different films we view impact us differently depending on where we are in our lives.  Moves that I found funny as a teen I now find juvenile.  As a parent, teen movies give me the shudders, as I wouldn’t want my kids engaging in the behaviours I see on screen.  And movies that I didn’t appreciate as a younger person can often resonate with me now in a way they couldn’t when I was young.

Unfortunately, some movies that disappointed me when I was younger continue to disappoint me when I am older.  Ralph Bakshi’s Lord of the Rings is one of these.  Summed up in one sentence, this film is an ugly, gloomy, emotionally flat disservice to one of the best fantasy stories ever written.  Even a $0.99 7-day rental might be a bit overpriced for this film.

Film 

In a word, yes, on all accounts. I can’t really say that I am a huge fan of westerns, as I find it to be a genre that is well past its prime. However, in Tombstone, director George P. Cosmatos, is able to transport us back into the old west, with an historically accurate and authentic looking film that is sure to capture the attention of most moviegoers. The film features a great cast with some superb performances, excellent cinematography and a sensational score.

The film tells the story of the three Earp brothers, Wyatt (Kurt Russell), Virgil (Sam Elliot) and Morgan (Bill Paxson) who arrive in Tombstone looking to make money, having retired from their well known days as lawmen. From the moment they arrive in town, the mayor attempts to recruit them as the local law enforcement to bring law and order to the town which is overrun by a lawless outfit known as the Cowboys.

When the Earp boys arrive in town, they are greeted by Wyatt’s longtime friend, Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer) who happened to be in town as well. The two are an odd pair as Wyatt is more the straight law and order type and Doc, the gambling, drinking and cheating type who also has a penchant for murder. The boys set up shop at a local bar/casino, getting a one quarter take of the house winnings and quickly run into members of the Cowboys and incur their wrath. While all this is happening, Wyatt becomes enthralled with the beautiful and alluring actress Josephine (Dana Delaney) from a traveling show troupe, who he become romantically entangled with, despite the presence of his wife.

The lawlessness has to stop and Virgil and Morgan agree to take over as the town lawmen and recruit Wyatt who joins against his better judgment. It is then that they encounters some of the Cowboys at the OK Corral, perhaps one of the most famous gunfights in US history.

Unlike most films dealing with the Wyatts, the film does not end there, but uses the gunfight as a springboard, to tell the rest of the story, of the retribution and revenge that occurs after the gunfight as Wyatt tracks down and tries to eliminate the Cowboy gang from the old west. Tombstone is a very entertaining and interesting film that is unlike many of the westerns that I have seen. If you haven’t seen Tombstone, please check it out on Blu-ray, you will be glad you did. Recommended.

Video 

Tombstone of Blu-ray looks fabulous, with a bright and bold color palette, featuring typical varying shades of brown and gray you associate with westerns and the old west, together with some bright greens, reds, blues and purples, colors that we don’t normally associate with the old west and especially westerns. In this regard, director George P. Cosmatos tries to be true to the colorful clothing that the men and women in the old west were known to have worn. The film also features deep blacks and excellent renditions of skin tones in addition to very nice levels of detail, both of the facial and background variety as well as shadow detail.

Clarity, detail and depth are all excellent as well with the end result being a rich and colorful looking film that is sure pleasing on the eye. Film grain also appears to be well preserved and is apparent throughout the film. I was not able to detect any obvious application of digital noise reduction as the release has that film like appearance that many film enthusiasts look for, including yours truly. The film does have some occasional softness in some dimly lit interior scenes but for the most part looks great throughout and fully worth of a full 4.5 star rating, lacking only the razor sharp look and detail of the very best looking releases. I can’t imagine fans of the film being anything but thrilled with the look of Tombstone on its initial appearance on Blu-ray.

Audio 

The lossless audio track on Tombstone is every bit as good as the video. The film audio track features excellent dynamics and deep bass response. Gun shots, and there are many of them, sound very realistic, with the weight and heft of the real thing. The surrounds are also used often and aggressively throughout the film, not only for sound effects, but for acoustical cues as well, creating a nice sense of immersion. I was particularly impressed with the musical score which sounds in a word, fantastic, with excellent bass, transparency and imaging, creating an excellent sense of depth.

The dialogue track is also well recorded and well placed in the mix, never getting lost in some of the loudest action sequences. If I had one issue with the audio it would be with a slight sense of thinness of sharpness to the sound, lacking that sense of total smoothness and lushness of the very best sounding films. This is a minor quibble to be sure but was just enough to know the score down to a 4.5 star rating out of 5 falling a smidge short of the best of the best.

Special Features 

There are no HD extras included with this release. The extras have been ported over from the prior release of Tombstone on DVD. The extras include the Making of Tombstone featurette which features interviews with much of the cast and crew including director George P. Cosmatos, Val Kilmer, Kurt Rusell, Dana Delaney, Sam Elliot, Bill Paxton, Michel Biehn, Powers Boothe, Charlton Heston and even Wyatt Earp, III, where they discuss the thought process that went into the making of the film, the motivations of their characters, including their understandings of the historical record and how the film is a departure from other westerns and films dealing with the same set of characters.

The other extras include a brief featurette showing the original storyboards for the shootout at the OK Corral sequence as well as trailers and TV spots for the film. While this is more than was provided with the Armageddon release, I expected more for such a popular film.

Final Thoughts 

Tombstone is a fine film that features excellent audio and video presentations on its initial release in the Blu-ray disc format and worthy of being added to any film collection. Recommended.

This led me to two important questions I hope to answer in my review.  Firstly, if subsequent movies have taken advantage of a once-new filmmaking technique, does this make the originating movies any less relevant?  And secondly, can entertainment value survive in what is considered “experimental” cinema?  Although films can have artistic merits on their own, they must still be accessible to the common movie viewer.   

Film 

The theme of realism runs strongly through this film; this is really the best way to understand Contempt.  It is a story within a movie about a story, all of which are based on how things are, not how we want them to be.  There is also a reminder that no movie can ever portray reality, as it is impossible due to the inherent unreality of the medium.

Our main protagonist, Paul Javal (Michel Piccoli) has been approached by a repellant American producer, Jeremy Prokosh (the superb Jack Palance) to do rewrites on a movie adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey.  Prokosh is unhappy with the current direction of the film, which is being directed as an “art movie” by Fritz Lang (legendary director of Metropolis, played by himself).  Although Paul does not seem overly enamored with Prokosh or the project, he is enamored with his wife, and accepts the job to be able to help pay off their flat.  As Prokosh says to Paul, “You have a pretty wife; you need the money”

However, from the first meeting between Paul’s wife, Camille (the ever-lovely Brigitte Bardot) and Prokosh, things go bad.  Although on the surface there appears to have been little to cause trouble, small actions of Paul’s drive an irreparable wedge between he and Camille.

It has been said that Bardot was more of a celebrity than an actor, mainly due to her beauty, grace, and willingness to undress for the camera.  However, she displays the most “realistic” portrayal of a woman I have ever seen in a film.  Maddening yet seductive, passive yet aggressive, her impenetrable expression, mercurial temper and emotional committal is a work of art.  Her ability to use emotion to dissect Paul, to expose his insecurities, and to drive him into a rage is superb and believable.  And as per Godard’s theme, their relationship resembles reality, not a “Hollywood” relationship.

Piccoli is also superb as Paul.  He combines the tormented artist with an everyman sensibility; there is a problem with his relationship with Camille, and he’d like to fix it, but she won’t let him know how to.  He continually makes things worse through his words and actions, and does not have the sensitivity to understand when Camille feels threatened and needs protection.

The story within the movie is that of Homer’s Odyssey, with parallels drawn between our main characters and the novel.  Paul is sometimes compared to Odysseus, while Prokosh is compared to both Poseidon and the Suitors.  Camille is Penelope.  In making their movie, questions are asked of Odysseus’ motivations (Why did he take so long to return to Ithaca?  Did he really not want to get back to Penelope?), and we see the parallels with our main characters (Is Paul pushing Camille on Prokosh to advance his career?).  Paul and Lang discuss the relationship between Odysseus, Penelope, and the Suitors, without seeing how it relates back to Paul’s relationship with Camille.

It is often said about Jean-Luc Godard that he liked to remind his viewers that they were watching a movie.  Of Contempt this is certainly true – we see jump cuts that mix exposures and film colors, and have background singers stop in mid action so that dialog between the main characters can be heard.  Meanwhile, the repetitive, often overly loud score is interjected with regularity, oftentimes jarring the viewer into wondering “What is Godard doing?”  I would venture that he would state “Exactly what I wanted to – reminding you that you are watching a movie”.  It would be grossly unfair for Godard to make a realistic movie about the unreality of cinema without pointing out even a realistic movie is unreal.

I could understand how a movie such as this may have been very challenging in 1963, yet seem very un-revolutionary in 2010 after many directors have subsequently used Godard’s techniques for their own.  Has the movie lost its relevancy?  I think the previous sentence answers this – when we can still see Godard’s fingerprints on movies made today, his work, including this movie is still very relevant.

As entertainment, this is not a 2012 kind of “blow stuff up while running around madly brainless SFX extravaganza”.  This movie is very internal; anyone who has loved someone else, has felt contempt from another, or has been struck with the eternal struggle between our dreams and reality will fully appreciate this movie.  Although the movie is accessible and has a linear and comprehensible storyline, it is demanding.  It asks the viewer to understand and reflect on what they’ve seen, and leaves them the richer for it.  

Video 

Unfortunately, we know that Blu-ray and 1080p displays are merciless in highlighting any faults in source material.  That Contempt is considered one of the ten best films of all time by a number of academics likely meant that the Blu-ray transfer was as original as possible, with very little post-production.

It pains me to score this Blu-ray as low as I did, but it is fair and accurate.  The era in which the film was shot is revealed in all its glory on Blu-ray, including excessive “swimming” grain, which caused pronounced softness except in the brightest of shots.  Sunlight shots bloom with color, but interior shots vary between dull and washed, or cold and sterile.

There is a certain beauty to these older films – in a world where CGI further blurs the line between reality and imagination, it is almost uncomfortable to view a movie that has so much “human-ness” to it.  These were movies that were “made” not recorded, and the quality of the craft is evident.  Unfortunately, there is very little in the image that suited it to a high-def treatment.

Audio 

As expected, the original soundtrack suffers under the same recording limitations any early 1960’s mono track would have.  Besides being a solely front-loaded presentation, the DTS-MA 2.0 dual mono soundtrack is very harsh and forward in the mids, and is lacking both upper and lower dynamics.  One can almost hear the hiss of the original analog tape masters as sounds are reproduced, mainly due to the overall presentation of the sound.  The subwoofer is obviously unnecessary for this type of track.

As a side note, I did watch the movie in its original form (French, German, and English with English subtitles).  Not only is this true to Godard’s original, one has truly not been told they are contemptible unless they’ve been told so by a cold, angry French woman.

Although Studio Canal put an obvious amount of work into the soundtrack, it cannot escape its period limitations.

Special Features 

This is challenging for me to rate, as the features on this disc were different than seen on virtually any other disc I’ve seen.  Firstly, it comes with an 18-page booklet (yes, a real paper booklet) containing an essay on Contempt by Film Studies Professor Ginette Vincendeau.  This alone is one of the highlights of the package for me, though it can be a bit esoteric.

Video special features are mixed between period features (“The Dinosaur and the Baby” and “Conversation with Fritz Lang”) and more modern features in 16 x 9 (“Once Upon a Time There Was Contempt”, “Introduction by Colin McCabe”, and “Contempt…Tenderly”).

Combined, these features offer almost three hours of film-study quality documentary.  For a movie of this age, a feature level like this is unheard of.  And unlike most BRDs, I anticipate returning to this disc on subsequent occasions, simply to glean additional levels of film knowledge out of these features.  

Final Thoughts

Contempt has been cited as Godard’s most accessible movie, and I can wholeheartedly agree that this is no elitist art house movie.  Instead, we are treated to a perfectly enjoyable, superbly cast film with levels of subtext that demand our attention.  Although there are audio and video limitations due to the age of the movie, it is difficult to imagine any truly “classic” movies that will not have these issues. 

This movie will appeal to those who wish to understand Godard’s lasting influence in cinema today, and also those who look for more out of movies other than mindless entertainment.  Like any good movie, I have found myself reevaluating the film and its characters for days after its viewing. 

I can also see how this movie would not appeal to all.  The official wife of this reviewer spent a few minutes watching the movie, and was not engaged in any way, nor was even enticed to sit down and ask “So what’s going on?”.  There are those who do not wished to be challenged by movies; I believe they will find little to enjoy in Contempt.

Films

When I was younger I used to love these films, so I’ll say in advance this could be a little bias. The films are yet another quarreling neighbor story; however the gimmick is that the neighbors in Grumpy Old Men are just that… Grumpy old men.

Jack Lemmon and Walther Matthau are bickering elderly neighbors who, in Grumpy Old Men, are both interested in the woman who moves in across the street. We see these two duke it out as they try and woo her while playing tricks and pranks on each other as their fifty year rivalry rages on.

Within Grumpier Old Men, the characters return to find their favorite bait shop is being turned into an Italian restaurant by a town newcomer, who may just happen to be another possible love interest.

The plots sound cheesy and overdone, but it’s the execution that makes these films great. The films do have a bit of air and slow pace that when compared to recent films’ tight editing really doesn’t help the film’s aging, but the hilarity that ensues really makes up for it. Grumpy Old Men is extremely well written and had this great way of uniting a heart-warming story of aging with slapstick comedy that is very seamless.

Walther Matthau and Jack Lemmon are obviously the best parts of these films; their performances really shine and play on the same styles of role that made their chemistry in the Odd Couple so great. Jack Lemmon’s performance is really 3 dimensional, balancing the weight of the comedy with this great layer underneath that contains all the bad things his character is going through such as the IRA being after him and his health condition. The two continue the great chemistry in Grumpier Old Men where they join forces to hassle the restaurant owners… Although the sequel wasn’t as good as the first, it was nice to see the two join forces, if only for a short while as they schemed.

Another great character from these films is Burgess Meredith’s Grandpa. He has so many great quotes that even to this day leaves in stitches.

These films are definitely not for everyone, but I’d say that they’re definitely a rental to anyone who wants a laughter filled movie night!

Video

The films are represented in their original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and look really good. The autumn colours of the tranquil wooded areas that are often shown in the fishing scenes look beautiful and warm whereas the freezing winter scenes are full of dark blacks and blues that really pop.

The film is clear and although Grumpy Old Men has a slightly grainier transfer compared to “Grumpier”, both films definitely are a step up from the previous DVD releases.

The films are pretty much artifact free and the camera motion is smooth even projected on a 100” screen. I did find the night shots to have slightly more grain, but it’s expected and definitely understandable.

Audio

Grumpy/Grumpier Old Men’s audio comes at us in English DTS-HD 5.1 and Spanish and French Dolby Digital 2.0. As far as sound goes, both films are pretty much on even par and that being said the audio is pretty good. The films are both dialogue driven so the mix is not very dynamic; everything is mostly coming from the center speaker so overall it’s hard to critique the audio when the film itself is not expected to exceed expectations.

That being said, the dialogue is crisp and clear and all the music and score comes through clearly as well. I’ve definitely seen better mixes with subtle eccentricities that make them unique, but these films get a good mix for their blu-ray release.

Special Features

There are no special features.

Final Thoughts

The films hold a special place in many of our hearts and it’s nice to see a decent transfer of two classic comedic titans duking it out in High Def, however the lack of special features really hurt the overall rating, making this a great rental for fans only, but an unnecessary purchase.

Horror movie’s we’re no longer about wolf men and other make belief characters, movies like Psycho made us fear the previously innocent, the sociopaths. After that there were zombies, there were demons, heck there were birds and sharks. Nothing was off limits in the horror genre and as its popularity peaked we saw some of the most memorable films Hollywood has put out. When compared to some of the twisted things we’ve been witness to over the years it’s hard to imagine a 2 foot, red headed doll amongst the pack, but Child’s Play has since spawned several sequels spanning nearly twenty years. Well let’s see just how frightening Chucky is…

Film

The film begins with Detective Mike Norris (Chris Sarandon) in the pursuit of Charles Lee Ray better known to the public as The Lakeshore Strangler (Brad Dourif). Detective Norris takes a shot at Charles and fatally wounds him, but not before he makes his way into a toy store and through a voodoo ritual transfers his soul into a popular Good Guy Doll. The store is then burnt to the ground by a bolt of lightning.

The following morning we are introduced to Andy a young boy celebrating his sixth birthday. He watches a TV commercial for Good Guy Dolls and pleads with his mother Karen (Catherine Hicks) to get one for his birthday. While at work Karen encounters a street peddler who sells her a Good Guy Doll, the very one Charles Lee Ray placed his soul into.

When she gets home she gives Andy his new doll who introduces himself as Chucky via the talking feature in all Good Guy Dolls. That night whilst being babysat by his mother’s friend Maggie, strange things begin to happen and end with Maggie being thrown out the window to her death. At first it is unknown who the killer is and after Andy begins to quote some of the sadistic things Chucky has said it is thought he may be responsible. But through the inevitable turn of events it is revealed that Chucky is in fact alive and back to his sadistic ways and goes on a killing spree whilst trying to get back into a human body.

When we look back into the history of horror films, too many films stand out above and beyond the rest. But when we narrow it down into a more recent (70′s and beyond) cult audience there are only a few that really stick out in my mind. I think of Freddy Krueger (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Jason Voorhees (Friday The 13^th), Michael Meyes (Halloween), and our favorite psychotic doll; Chucky (Child’s Play). No matter how unrealistic and often hilarious this movie can be it’s a clear cut classic. Thinking back to when this movie first came out, I was nearly twenty two years younger than I am now and it scared the hell out of me. I’m not going to lie, I found myself jumping at some of the same places I did back then. Granted I laughed at a lot of them too there’s no denying that Child’s Play is a must watch especially when Halloween rolls around every year.

When I compare Child’s Play to its sequels (with the exception of Child’s Play 2) it truly resembles the downward trend that Hollywood has plagued the horror genre with. To me this film represents a dying era as throughout the 90′s and into present times there are so few memorable horror films, and this is truly among the last of the classics.  For those of you that knew this film in the past or are just familiar with its campy sequels (Bride of Chucky, Spawn of Chucky) I really recommend you check out Child’s Play and see where it all started. I can honestly say that this dirty mouthed doll is some of the best remnants of a dying genre.

Video

Presented in 1080p 1.85:1 aspect ratio and encoded in MPEG-4 Child’s Play great looking results.  The opening scene had me worried as the picture did look a bit soft; this however was not the case for the rest of the movie.  Color and picture clarity were great for most of the picture and the detail on Chucky himself was superb.

The transfer is by no means perfect however.  As mentioned earlier softness of the pictures in some shots is noticeable and distracting from an otherwise sharp transfer.

I honestly was not expecting much from this title in terms of quality, but I was taken by surprise on how good this movie actually looked. Fan will be pleased with this effort by MGM as it is surely the best the movie has and probably ever will look.

Audio

MGM has included a 5.1 DTS-HD track and for a horror movie the audio track hits all the right notes creating a dangerous and suspenseful environment.  When the movie first started the track did sound a bit muffled, this quickly passed once the gunshots started to fly.  Rear channels did a superb job during these high tension moments creating an excellent sound field.

Beside the occasion flat sounding scene I have no serious complaints with what we were given here.

Special Features

We are provided with a decent amount of special features here, unfortunately they are all presented in only 480p.

• Audio Commentary – We are given two audio tracks with this release. The first is with actors  Alex Vincent, Catherine Hicks and designer Kevin Yagher.  The second commentary with Producer David Kirschner and Screen-writer Don Mancini.
• Evil Comes in Small Packages -  This feature should actually the one entitled the making of Child’s Play as it focuses on the film’s production much more than the self titled feature below.
• Building a Nightmare – A feature that focuses on the creation of the doll and the animatronics used to give Chucky his psychotic personality.
• A Monsters Convention – A Q&A with cast and crew during the 2007 Monster Mania Convention.
• The Making of Child’s Play – This feature should be called the making of Chucky as it almost entirely focuses on the creation of the doll.  Still this feature is pretty interesting and garners a look. There is some overlap with the “Building a Nightmare” feature
• Photo Gallery

Final Thoughts

I was very pleased to see the release of Child’s Play on Blu-ray as this is one of my favorite horror films, and the movie still holds down as a classic. Fortunately the video and audio are both vast improvements over the latest DVD release. The special features are very entertaining and above the cut, however they are the same as on the latest DVD release.  For fans of the film this is a hand’s down purchase.

Despite being the biggest film star in China for almost two decades it wasn’t until 1995s Rumble in the Bronx that Jackie Chan had established an audience in America. Since then we have seen Jackie take on comedic roles, dramas, as well we continue to watch him risk life and limb for our entertainment. But it had been nearly twenty years since Jackie had filmed a traditional martial arts film, Young Master. So in 1994 Jackie Chan returned to the big screen as Wong Fei Hung in the sequel to Drunken Master; The Legend of the Drunken Master. While the original film is an undeniable bar setter can the follow up ever compare to such a classic?

Film

While The Legend of the Drunken Master isn’t in fact a direct sequel to the original, many of the story elements are the same and Jackie Chan returns as the fabled Wong Fei Hung. As in the original Wong Fei Hung is portrayed as adventurous and mischievous but extremely talented. However his cockiness and inability to receive advice hold him back from unlocking his true potential. Through a series of misadventures Fei Hung discovers a plot from a group of British to smuggle Chinese artifacts whilst terrorizing the local population. Only after getting himself thrown into trouble with the British consul does Fei Hung smarten up and realize his true potential whilst training in the arts of Drunken Boxing, a deadly but dangerous form of Wushu. Wong Fei Hung battles through numerous foes while honing his skills to take down the corrupt British, but has to battle himself as he begins to consume too much alcohol and becomes sluggish.

Typically women aren’t seen as action junkies, nonetheless martial art’s junkies. I guess I break the meld in that department, and with movies like this out there, how can anyone blame me? As a huge fan of all things Jackie Chan (but namely his Chinese works) I urge all of you who know him for his Hollywood accolades to check out an amazing kung fu film like this. The story of The Legend of the Drunken Master is more typical of a Hollywood film than Jackie’s early works, as there is a developing plot line, but does well to stick to its roots. In my eyes the perfect film to watch for someone not familiar with Jackie’s earliest films as the action is nonstop and intriguing while at the same time there is an interesting storyline. You can truly begin to appreciate kung fu as an art, and in the meantime see Jackie Chan’s world famous choreography first hand while taking on the likes of real life kick boxing champion Ken Lo, among others.

But what truly makes this film unique is the use of Zui Quan (Drunken Boxing) a very real and ancient form of martial arts. The form can be very humorous to watch, and Jackie Chan truly makes it his own, staggering about with extreme balance and coordination whilst appearing as a drunkard.

At the end of the day The Legend of the Drunken Master is the perfect mixture of story and action. It truly has a classic martial arts film motif and will quickly grow on those of you who have not had the pleasure to enjoy it.

Video

Presented in 1080p 2.35:1 aspect ratio and encoded in VC-1 The Legend of Drunken Master hits Blu-ray with poor results.  I remember paying $30 for the DVD when it came out, and would have gladly paid that again for an improved high res transfer.  Sadly the transfer we are given here looks almost identical to the DVD release.  As soon as the film begins you can tell you are in for a disappointing ride.  Facial detail is blurred to the point of almost looking like Vaseline was smeared over the lens.  Color presentation is just as lacklustre with vibrancy barely besting its DVD brother.  There are a few scenes where the transfer can look fairly good, but these are quickly marred by the next ugly looking shot.

Seeing how this is one of my favourite Jackie Chan movies, it was really disappointing to see a film of this calibre receive such a subpar transfer.

Audio

Dimension has included a 5.1 Dolby True HD and while it may sound good on paper, the quality is simply lacking. The first thing you will notice is that we are only given the dub version of the audio presentation which is unfortunate and lazy.  Dialogue quality is fairly front heavy with the odd music cue opening up all the channels. The fight scenes are equipped with your standard punch and kick sounds and they do get the job done, however the lack of clarity and rear channel support is unacceptable.

Like the video the audio presentation is simply lacklustre and the exclusion of the Chinese track is simply lazy.

Special Features

• Interview – A short interview with Jackie Chan pretty much patting himself on the back for the action sequences in the film.  While it is much deserved he did come off as bragging in the interview.

Final Thoughts

I have been waiting for Jackie Chan movies to make their way onto Blu-ray since the day the format was announced (and no Rush Hour 3 doesn’t count) and sadly my expectations and anticipation have been answered with great disappointment. Ultimately The Legend of the Drunken Master is disappointment for fans, and Dimension (a branch of Disney / Buena Vista) should be embarrassed with such a release.

Series

As I noted in my reviews of seasons 1 and 2 of Dexter, the subject matter of this series is a bit bizarre. The show is abased on the Jeff Lindsay novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter and stars Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan, the top forensic blood spatter expert in the Miami PD. Not only is Dexter a blood spatter expert, he also happens to be a serial killer. However, rather than kill indiscriminately as most if not all serial killers do, Dexter only kills those he believes deserve death, like the habitual drunk driver who kills and maims repeatedly or the psychologist who drives patients to commit suicide.

Using his position inside the police department he is able to track down the bad guys that either escape prosecution or jail time, investigates them thoroughly and acts as the final arbiter of justice. He also disposes of his victims in a rather gruesome way. What really makes this series so compelling is how well it is written.

The Dexter character and what drives him is slowly revealed over the course of the series. In addition, the series just isn’t about Dexter. The series is filled with many other characters in his life, his sister, his girlfriend and fellow police officers whose lives are featured in many different subplots which really add to the flow of the narrative. Dexter is probably the most original TV series I have ever seen. It features a deep and compelling story and was a real joy to experience on Blu-Ray.

The third season picks in what seems like a few weeks after the end of the second season. There are a lot of changes in Dexter’s life in the third season. The season is centered around three main story arcs. the pregnancy of Dexter’s girlfriend and pending marriage, the hunt for a serial killer known as “The Skinner”, and Dexter’s budding relationship with Miami’s top Assistant DA, Miguel Prada, played by Jimmy Smits. It seems that Dexter has never had a close male friend before and finds one in Miguel. While Miguel seems to be an upstanding man at the beginning, he has a dark side just like Dexter, even darker. Dexter invites Miguel into Dexter’s dark little secret as Miquel is looking to dispense the type of justice the criminal justice system doesn’t always seem to be able to dispense. However, Miguel goes a little too far and breaks Dexter’s Code, forcing Dexter to take matters into his own “hands.”

The third season of Dexter is every bit as good as the first two seasons. One would think that the subject matter of the show would get a bit stale after two years but the writers here manage to keep the story line fresh. The key to this is the ability to add a few new characters each year and expand on what we know of the personal lives of Dexter’s sister as well as his fellow co-workers.

In addition the series gets more and more interesting as Dexter develops as a person, being able to experience emotions he was never able to experience in the past and to be able to relate to people on a more personal level. I can’t wait to season 4 to see just how Dexter will deal with being married and a father and how that will curtail his murderous activities. Season three, just like the two seasons before it is highly recommended and is some of the best TV I have ever had the pleasure to watch.

Video

The video on season 3 is every bit as good as the video on the first two seasons, maybe even a bit better. As I noted in my review of season 2, this is great looking encode with an extremely natural color palette with spot one skin tones. Primary and secondary colors are bright and well saturated and look fantastic. Black level is deep and stable generating an image of excellent depth and three dimensionality.

Detail is excellent as well with skin blemishes and skin pores clearly visible. The tight shots are particularly impressive and are fully worthy of a 5 star rating. In my reviews of seasons 1 and 2, I noted that the only issue I had with the video involved the distance shots, which I found to be a bit soft and lacking the uber detail and clarity of the best looking releases I have seen on Blu-Ray. I noted a bit of an improvement in this in season 3, but not enough to increase the overall score a full half a point to a perfect 5. more like a sold 4.75 stars.. This is without a doubt the best looking TV series release I have seen on Blu-ray.

Audio

As was the case with seasons 1 and 2, I continue to be bowled over by the quality of the audio on this entire series, which is spectacular. Dexter features a lossless audio track encoded with Dolby True HD, in a 5.1 channel configuration. While I have heard more immersive sound designs, I have heard few releases which have the level of audio fidelity this release has. The special quality of the audio is apparent from the moment when you hear Dexter speak. The dialogue track features a smooth and rich sound that is very lifelike, sounding as though Michael C. Hall is in the room speaking to you rather than though a speaker.

Audiophiles will love the sound on this release. The remainder of the sound field features the same excellent audio reproduction with a smooth and open sound, excellent transparency and imaging with pin point placement of the sound effects. When someone knocks on a door to the far right of the sound field, it sounds as though it is coming from outside your room. I was kind of shocked to be honest to experience this level of audio quality and sound design on a TV series. Dynamics are excellent with full, deep and tight bass. When the rear speakers kick in, they kick in with a gusto, filling your entire room with incredibly lifelike sound. I can say without question that fans of this series will be thrilled with the audio on the release and every bit as good as the audio on seasons 1 and 2 which also garnered a 5 stars rating. Very well done!

Special Features

The are no actual extras included with this release. The only extras will be available via BD-Live which I do not believe to be on line at the time I am preparing this review. The extras slated to be included consist of interviews with Michael C. Hall, Julie Benz, Jennifer Carpenter, Lauren Velez and David Zayas. Also included are a Dexter By Design Book Excerpts, the first two season one episodes of the Showtime series United States of Tara and Two season three episodes of the Showtime series The Tudors. While I will be than interested to check out the interviews, the remainder of these slated extras leave me cold.

Final Thoughts

In short, Dexter – The Third Season is an excellent release, and improves on the excellent first two seasons of the show, featuring a compelling story and first rate video and audio. It is well worth a purchase. At the very least, please do your self a favor and check this release out on the basis of a rental. I am sure you will be glad you did.

Film

Sling Blade is a rather slow moving but riveting film that centers around Karl who hails from a small rural southern town. Karl is slightly retarded and was abused by his parents as a child, being malnourished as well as being forced to live in a shed rather than in his mother’s home. Karl was also kept out of school for long stretches.

When he was in school, he was abused by the other kids. One day he hears his mother making some loud noises in the house and goes to investigate. What he sees disturbs him greatly, namely a local man on top of his mother “having his way with her” as he describes it. Karl thinks that the man is raping his mother and grabs a sling blade and kills him, nearly decapitating him in the process. However, Karl was wrong as the man was having consensual sex with his mother. When his mother screamed at Karl for what he did, he killed her also. As a result, Karl was convicted of murder and put away in a criminal psych ward where he remained for over 20 years, all the while undergoing therapy.

When his sentence was up, he was simply released back into society, with nowhere to go, and no job. The head of the institution was able to convince a friend in a nearby town to take him on as a helper at a machine repair shop where Karl was able to repair lawnmowers. Karl has a rather strange affect and body posture. He is played incredibly well by Billy Bob Thornton who gives a simply amazing performance.

Given Karl’s history which is revealed in the opening minutes of the film, you just know that Karl will go off and kill again. You just don’t know where or when. When Karl arrives in town, he is befriended by a small boy Frank. I admit that, not having seen the film before, I was fearing for Frank’s safety when Karl helps Frank carry some sacks of laundry back to his home from the laundromat. However, Frank later is introduced to Frank’s mother Linda and is eventually invited to live with them and Linda’s abusive boyfriend, Doyle, played by Dwight Yocum. As the film unfolds, you learn that there is more than meets the eye with Karl, who is much more introspective than you would imagine, even accepting Linda’s boss’ (John Ritter) homosexuality, despite what Karl perceives to be the Bible’s teachings regarding homosexuality. Despite the real growth in Karl’s reasoning powers during his stay at the psychiatric hospital, you just know that he will use that sling blade again on someone. and that this time, he will use it after some serious thinking about the morality of his actions.

I can’t recall seeing a film quite like Sling Blade or a character quite like Karl. The film is very well written. Its slow and deliberate pacing is a lot like that of Karl, matching his personality perfectly. Billy Bob Thornton gives an amazing performance, literally becoming Karl, to the point that is is hard to take your eyes off his performance on screen. After some of the recent clunkers I have reviewed recently, it was a pleasure to be able to watch such an original and riveting film, filled with so many fine performances in addition to that of Billy Bob Thornton. Give this disc a spin. You will be glad you did. Highly recommended.

Video

At first glance, I was not all that impressed with the video quality of this release. However, as the film began to unfold, I was really impressed by the overall level of detail and clarity, given the dark and gloomy nature of the film. Blacks levels, while not exactly inky, are fairly deep and stable. The color palette employed for the film is shall we say drab, muted and understated, again in line with the mood of the film. There are no bright and bold colors on screen and the image does not leap off the screen at you. However, overall detail is excellent, with the subtle facial details and background details clearly delineated and visible throughout.

The clarity of the image is also top notch and the images retain their sharpness despite some difficult lighting conditions, never looking soft or out of focus, even during the dark night time sequences. I was struck by the total absence of any video noise, even during the scenes that were shot in almost total darkness. I was also not able to detect any evidence of digital noise reduction or edge enhancement. While I would describe this as an overall dark and drab looking film, this encode does an incredible job of reproducing the look of the film in the home, with all of the fine film grain well preserved. I am sure that fans of this film will be thrilled with this encode. I know I sure was.

Audio

I was a little surprised that the sound mix here was as front heavy as it was. There is rather sparse use of the surrounds during the entire film. Even when the surrounds are engaged, they are engaged at rather low volumes, resulting is a very subtle 5.1 sound field, so much so that the surrounds might as well have not been on at all. This is not an immersive sound mix to be sure. However, the sound that is presented is done with excellent fidelity, especially the dialogue which is beautifully recorded and reproduced. This is especially important given that this is an entirely dialogue driven film. While there is a lot of music in the film, it is presented very subtly and understated and may I add, very effectively, adding a certain mood or vibe to each scene. While the audio here will not knock you out of your seat and is far from a reference encode, I found the encode here to be a fine one and one that really added to my overall enjoyment of the film.

Special Features

There are tons of extras here that will no doubt please fans of the film and Billy Bob Thornton in particular. However, none of the extras are in HD and seem to have been ported over from the prior DVD release. The extras are numerous however and include a feature commentary by Billy Bob Thornton as well as a fairly long and comprehensive feature detailing Billy Bob Thornton’ Hollywood career and upbringing in Arkansas entitled Mr. Thornton Goes to Hollywood. Also included is a Bravo TV profile of Billy Bob Thornton as well as a roundtable discussion with Billy Bob Thornton, Dwight Yocum, Mickey Jones and producer David Bushell, where they discuss the making of the film.

Also included is a short interview with both Billy Bob Thornton and Robert Duvall who plays Karl’s father in the film, where they discuss how they met and their friendship as well as an interview individually with Mr. Duvall.

We also get a conversation between Billy Bob Thornton and composer Daniel Lanois where they discuss the music used in and created for the film. Also included is a short featurette entitled The Return of Karl featuring Billy Bob Thornton on set and in character with members of the production staff.

Lastly, there is a featurette On the Set which contains behind the scenes video footage shot during the filming of three separate scenes in the film along with a featurette entitled Doyle’s Dead where Billy Bob Thornton discuss why a musical scene that was slated to be included in the film at the very end of the credits was cut from the film.

Final Thoughts

Sling Blade is an excellent film that features some excellent performances and very good video and audio that will surely thrill fans of the film. Highly recommended.

Film

It is possible that I let the fact that I have a special needs son cloud my judgment, but this is a dumb and insulting film. It stars Adam Sandler as Bobby Boucher, a 31 year old waterboy for a top ranked college football team who gets fired after 18 years on the job by their coach (played by Jerry Reed) after Bobby was attacked by members of the team at practice. Bobby is a bit slow and the players would take advantage of that and pray on him as well as his fetish about the purity of water.

While he wants a job as a waterboy at another team, his heavy handed and manipulative mother (Kathy Bates in a role I am sure she regrets signing up for. They really must have paid her well), dissuades him for doing anything but staying home with her on the bayou. However, Bobby goes against her wishes and gets a job as a waterboy at a Louisiana college team in the midst of a 40 game losing streak that is coached by a man (Henry Winkler) with serious psychological issues himself. However, at his first practice as the waterboy, Bobby is made fun of by the quarterback and the coach encourages him to stand up for himself. When he does, a switch turns on for Bobby and he exhibits incredible athletic skill, running across the field and jumping over a line of players, and laying out their QB.

Naturally, the coach teaches Bobby how to channel that energy and he becomes a star player setting NCAA sack and tackling records and propelling his team into the Bayou Bowl against the team coached by his coach’s old nemesis and source of his psychiatric problems. Along the way, Bobby meets a woman with a checkered criminal past and falls in love and upsets his mother in the process, who didn’t even know he was playing football. I found the film to be so insipid that I can’t really recommend it other than for diehard fans of the film and Adam Sandler in particular.

Video

I can’t say I was surprised that the video was as underwhelming as it is given the total lack of extras included with the release as noted below. Is this an awful looking film? No, but is several steps down the ladder from the better looking Blu-ray releases. While the film does have plenty of color and pop, the color palette is all over the place, especially the skin tones which range from orange to red to brown to spot one accurate from scene to scene and at times, within a given scene. Blacks level are just average but stable albeit far from inky. Where the look of the film really fails for me is in the level of detail and clarity. Most of the scenes are just lacking in detail, even the close-ups where facial detail just isn’t there to any significant degree.

I also found the clarity level to be below par, with the film looking soft and almost fuzzy looking, with distant shots looking the softest. However, there is a general softness to the image that pervades the entire film. As a result, the image on screen is very flat with little in the way of image depth and three dimensionality. I doubt that even fans of the film will be all that impressed by the visuals here. I know that I sure wasn’t.

Audio

While the audio is far from overwhelming, it is a good deal better than the video. The lossless track is encoded with DTS HD Master Audio and features quite good overall fidelity, sounding full, smooth and rich, with good bass response. However, I found the transparency and imaging to be just OK and far from the best I have heard. Dynamics are mediocre as well. However, the dialogue track is well recorded and well placed in the mix. Where the sound design is really lacking is in the use of the surrounds, which are not employed very aggressively. As a result, I would characterize the sound design as rather front heavy, with the occasional use of the surrounds for crowd noise during the football action. While far from the better sound designs I have heard, the audio is what you would expect from a comedy and does feature good fidelity, lacking any harshness or shrillness that one over encounters on standard DVD and plain ole Dolby Digital.

Special Features

There are no extras at all included with this release. None, zip, nada, That is quite surprising and I am note sure I have yet seen a Disney release without any extras, not even the obligatory director’s commentary. Zero extras equals zeros stars.

Final Thoughts

Unless you are a huge fan of Adam Sandler or this film in particular, you may be better off skipping this film entirely.