Film

Disc 1:

Sexual Healing: The sudden attention paid to “Sexual Addiction” in celebrities, thanks to the Tiger Woods controversy is played with as a joke of a joke. The mock-surprise and confusion of the characters is very amusing as they try to solve the non-mystery of why a man who is rich, healthy and young want to sleep with many beautiful women.

The Tale of Scrotie McBoogerballs: The boys are disappointed by former banned book Catcher in the Rye’s lack of raunchiness and so they decide to write the grossest story imaginable in an attempt to get banned, and inadvertently write a masterpiece.

Medical Fried Chicken: One of the most over-the-top episodes this season (and that says a lot) as KFC is banned in Colorado while medicinal marijuana stores start to appear. Since marijuana can only be legally distributed to people suffering from a serious illness, a group of men in town purposefully give themselves testicular cancer. Not only does this allow them to buy marijuana but their swollen testicles inflate to the size of chairs and can be used as ‘hippity-hop’ style transportation. Offensive and hilarious, a combo South Park has truly mastered.

You Have 0 Friends: The long overdue jab at Facebook. “Friends” are treated as a commodity until Facebook goes rogue and Stan must do battle in a Tron-like setting. This one has some wonderful inside jokes for those frustrated with the Facebook phenomenon.

200 & 201: A celebration of South Park making the 200 episode mark by having nothing but two episode-long string of self-referential jokes that build to a class-action lawsuit made by all the celebrities they have ever made fun of. These episodes had to be edited and/or pulled because of the reemergence of the Muhammad controversy (said controversy refers to whether they can air an image of the Muslim prophet).

For those more concerned about the South Park references, this two-part special finally answers the long-standing question of who Eric Cartman’s father really is (which was the question of their first season cliffhanger).

Crippled Summer: Part parody of the reality show Intervention, this time with Towelie as the subject, part parody of Warner Bros cartoon charters, here depicted as handicapped children attending summer camp. Not the strongest episode of the season but plenty of absurd laughs are to be had.

Disc 2

Poor and Stupid: Cartman fears he is not poor nor stupid enough to ever become a NASCAR driver. This episode is one long jab at NASCAR fan culture…another subject that was long overdue for a good South Park ribbing. Cartman and Butters southern banter while competing on the track had me laughing out loud.

It’s a Jersey Thing: Like the Season Seven episode “South Park is Gay!” that went after the rise of Gay-themed television shows, here they go after New Jersey themed programs like Jersey Shore and Jerseylicious. Jersey people’s popularity is a plague covering all of the US and South Park takes a militant stand against it. All the while, Kyle discovers that he was conceived in new Jersey making him another of the “Three Js” that Cartman is most prejudiced against:“Jew, Jersey, Ginger.” South Park is in fine satirical form with this episode, demonstrating their disdain through pitch-perfect parodies of their subjects.

Insheeption: This episode was based on a College Humour sketch about Inception than the film itself (a fact the creators apologize for in their audio commentary). The realm of dreams is entered to search out why Stan and Mr. Mackey are compulsive hoarders (making this a backhanded parody of Hoarding reality programs as well). No matter how many of the jokes were borrowed, this is a very amusing episode.

Coon Trilogy: Cartman’s alter ego returns. Lovecraft’s Cthulu appears as the Coon’s side-kick while the secret behind Mysterion’s identity as well as an explanation for Kenny’s constant resurrections are explained. A massive three-part saga that nearly reaches the scale of their previous Imaginationland adventure. The Coon was not the strongest concept in the previous season, but it makes for an acceptable story arc here.

Crème Fraiche: The season finale is a take on cooking shows and that strange shake-weight exercise gizmo. Like many of the recent episode’s Randy Marsh is the leader in all the hijinx (he is almost usurping the four boys as a lead character at this point). This episode might be responsible of creating the slang term “Old Fashioned” for a sexual act I won’t describe here…I’m sure it will be noticeable on the internet in no time.

Video

The original Fullscreen has been modified to appear natural in a 16:9 Widescreen TV presentation. The HD presentation is absolutely flawless. The animation may still root itself in looking cheaper than most (although their animation team is now capable of creating complex 3D characters to go along with the construction paper look of the originals) but each line and colour is as precise as it can possibly be.

Audio

Dolby TrueHD English 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 English, and English Stereo are the three options available. No matter what you choose, the sound is lush and very well mixed. The grossest of sound effects are blended right into the sophisticated scores of their more epic moments.

Subtitles available in English.

Special Features

Mini-Commentaries (both discs): As with every season previous, show creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone take four minutes from the beginning of each episode to speak about it. In many ways, I wish they had the time and patience to cover the entire episode as there are many smaller references and jokes within each episode that I’m sure they can dwell on. More often then not they make reference to the fact that they’re speaking and seem to be eating up time more than anything. That said, they still have interesting tidbits to share, mostly about their inspiration and motivation behind each episode’s story. These guys have a natural sense of composition, a tremendous self-awareness, and are shameless with both their praise and criticisms of others.

Disc 1

Deletes: A few scenes cut for time constraints it would seem. None are all that hilarious on their own but all could fit seamlessly back into their respective episodes. As well, each seems to be at different stages of completion for some are merely storyboards with dialogue over-top and others have the finished HD polish on them.

Disc 2:

The Coon: The debut of the superhero alter-egos of South Park’s kids, originally appearing on the Season 13 release. As an added bonus, the mini-commentary is also included in its re-release here.

Final Thoughts

When it seemed like this show was getting a bit too far into being nothing but parodies (or butchering) of pop culture references, Season 14 showed some actual character development, adding some more depth and history to these cartoon people we’ve come to know for well-over a decade now. This is certainly not their greatest season, but it is impossible to ever state that the show has lost its touch. South Park shows no real signs of losing steam as long as it can keep churning out an episode (from idea to post-production) in a weeks time, while never losing its edge or its wonderful attraction to satire.

Film 

Inspired by his loving father, played by Ray Liotta who might have been cast purely to help the audience parallel this film with character arcs in Goodfellas, George dedicates his life to never being poor. Such inspiration leads him to California and into the lap of a drug-dealing opportunity. Not wanting to take any chances, as far as his finances are concerned, he wants to shoot for something bigger than just collecting dollars from the free spirits roaming the beach. He first starts up by smuggling dope to the East by way of his flight attendant girlfriend, and eventually escalates it to flying product from Mexico to the US himself. This drug trafficking evolves from marijuana to cocaine, and the dollars he rakes in convert from thousands to millions at the same time.

George truly is meant to be an anti-hero. We cannot fully sympathize with him when he faces the legal ramifications of his actions, and yet we develop a liking for him. Perhaps Johnny Depp’s charismatic performance was doing us a disservice in this sense, but the film does do a lot to paint George in a certain light. In some ways, he wanted to “do right” for his daughter, but that can also just be seen as an Act Three revelation for him, in terms of cinematic character composition. By the time he is day-dreaming about his daughter, and the final frame dedicated to a real-life shot of George in jail, we are almost forgetting the hedonistic (if not selfish) heights he took his life. He was a drug-dealer who was responsible for corrupting many lives, either through direct contact or by way of the products he smuggled into the US from Colombia, which in turn supported the blood-thirsty Pablo Escobar. If nothing else, this film demonstrates how charm can gloss over many a things but we must be disciplined to remember that a crime is a crime, no matter whose smile is in front of it (but try and tell that to the thousands of kids who have Scarface posters hanging on their walls).

Demme’s composition of this film seems to be a love letter to his favourite films and filmmakers of the late 70s and 80s. Some references are clearer than others, such as borrowing a quote from Jaws, while others are artfully hidden in the staging of some shots (many an ode to Coppola in that vein), or how the camera doesn’t so much film its subject, but pursues them the way that Scorsese’s might (think of the longer shots, without cuts, in Goodfellas, for a prime example of what I mean).

The musical score is a bid obvious and overbearing at times, especially when silence would have sufficed for a scene. A perfect example is how the tension of when George confronts his former partner at his Colombian mansion was plenty to hook us into the moment, but the score rises to an almost distracting level. Demme had such a stellar cast in both the leading and supporting roles that he really should have trusted them to carry a scene when the score seems to be trying to unnecessarily pick up the slack.

Overall, this film remains fascinating throughout. Sometimes things arise so casually that you find yourself forgetting just how immense the character’s actions are, never mind their repercussions. A heavy hitting combo of an engrossing story, well told by a director with a clear vision and a cast loaded with amazing talents.

Video

Widescreen 2.35:1. Not the crispest picture I’ve seen on Blu Ray, but the fuzziness can only be scene if standing very close to a large screen. So this film may not be used as an HD demo any day soon, but its pros certainly outweigh its cons. Said pros include a very vibrant look to the more colourful portions, most notably during the party scenes and anything depicting sunny locations in the 60s or 70s.

1080p HD is doing a rather good job, whether its as crisp as a Pixar release or not.

Audio 

The options include 5.1 Dolby Digital and 5.1 Dolby True HD in English, as well as 5.1 Dolby Digital in French. Each track option is very well mixed. The score is ever-present without overpowering the dialogue. Depp’s narration comes through clear, as he never succumbs to the natural droning in his voice.

Subtitles available in English and French.

(DVD copy also offers Dolby 2.0 in French)

Special Features 

Focus Points: An interactive option where clips featuring interviews and facts about the real history behind the film can be summoned when an icon appears on the screen during the film. Essentially, most of these clips are taken from other featurettes available on the disc and are compiled as a sample platter of relevant facts injected into our viewing experience so that we, the audience, can get a greater sense of the time it takes place and the social ramifications in the characters’ actions.

Behind the Story

• Commentary by Director Ted Demme and George Jung: These two do not interact with each other as their comments were recorded separately, but still share time as Demme offers insights and opinions on the making of the film and those that helped him make it, and Jung offers us his own tidbits about the actual time he spent while its being recreated on the screen and/or his more in depth feelings about the characters being portrayed. Each make for an engrossing listen and a real treat for those that appreciate this film’s story.

• George Jung Interview: Demme speaks with Jung, who remains incarcerated, on a wide array of reflections and opinions about the film and the parts of his personal history it resurrects. Despite age and a naturally subdued demeanor created by the impact of a prison life, Jung’s natural charm still leaks through in his responses.

• Lost in Paradise: Cocaine’s impact on Colombia: A fascinating documentary in and of itself. Pablo Escobar, the drug lord, is a crucial part of Blow, and here his effects on Colombia and the escalation of the crippling violence within it, are detailed through graphic footage of real people being attacked and kill, as well as interviews with former guerrilla rebels, citizens, journalists and many others who have witnessed first hand the horrors their country face.

• Addiction: Body & Soul: A look into the effects cocaine has on a person, as well some possible psychological and scientific explanations as to why a person may become addicted to a substance, which is ultimately tied to the story of George Jung over the course of many interviews with those recovering from addiction or studying it.

• Fast Track: An optional track that displays relevant facts and information as the film plays. A welcome addition to the abundance we already can have while watching the film (bringing the count of optional tracks to 3, all playable at once).

Music Video

Push and Pull by Nico Costa : A decent little tune. Purely an extra as it has no direct line of connection to the film’s narrative. Still appreciated.

Online

An advertisement for the film company’s official site, offering more information on the film, but presumably not as interesting information as what already appears on the disc itself.

Extras

• Production Diary: A large handful of handy-cam recordings from the 63 day long production. A cute, candid view of the production. A camera behind the camera diary that is a lot less tedious than other behind-the-scenes featurettes I’ve seen in my time. The final day antics are particularly amusing. Demme is a positive force on the set, which is great for a director, and it reflects in the cast and crew surrounding him. Something very joyful that instantly becomes tragic when you discover how this was Demme’s final film, since we lost him to a (possibly) cocaine induced heart attack.

• Trailers: 2 trailers, one full theatrical, the other a teaser…that’s all you need to understand.

Additional Scenes:

• Deleted Scenes: 10 in total. Demme mentioned in his interview with Jung that the rough cut of the film was 45 minutes longer than the final cut, so I knew I was in for a large haul when it came to deleted material. Some very interesting material all around that were obviously shaved for the sake of time and flow. The quality in presentation is equal to the main feature, showing just how much they meant to the director, and how easily they could re-enter in some cut down the road, perhaps.

• Director Commentary Track: Since the feature film had 3 optional tracks (granted, only one was commentary) it is only fair that the deleted scenes get their own track. Demme offers some very nice insights into what these scenes meant to him and the film. Included in this batch is a jail house scene that Demme notes as his favourite while also reiterating some words of wisdom he received “You’ll know you’re a good filmmaker when you are able to cut your favourite scene,” meaning you can see what is best for the film as a whole, and not just each scene by themselves.

• Character Outtakes: A series of interviews with the actors, completely in character, as they speak about their relationship with George Jung. A nice exercise in demonstrating how professional actors absorb their characters.

DVD copy of the film: A nice copy of the film. Blu-ray does an obviously better job bringing out the great colour palette this film has, but the DVD is no slouch. Always a welcome contribution to any Blu Ray release.

Final Thoughts 

With both DVD and Blu-ray in the package, along with all the special features one could dream of for this feature, this currently reigns as the definitive edition of Blow to have in your collection. The film alone makes for a great ride, and these extras on this edition make it essential for any major film collector.

Before I begin (no pun intended), I need a quick moment to reflect upon a disclaimer I need to make. If it were not for on-screen onslaught of The Dark Knight, I don’t think I would have given Batman Begins the much needed respect and appreciation it deserves. I think I need to be brutally honest here for a moment. Batman Begins is an origin story so if you have not seen it, do not go in with the expectations that it is going to be one of the greatest high-adrenaline action movies you have ever seen because you will be greatly disappointed. Instead, you need to appreciate the movie for what it really is. What is that, you might ask? It is a slick vehicle to introduce to the world who the Batman really is.

Batman is not just a man in a masked costume going around fighting loud and ludicrous villains. Batman is a human being just like any of us and suffers from some of the same fears and desperations that plague the lives of all ordinary people. When you strip the Batman character down to bare bones you realize that he is simply a man driven by a fear that severely haunts him and his only way of escaping that binding fear, to fight crime and injustice, is by sharing it with his enemies. How does one do that? You do that by becoming a symbol…by becoming more than just a man. This is the psychological journey we are treated to and undertake in Batman Begins.

Don’t think of this as simply another comic book movie, but instead treat it like you would any good psychological thriller. There is always an underlying reason for a man’s actions, which ultimately defines who he is. In hindsight, we finally get to walk on the red carpet by seeing what exactly makes Bruce Wayne tick. We get to witness what drives him into becoming the only hope that Gotham City has. Gotham City needs to be saved from the underworld clutches of the world’s most dangerous villains and criminals. This ladies and gentleman, is the story of Batman Begins.

Film  

The film opens with eight-year old Bruce Wayne having accidentally just fallen into a cave while playing with his best friend, Rachel Dawes. Helpless and injured young Bruce Wayne has a frightful yet fateful encounter with bats. He grows more fearful of bats every passing day as his nightmares haunt him and extinguish his sleep. Then came the dark night (again no pun intended) that changed young Bruce’s life forever. While attending an opera with his parents, Bruce becomes frightened at the actors portraying bats. Cognitive of Bruce’s frightened state, his parents agree to take him home. Outside the opera house, Bruce’s parents are robbed and shot down in cold blood by a thug named Joe Chill. Having witnessed this seditious and tragic act of violence, Bruce blames himself for his parents’ untimely demise.

Many years go by as a more mature Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) returns home to Wayne Manor from Princeton University, with intent to kill Joe Chill who is being arraigned for a possible early release. His childhood friend, Rachel Dawes (Katie Holmes), who is now an attorney herself, accompanies him to the trial. Before Bruce can act on his plan of revenge, an unidentified woman kills Joe Chill for the crime lord Carmine Falcone (Tom Wilkinson). Angered and feeling cheated that he did not get to complete his act of selfish vengeance, Bruce Wayne decides to confront Carmine Falcone. This is where one of my favorite lines of the movie comes to fruition. Carmine Falcone lectures Bruce that he does not understand the nature of crime and that he should be thankful that he killed his parent’s murderer. The most memeorable line comes when Carmine starts pointing out all the lawyers, cops and politicians in the restaurant they are in and how he could fire his gun upon Bruce Wayne without hesitation or anyone questioning the act of him doing so. He tells Bruce that this is power you just cannot buy. I may have mixed some words around but I think you get the point. This is serious stuff here people!

Bruce, at this point, is just disgusted at the injustice and current state of Gotham City ruled by corrupt politicians, police officers and criminal organizations. He decides to travel the world to understand the criminal mind. He learns what its like to live without money and to steal just to feed and clothe himself over a seven-year length of time. Ultimately, he ends up imprisoned and meets Henri Ducard (Liam Neeson). Ducard invites Bruce to train and eventually join the extremist vigilante group, the League of Shadows led by Ra’s al Ghul, dedicated to ridding the world of criminal activity and declining civilizations. During his rigorous martial arts and mental training sessions with Ducard and the members of the League of Shadows, Bruce learns to embrace his fear of bats by utilizing it to fight crime and putting fear into the wrongdoers he intends to stop. The final test comes when Bruce is ordered to execute a criminal and he must decide between what he feels is the right and what is the wrong kind of justice. Upon being ordered to carry out the execution of this prisoner, Bruce finally realizes that the League’s conflicting extremist views do not align with what he feels justice truly should be. As a result, he ends up burning down the temple and defeating Ra’s al Ghul…so he thinks. I told you this film was deep, didn’t I?

Back in Gotham City, things are worse than ever. Gotham City is now pretty much under the corruption and control of Falcone. Bruce Wayne declares war against the corruption that infiltrates Gotham City. Bruce returns back to the loving care and guidance of his family’s trusted butler, Alfred Pennyworth (Michael Caine), who has taking care and presiding over all of Bruce’s affairs while he has been gone. Bruce manages to re-establish his connections to his father’s company, Wayne Enterprises, which is about to go public. It is there that he is introduced to a former board member, Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), who now heads the research and development department. Secretly, Bruce uses Lucius’ knowledge and gadgets to acquire not only suit armor and weaponry, but also the Tumbler, a prototype armored car, which will replace what legacy Batman fans always refer to as the Batmobile. Back at Wayne Manor, with the help of Alfred, Bruce constructs the Batcave and ultimately his alter ego…the Batman. When asked why bats, Bruce responds because he is afraid of them and wants his opponents to share in that fear. The rest ladies and gentlemen…is what they call history. I hope I have given you enough to whet your appetite for what will eventually become a baptism by fire for the Batman as he ventures out to rid Gotham City of corruption and spread his own kind of justice. Of course you can expect a few major villains to go bump in the night and try to foil the Dark Knight’s crusade to save Gotham City. Who will ultimately prevail? I guess you will need to watch and find out because the path through Batman Begins only leads to bigger and better things…The Dark Knight.

Batman Begins ultimately became a critical and commercial success. The film eventually grossed more than $370 million worldwide. While not really being a big fan of Chris Nolan’s prior films, I was somewhat judgmental when I heard he was helming the reboot of the Batman franchise. I personally felt it was way too soon after the failure of the last Batman movie in 1997. I now hang my head in embarrassment and admit how truly wrong I was. Chris Nolan not only resurrected the Batman franchise but has also paved a trend for many more superhero movies to follow. If you keep up with entertainment and movie news like I do, then you will know what I am talking about. Just about every news article I read about future superhero movies talk about how the producers and writers are taking cues from Christopher Nolan’s darker version of Batman. Let’s face it…there has to be a serious issue or deep underlying reason why a person wants to become a superhero and Christopher Nolan explores and dissects this theory by making the audience not only care for the Batman but also for his alter identity, Bruce Wayne. Now if that is not deeply psychologically rooted, then I don’t know what is. This is not a film for the kiddies. They just won’t understand the psychosis of everything involved. Like I said before, the journey that Christopher Nolan has created only gets better as you going along.

Video  

Warner Bros. brings us a video transfer with a 1080P VC-1 video encode and a 2.40:1 widescreen aspect ratio. Unfortunately, here is where I start to digress and take the journey down the road of complaints. While the Blu-ray video transfer is leaps and bounds above the DVD release, it is nowhere close to the reference quality video many current Blu-ray discs portray. There are no problems with the resolution but throughout the entire feature, the colors seem somewhat muted and the image never has that three-dimensional pop that many of today’s Blu-rays exhibit. Some of the shots do look good but the majority of the film is very soft and almost feels as if it has a filter overlaid on top of the image because it almost never seems sharp. The flesh tones all seemed a bit pale to me as well. The good news is that grain is at an absolute minimum for a movie that is mostly dark and filmed in the shadows. While this Blu-ray release may not be of reference quality video, this is definitely the finest High-Definition presentation of Batman Begins that is available and is truly a delicacy for die-hard fans.

Audio  

Like the video, it appears that Warner Bros. has also ported over the audio from the HD DVD release. The audio track of choice here is a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround mix. I have read and heard many conflicting reviews regarding the audio track of the Batman Begins Blu-ray disc. Some people say it is status quo and some same it is reference quality throughout. I fall somewhere in between those two points of view. While I feel the audio definitely has its moments, I would not be inclined to showcase this as a reference audio track. The dialogue is always clear and intelligible throughout the feature. The famous Hans Zimmer also treats us to another fine musical score. The low-end bass is superb during all the action scenes but I just can’t shake the feeling that the rest of the movie just sounds flat during non-action sequences to me. The Dolby TrueHD surround track sounds exactly like the audio track on the HD DVD release of Batman Begins. While the audio track here is nothing to sneer at, I just feel certain dynamics could have been fleshed out a bit more and improved upon.

Special Features  

If there was ever a reason for me to own the Blu-ray release of Batman Begins when I already own it on HD DVD, it was for the six heavenly minutes of The Dark Knight IMAX prologue footage. This is the “Holy Grail” of the Blu-ray release and makes the price of admission and owning the Batman Begins Blu-ray well worth it, even if you own it on two other different formats like myself. The Blu-ray release of Batman Begins was purposely released a week before the theatrical release of The Dark Knight and for many fans it was their first glimpse of the Oscar-worthy performance of Heath Ledger as the Joker. This is the first time in a long time in which I am excited about the extras. As a side note, just about every extra from the past HD DVD and DVD releases are included here. The only disappointing thing is that every special feature is in Standard Definition with the exception of the IMAX prologue and theatrical trailer.

The following are the full technical specs as published on the back of the Blu-ray cover art:

In-Movie Experience – (HD) This is the Picture-in-Picture track that delayed the Blu-ray release until the Profile 1.1 was finalized. This is basically a visual commentary with director Christopher Nolan and is joined by the main cast and production crewmembers through a variety of behind-the-scenes footage.

The Dark Knight IMAX Prologue – (HD) This is the entire first 6-minutes of the opening sequence. It is presented in pristine 1080P with a 1.80:1 aspect ratio. This sequence is reference quality and worth every penny.

Tankman Begins – (SD) This is a funny short skit created for the 2005 MTV Movie Awards.

Batman – The Journey Begins – (SD) This is a short 14-minute documentary on the casting process.

Shaping Mind and Body – (SD) This is a 13-minute documentary that shows the training that Christian Bale undertook for the role.

Gotham City Rises – (SD) This is a 13-minute look at the production team tasked with building the various Gotham City locations.

Cape and Cowl – (SD) This is an 8-minute look at the creation of the new Batsuit.

Batman – The Tumbler – (SD) Here is a 14-minute documentary about the creation and concepts of the new Batmobile.

Path to Discovery – (SD) This is a 14-minute look at the challenges the production crew faced in cold climate of Iceland.

Saving Gotham City – (SD) This is a 13-minute tribute to the filming of the action scenes and how they tried to use as little CGI as possible.

Genesis of the Bat – (SD) We get a 15-minute explanation from director Christopher Nolan and screenwriter David S. Goyer on how the film was conceived.

Still Gallery (SD) – The still gallery contains a collection of various advertising concepts for the film’s marketing around the world.

Theatrical Trailer – (HD) Don’t let this title fool you. This is only the teaser trailer and not the full theatrical trailer.

Reflections on Writing Batman Begins – (SD) David S. Goyer speaks to his experience in writing the screenplay and how he got inspired.  This 2-minute feature is not overly valuable, but worth a quick watch.

Digital Batman – (SD) This 1-minute feature shows how digital images of batman were more believable then the live batman.  Side-by-side comparisons are used.  Rather a dull extra, but somewhat interesting none-the-less.

Batman Begins Stunts – (SD) This 2.5-minute poor quality extra features shots of how a number of stunts were pulled off during the filming of the movie.  No need to waste your time here.

Final Thoughts  

I guess one of the reasons I initially dismissed Batman Begins upon my first viewing in the theatre, was mainly for a lack of action that I was expecting rather than the psychological story I got. I can only figure that I must have got so numb from the previous Batman franchise that I was not expecting to have to do so much thinking. I was so use to the flashy and flamboyant villains that I did not know what to make of Batman Begins. I don’t want to be misunderstood. In no way did I think that Batman Begins was a bad movie. I just thought it was really different than what I was expecting to see and was amazed at how many fan boys came out of nowhere as a result of the darker Batman story. Then the month of July 2008 came around and my life changed forever. My initial viewing of The Dark Knight made Batman Begins mean so much more to me. I finally saw what I was missing all along in Batman Begins. The audience gets to dive head-first into the psychosis thinking of what is going through Bruce Wayne’s mind as we experience first hand his motivation, training and drive that culminated him into our favorite crime fighter…the Batman. What makes Batman unique is that under the mask and costume, Bruce Wayne is just an ordinary man with no superhuman powers except the ability to free his mind of any fear and devote himself to a higher mission in life…saving the lives of others. Batman is more than a man. He is a symbol. He is a symbol that criminals should fear. He uses this fear to clean up the streets of Gotham City. How brilliant is that?

If you are a Batman fan, then this is a no-brainer. I highly recommend the purchase of Batman Begins Steelbook on Blu-ray. But get it before it is gone… this is a Limited Edition release!

I was somewhat curious about reviewing my first “true” black and white film (Young Frankenstein was the first I had reviewed), and was equally curious to see how much charisma the relatively young Elvis of 1957 possessed.

Film

This movie was an absolute surprise.  Instead of the fun-filled lightweight eye candy that Viva Las Vegas was, Jailhouse Rock was actually somewhat seedy and serious.  Elvis plays a blue-collar worker (Vince Everett) who is sent to jail to serve a sentence for manslaughter, all result of defending a woman in a bar fight.  In jail, his cellmate is a former professional musician Hunk Houghton (played by Mickey Shaugnessy), who teaches him some guitar, and gets him onto a television show broadcast from the prison.  Bags of fan mail ensure, and after his release, Vince seeks to establish a career as a performer.

A chance encounter with a record company employee, Peggy (played by the late yet lovely Judy Tyler) helps launch Vince’s career.  She helps him get his first record deal, and he treats her like dirt, glowers at her parents, insults her parents’ guests, then sex appeals her into submission.  Success is almost instantaneous, giving Elvis license to slap around music executives, sass lawyers, use the word sexy (this was 1957), be reasonably lecherous, and belittle Hunk.

One of the most enjoyable parts of this film is that Elvis’ character is a class-A jerk.  Rude to the warden, rude to ladies, rude to prospective employers, grunting, scowling, and silent, it was almost as if Elvis was channeling a James Dean “lite” for this film.  Cool, yet rebellious, this movie was quite a bit different from the fluffy movies to come.

The story certainly does feel 1950’s, with a linear and uncomplicated narrative, and characters who are wonderfully somewhere between caricature and fully fleshed out.  Musical numbers are an appropriate part of the film and not intrusive.  The behind the scenes view of the 1950’s recording industry felt authentic.

Video

Would it be possible to believe a black and white movie could look better than many modern color films?  The print of this film was absolutely gorgeous.  Beautiful shading, sharp edges, minimal and appropriate grain, wonderful blacks – what else does one want?

The cinematography was equally nice, with excellent use of depth of field, and wonderful framing in almost every shot.  My only question is, “How can Jailhouse Rock look so good when Elvis on Tour (filmed 15 years later) looks like a VHS tape?”

Audio

An absolutely superb job was done with the TrueHD remix of the original mono track.  Voices and vocals are spread nicely across the entire front soundstage, and some information surprisingly shows up in the surrounds.  LFE data is expectedly nominal.

So how does this film get such a high score? It’s all in the music, baby.  The quality of the musical numbers is fantastic, and well above the quality one normally hears in 50’s vintage recordings.  The sound in this film puts a number of my Elvis CDs and LPs (that’s a record for you kids out there) to shame.  Sharp and clearly defined instruments combined with the natural timbre and resonance of Elvis’ voice to make the music number magical.

Special Features

This disc comes with very few special features.  Considering all are in 480p, I’m assuming these are a carry-over from the DVD release of the film.

Included are the theatrical trailer (boy, trailers sure sucked back then), and a 15-minute featurette “The Scene that Stole Jailhouse Rock”; mainly interesting due to hearing how Lieber & Stoller hated what Elvis did with their songs.  Finally, there is a boring commentary from the author of “Elvis in Hollywood”, delivered in a humorless monotone.

Final Thoughts

After enjoying Viva Las Vegas and hating Elvis on Tour, I wasn’t really sure what to expect from Jailhouse Rock.  Was I ever pleasantly surprised by the quality of the audio and video, the surliness of Elvis, and the coherence and weight of the plot.  Not only do I give this disc a “Buy It” recommendation, I can recommend the 3-Disc Elvis Blu-Ray Collection on the strength of this disc and Viva Las Vegas.  Both films offer an interesting snapshot into a time that more and more seems foreign to our own with each passing day.

I am now going through a similar battle with one of my teenage sons who is heavily into the music of today, particularly Lady Gaga, who I just don’t get. While different generations may have their own musical tastes, just about everyone loves the music of Motown. My father was a musician and had his own band. Whenever I would get out to see them play (and carry around the instruments and amps up flights of stairs), everyone always got up and danced to Motown, young, old and middle aged. Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Little Stevie Wonder and The Jackson 5. How could anyone not love this music? When I saw that the folks at Eagle Rock were releasing a recent live performance of Phil Collins featuring Motown classics, I asked for a copy. Given Phil Collins’ prior success covering some of these tunes, I knew we would be in for a great night of music. I was not disappointed.

Film 

Phil Collins: Going Back Live at Roseland Ballroom, NYC is sort of a companion to a studio album of much of the same material covered here released in September. Phil is backed by a stellar 18 piece band including bassist Bob Babbitt and guitarists Eddie Willis and Ray Monette of Motown’s original backing band, The Funk Brothers. Also backing Phil are two members of Genesis’ live band, drummer Chester Thompson and guitarist Darryl Stuermer, as well as a killer horn section and a great group of background singers. The entire band is in fine form and turns in one incredible performance. While not exactly a great vocalist, Phil Collins more than holds his own with each of the tunes.

It is hard not to want to get up and dance when you hear most of these tunes. If you foot ain’t a tappin’, to quote an old tune form the 40′s “Jack, you dead!” All in all, 26 tunes are covered in order of appearance: the intro Signed, Sealed, Delivered, Ain’t Too Proud to Beg, Girl (Why You Wanna To Make Me Blue), Dancing In The Street, (Love Is LIke A) Heatwave, Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone, Never Dreamed You’d leave In Summer, Jimmy Mack, You’ve Been Cheating, Do I Love You, Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever, Going To A Go-Go, Blame It On The Sun, Ain’t That Peculiar, Too Many Fish In The Sea, You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me, Something About You, The Tears Of A Clown, Nowhere To Run, In My Lonely Room, Take Me In Your Arms, Rock Me A Little While, Going Back, Talking About My Baby, You Can’t Hurry Love and My Girl. If you are a fan of Motown, or just a Phil Collins fan, you will love this release. It is very highly recommended for music lovers of all ages.

Video 

Recorded with HD cameras, the video on this release is for the most part very good. As one would have guessed for a live concert recorded in a rather small hall, the video presentation features bright and bold colors with particular emphasis on bright red curtains behind the stage and the band and singers dressed in clothing of varying shades of purple. The stage is well lit, although a large part of the audience is still visible throughout the show. Blacks are deep and stable throughout the concert. The images for the most part are clear and sharp with excellent levels of detail. I say for the most part, because some of the distance shots are a bit soft and lacking in detail. As one would expect, the tighter the shots, the better the clarity and detail.

The only real quibble I would have with the video is a bit of video noise in the darker portions of the image. Whether you will even notice this depends on the size of your screen and how far away you sit from your screen. It was noticeable on my 60″ screen from my normal viewing distance. Other than the issue with the video noise, this is a fine looking release and fully worthy of a 4 star rating.

Audio 

Simply put, I Love the audio on this release. It is superb. Three audio options are presented, LPCM Stereo and two lossless tracks, DTS HD Master Audio and Dolby True HD. I did most of my listening with the DTS HD Master Audio track engaged. I compared all three and the two best were the lossless multichannel tracks, although the stereo track is no slouch. Having two lossless tracks available, you can compare one versus the other. The main difference between the two is the DTS track sounding much louder. Once the levels are matched, they pretty much sound the same, although I feel that the DTS track had a tiny bit more air in the sound, giving a tad better sense of space than the Dolby True HD track. However, they were close, very close.

The sound, whatever option you chose, features incredible fidelity. Listen to the growl of the baritone sax and the kick of the bass drum. All three of the guitarists are audio at all times. All of the instruments are spread out before you in the sound field. Nothing gets lost in the sound mix. The surrounds are used aggressively through the entire concert, placing you at the venue. It is rare that a concert video captures the live sound of a concert so realistically but that is the case here. I found myself transported to the Roseland Ballroom in New York, just like I was experiencing the concert in person. It is that good and that captivating and a joy to experience even at rather high volume levels. Did I say that I loved this audio? Enough said.

Special Features 

Concert videos are usually not long on extras and this release is no exception. There are two extras presented, a rather brief interview with Phil Collins about the studio CD release of the music featured as well as footage of the rehearsal for the Roseland ballroom show that occurred in Gland, Switzerland. The rehearsal footage is narrated by Phil Collins, where he talks about the musicians, the selection of songs, the arrangements and the keys selected.

Final Thoughts

If you are a fan of Motown or just Phil Collins, you will love this release. Check it out. Very highly recommended.

Film

Altitude is a horror thriller which I thought was merely about a young pilot who decides to take a group of her friends and her slightly off boyfriend to a concert via a rental plane when a malfunction leads to the plane climbing out of control… However as the movie progressed, slowly I might add, this element of the supernatural gets thrown in abruptly.

The movie takes a while to get going and as the characters are introduced it becomes very clear that subtly is not really in store for us… One character in particular comes off as an arrogant tool right off the start and he might as well have the words “Will be killed in this movie” stitched onto his jacket. The acting is stiff, which isn’t surprisingly for a low budget direct-to-video horror film and some of the more emotional scenes don’t have the impact they need for the audience care due to the very over-the-top performances from the characters.

The film has a very long winded opening that eventually leads to a scene inside the plane where the movie takes place and for about 15 minutes the characters partake in a conversation that I assumed was going while they were flying… The lack of establishing shots really didn’t help and the odd choices in the editing like said shot show that the film has a few moments where I had to rewatch quick bursts of cuts to figure out what happened.

By the second act the film takes a very weird right turn that sort of throws off the mood that’s been created during the beginning of the film and whereas the first 20 minutes of the film drag on, the last twenty minutes throw so many different ideas and twists at the audience that it just feels so forced and silly. It got to the point where I had to simply accept the fact the movie isn’t really trying to patch all the plot holes it creates and decided to just try and accept that the filmmakers were making a very ambitious film that would’ve worked better as an episode of The Outer Limits or Twilight Zone.

Video

Altitude’s video is displayed using the VC-1 codec. The video quality is very clear and sharp, especially during those close-ups where skin texture is apparent. I noticed a bit of softness at times but I think it had to do with a camera focus mistake rather than a transfer error. The colour palette has a blue tint to the shadows but the skin tone comes off naturally, which is the trademark of a good colour grading. The contrast is at a good level with some deep black levels, some of the shots that involve green screen have some lame CGI backdrops that really give the movie magic away, which is surprising considering some of the CGI later on in the movie is actually decent.

There isn’t much noise or grain throughout even though most of the film takes place in a little plane cabin while dark storm clouds surround however we do get some fairly noisy shots once in a while that are rather distracting. On another note, the shots in daylight seem overexposed and the windows always look blown out which gets annoying when there are scenes that are juxtaposed with one another.

Audio

Altitude’s audio comes at us using the TrueHD 5.1 codec. The audio is really front heavy throughout the film, but as the film is set within a storm cloud we get some nice low frequency rumble as the thunder roars on. The surrounds get some usage and some panning is used to really capture atmospheric quality of having a multi-speaker set-up. Although the mix isn’t as complex as some we do get some really nice effects that help make the ride a bit more enjoyable. The dialogue is clear and is centered, there isn’t any noticeable hiss or humming during the dialogue and the sound effects are blended nicely as well.

Special Features

Altitude has a light selection of special features which include a commentary for the film by the director, a 50 minute behind-the-scenes documentary about all the stages of the making of the film and a very useless version of the film which plays in fast-forward and shows the unedited greenscreen footage used in the film.

Besides trailers and a photo gallery that covers some concept art, there isn’t really anything that stands out. The doc is in high definition which is nice, but really it’s still not a very necessary watch.

Final Thoughts

The film wasn’t on my radar and although the film is ambitious, it falls into too many of the pitfalls and clichés of all the other direct-to-video cheesy horror films. The film looks and sounds decent but with a very corny story and lack of interesting special features this would be a disappointment even to fans of the horror genre.

Film 

The Freeling family lives a quiet suburban life in California; that is until the five year old Carol Anne begins communicating with another world through the static on their television. Bizarre events begin happening to the entire family like furniture being re arranged, an earthquake that only the Freelings feel, and announcements by Carol Anne that spirits are among them. Diane (Carol Anne’s mom) is fascinated by the presence of the spirits as she feels there is no immediate harm by it, but her husband Steve is threatened and concerned. Then one night a tree comes to life as a discretionary measure to divert attention away from Carol Anne who is taken in through a portal in her closet. Now the only way to communicate with her is through the static in the television as the Freeling’s scramble to find a way to battle the spirits and return their daughter to our world.

While this film isn’t what many neo horror lovers are accustom too Poltergeist managed to create a distinct style of its own which relied heavily on skillful acting and direction. The thrills in this film remain mostly psychological. There are no scary demons, no spinning heads, or bloody limbs; Poltergeist instead relies on conversation and supernatural occurrences to drive itself. I must say, after all these years Poltergeist still manages to be amongst the best horror films ever made. Well the thrills aren’t a mile a minute; they are in fact more believable because of their subtle and sometimes plausible nature. If after all these years you have yet to see Poltergeist I strongly suggest you do as it ranks amongst the top in the horror genre.

Video 

Presented in 1080p 2.35:1 aspect ratio and encoded in VC-1 Poltergeist comes to Blu-ray with a much upgraded video presentation. The first thing I noticed when I popped the disc in was the impressive use of colors.   Every color is accurately displayed while displaying impressive vibrancy.

Besides from a few scenes that looked soft and overly grainy, Poltergeist is also one sharp looking movie. There is no doubt that this video presentation is vastly superior to any DVD release.  It is a no brainer that fans should pick this one up on the video transfer alone.

Audio 

Warner has thankfully included a 5.1 TrueHD, one the definitely increases the effect of the material.  Poltergeist relies on more of an eeriness and psychological factor to pull the viewer in, rather than just jumps scares.  This is where the quality of the TrueHD track really comes into play.  Rear channels remain constantly active, creating a rich and believable viewing experience.  By providing a rich deep bass at the correct time in movie, sub support is very active and effective.

Like the video presentation, the audio definitely does a great job of enhancing the movie.

Special Features 

• Documentary – The one feature we get with this package doesn’t even give us an inside look at the movie.  Instead we are given a real life look at hauntings and ghosts.  Although the feature is interesting, I would have rather have had a behind the scenes feature.

Final Thoughts 

Poltergeist isn’t the most suspenseful horror film out there, it isn’t the bloodiest, and it certainly isn’t the scariest. It almost sounds like the makings of a flop, but somehow this film driven by solid acting, and great storytelling actually does manage to keep you glued to the television. It does just enough in every department that matters to a horror film, and it hardly over emphasizes its strengths. All in all I would recommend checking this film out, simply because it is a classic. The audio and video are the discs high point and really should be seen and heard. The special features are disappointing but are in fact interesting and a good watch for those of you who are intrigued to learn more about the spiritual world so prevalent in this film.

http://moviemarbles.com/blurays.php?brid=131

Film

The first matrix film was a game changer when it came out and when it was announced that not only one but two back-to-back sequels were going to be released, fans couldn’t hold in their excitement. When the movies received mixed reviews and didn’t live up to hype the films paled in comparison.

I always thought the hate that the Matrix sequels received was unfair; we all expected the Wachowskis to catch lightning in a bottle again. The Matrix Reloaded in particular has some great moments like the highway scene which is on a scale unlike we’d ever seen before. The expansive mythology built within the Matrix universe is something that simply isn’t common in Hollywood and the techniques that the Wachowskis use in presenting the films are so unique and original. Although the film doesn’t have the benefit of not having expectations it still kept pushing the bar.

Matrix Reloaded is action-packed but never feels mindless, the fight choreography is impressive and the special effects enhance every aspect of the shootouts. However, when it feels like the film is so high octane that it borders on gratuitous we’re given these beautifully crafted scenes such as the Architect scene where humanity is thrown under a microscope and it taps into the intellectual side of the audience.

Best of all with many back-to-back movies such as Kill Bill, the first movie that comes out has the opportunity to have an ending that leaves the audience painfully begging for more and the suspenseful ending of Matrix Reloaded definitely hits its mark… Unfortunately the next Matrix still hasn’t been released individually.

Video

Matrix Reloaded’s video is displayed using VC-1 codec in its original aspect ratio 2.40:1. The Blu-ray looks excellent, it’s crisp and sharp with a ton of detail and every texture comes through even when watching on a 100” projector screen.

The colours albeit colour graded to a greenish tint come off nicely and the contrast is at a nice level where we don’t lose details and we get deep black levels. The film has a bit of graininess at times but it’s nothing unusual or distracting.

The film is also free of any artefacting or noise; it’s a very clean print and is one of the best Blu-rays you can watch. It helps that the imagery in front of you has the scope of the Wachoiwski’s who are so talented that even the simplest shots have this edge to it, but nevertheless this is a good looking disc.

Audio

Matrix Reloaded’s audio comes at us using Dolby TrueHD 5.1 codec and sounds just as good as it looks. The mix is well balanced and takes advantage of the surrounds and even when complex scenes like shootouts on a highway are blowing out minds, the mix keeps up and makes sure everything comes through clearly. The sound effects have all the punch to really boost all of the unreal visuals that happen before our eyes and from the high ends to the low frequency roars, there’s little to complain about the sound. You can hear the complexity of the sound effects from the little sweeteners added to give the mix depth to the hollow atmospheric use of reverb.

The dialogue is clean and centered and there’s no noise or distortion in any of the tracks. The score comes through nicely as well and Don Davis really has a unique style with this score, blending organic and mechanic sounds seamlessly to create a surreal sound.

If you’ve been looking for a Blu-ray to flex your speaker’s muscle then add this one.

Special Features

There are quite a few special features on this Blu-ray, bringing over every feature from the Ultimate Matrix Collection such as 2 commentaries, over 20 behind-the-scenes featurette and some other bits on the Matrix game. The main feature that is cool is the in-movie experience that allows you to access some videos and extra goodies throughout the film that is really insightful to the filmmaking process. Unfortunately I wish there were most bonus features that focused on the Wachowskis.

Final Thoughts

If you bought the first Matrix separately and you’re contemplating whether you should continue with the trilogy, you can feel safe buying The Matrix Reloaded. The individual release has all the special features from the Ultimate boxset and the audio and video quality are showroom quality. If you weren’t a fan of  the sequels and haven’t seen them for a while, give them another chance after some time has past, Reloaded is a film that has aged well.

My impression of the films was that they were fluff pieces, that Elvis wasn’t really much of an actor, and that they were really “teen exploitation” films (the logical successors of which include The Hannah Montana Movie).  So it was with some amusement that I sat down to watch Viva Las Vegas, curious to see just exactly what an Elvis film was.

Film

This was actually a very difficult movie to score.  As a film, really, it wasn’t very good.  It was sort of like a Jerry Lewis comedy, just with more singing, and poorer jokes.  At the same time, it was an oddly compelling, overly cooked “Panavision Metrocolor” film set in a very young Las Vegas, starring two of the most beautiful people you will ever see.

Elvis plays Lucky Jackson, a race car driver who travels to Las Vegas to compete in the Las Vegas Grand Prix.  However, a chance encounter with an impossibly young and beautiful Ann-Margret (Ms. Rusty Nelson) causes all sorts of issues including Rusty causing Lucky to lose the cash needed to buy an engine for his car. 

In steps Lucky’s greatest competition, the slick, rich, urbane and charming Count Elmo Mancini (played well by Cesare Danova) who becomes both a friend and a competitor, on the track, and for Rusty’s affections.

Lots of pleasant things happen, Lucky seduces (within the context of a 1960’s film) Rusty with his wit, persistence, and charm, there are lots of musical numbers (including the extremely charming “The Lady Loves Me”), and all works out for our hero in the end.

Although the word lightweight could be applied to the film, it is lightweight in a pleasant way.  Both leads are very nice to look at, with Elvis literally oozing charm and charisma in every scene he is in.  Ann-Margret is absolutely lovely, and can sing and dance to keep up with Elvis.  The plot moves reasonably quickly, and substitutes music and dance numbers for details and logic (all of which are well done).  In a way, it is a very nice, traditional, clean fun sort of movie.

Even the supporting cast is good, with Mr. Danova bringing a proper balance of charm and unctuousness when wooing Rusty.  Even ancillary characters such as Rusty’s Father (William Demarest) and Lucky’s sidekick Shorty Fansworth (Nicky Blair) are played with the cheery enthusiasm you expect from a 1960’s movie.

Generally, a film like this would earn 2 to 2.5 discs simply for being so fluffy.  That being stated, this is the type of clean wholesome entertainment I grew up watching on TV as a kid, earning it an extra disc, just for nostalgia value.

Video

Considering the age of the film, this restoration and transfer is superb.  Grain is kept to a nominal amount (almost a little too clean), and sharpness is better than anything else I’ve seen from the era.  The “Metrocolor” print literally pops, though color shading is lost to the brightness.

However, what really impressed me was the detail still available, even in an older print like this.  When one piece of Elvis’ hair falls onto his forehead, we see that piece of hair.  Every dollar saved in the building of the sets was on full 1080p display for us to see.  In short, an excellent video presentation, especially considering the era of the film.    

Audio

This vintage of film will never truly have great sound.  But again, the folks at Warner have done an excellent job with the original mono track making it into a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track.

As expected, dynamic range is quite limited, with little use of the LFE channel.  The surrounds were used at times, but also suffered from this compressed dynamic range.  Highs just simply were not sharp, lows were notably absent, and at times, some of the voices (especially during some musical numbers) overcame the recording equipment used, causing audible distortion.

This being stated, dynamic levels through the centre were controlled exceedingly well, with clear dialog throughout.  Most importantly, the musical numbers are handled as well as numbers from the era could be, without the usual midrange stridency that affects many of these recordings.

Special Features

A fairly skinny set of special features, something fairly common for movies made in the day where watching a movie at home when you wanted to would be unthinkable.

What are included is a commentary by noted Elvis author Steve Pond, a short SD featurette, and an extremely poor copy of the trailer.

Although the commentary is pretty good, overall this is a pretty poor special feature set.    

Final Thoughts

As originally mentioned, I really did not know what to expect from the film, and ended up pleasantly surprised with just how much I was entertained.  Possibly that this the best way to describe this film; it is pure entertainment from an era before political and social messages began creeping into movies.

Oddly enough, out of the many films I’ve recently viewed, I have a sneaking suspicion this is one will be viewed a few more times.

Films

Doctor Giggles is a slasher flick following one of the more ridiculous and over-the-top killers in the nineties’ repertoire of psychos and other freaks. The story tries to follow two separate paths; the killer’s origin and nature, as well as the life of his newest mark, a girl with a heart defect.

The film seems to be trying to set itself up as the beginning of a possible franchise, because they try and spend so much time setting things up that by the end of the film nothing is really accomplished. We waste so much time on trivial things such as the Doctor killing random teens in a house with various medical equipment, for the sake of allowing the writers to throw out a plethora of doctor puns and jokes that we barely get to know the main victims on the film… thus we don’t really care if they live or die.

The dark humour that surrounds Doctor Giggles is supposed to come off as eerie, we’re supposed to see this killer a pure demented terror… but rather I sat there thinking about how sad it is to see Larry Drake in this light. The actor who plays the doctor will always be the very over-the-top (in a good way this time) villain in Darkman to me, however this film simply looked like a cash grab for him.

On a different note, Otis is a film about a middle-aged serial abductor who kidnaps girls to try and live out his fantasy of taking a cheerleader to the prom; he’s apparently gone through many girls already as he tries and finds the perfect one to play along in his sick game.

The film then takes a pretty big left turn in the third act, which I won’t give away, but it definitely made the film which was starting to get dry and boring a burst of life. The film overall is a bit forced and the only decent performances are from Otis and Riley the daughter, but I was starting to get fairly annoyed by Illeana Douglas’s performance which felt incredibly stiff at the same time as it felt like she was over reaching.

Neither film is worthwhile watch if you’re not into random horror films and I’m still confused as to why these films were paired together. It would’ve made more sense, in my mind, to pair Otis with Sublime, a film also directed by Tony Krantz and written by Erik Jendresen. As an interesting tidbit, Otis has a cameo (actually simply one shot) by Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs in it representing his role from Sublime where he played a satanic orderly… There was a hospital scene where the camera pans down a hallway and we see a man in a very peculiar outfit and red bowtie… My brother, the movie buff, was able to point out this reference, which makes me believe he may be the exact person these kind of double features are aimed for.

Video

Dr. Giggle’s video is displayed in its original aspect ratio of 1.78:1 using the VC-1 codec and isn’t a bad transfer, the print used is pretty clean however the overall image is pretty soft, which covers up any noticeable grain and potential noise, but lacks sharpness and definition. The colours are fairly washed out at times and in darker lit scenes there’s a lack of contrast which causes some unappealing red skin tones as well as black levels to be grayer than anything else, but as the film goes on it’s revealed that there’s some inconsistencies in the tone and when it’s less appealing, the blacks are quite crushed… It’s definately a messy video presentation.

Otis on the other hand looks a lot better, its colours are cleaner and overall clearer, but it incorporates a harsh colour palette with an amber cast over everything which makes the film look grungy but not necessarily bad. However in the lower lighted scenes there’s a lot of noise and during these scenes that are quite noticeable, especially on larger screens.

Audio

Both films’ audio comes at us using the DTS-HD Master 5.1 Surround codec and both seem to encapsulate the mixes decently, however true to its times Dr. Giggles being a lower budget horror film from the early nineties has a mix that is pretty underwhelming. Otis on the other hand is a relatively newer film, but once again… nothing special.

Dr. Giggles score seems to be the main focus of the mix, it over powers most of the other audio, but dialogue is still fairly clear regardless. The dialogue is clean and noise-free throughout, but some of the sound effects have that “canned” sound to them. The mix lacks surround presence but we do get some sound bleeding from the front of the mix which helps a bit.

Otis’s sound is more dynamic, but again lacks surround presence, the score bleeds over as well, which may be one of the reasons these two films were paired together… poor technical quality is the only thing these flicks have in common.

Special Features

There are no special features.

Final Thoughts

Neither film is really a stand out in the horror genre, from an over-the-top tongue-in-cheek Dr. Giggles to the “is this supposed to be funny or scary” Otis. We’re given two very mediocre flicks and with a below average audio/video presentation. I’d only feel comfortable recommending this as a rental to horror junkies, but due to the randomness in pairing these two very different films together, I would think that even they would be disappointed.