Film 

When I saw the trailer for Cop Out in the theater, I thought the film looked like one to avoid completely. It looked like a terrible film with an insipid plot with mail it in performances by the cast, especially Bruce Willis. Well, having now seen the entire film, my impressions from the trailer were spot on. This is one stupid film with a lame plot and an awful performance by Bruce Willis, who looks like he is sleepwalking during the entire film. Tracey Morgan gives his usual annoying performance as does the most annoying actor in Hollywood, Seann William Scott. I guess you can say that I am not a fan.

You can essentially describe Cop Out as a buddy cop film with Bruce Willis and Tracey Morgan playing twp Brooklyn cops. After an investigation into a drug buy goes bad and the informant is killed, Bruce Willis’ character is suspended for a month. It is terrible timing as his daughter is about to get married. His character wants to pay for the wedding, in part because his ex-wife’s new husband wants to pay for it. Without receiving any pay, Bruce decides to sell a rare and very valuable baseball card which will more than pay for the wedding. However, the card is taken from him during a robbery and the robber in turn turns over the card to the leader of the drug ring that was the subject of the investigation that lead to the suspension. It turns out that the drug kingpin happens to be an avid collector of sports memorabilia. Needless to say, the pair moves to retrieve the card from the drug kingpin and in the process, bring down the drug operation.

Given that the film was directed by Kevin Smith, one would normally have expected a better film. However, you can’t turn lead into gold and the script here is nothing but a hunk of lead. If you are a masochist, give the film a look. The rest of you should just skip this film entirely.

Video 

At first glance, Cop Out boasts a what appears to be a fine looking transfer. However, initial appearances can be deceiving. What first leaps out at you is the level of detail which is extraordinary. From facial details such as skin pores and blemishes to clothing fabric and background details, I can’t imagine wanting more detail in a picture. The color palette is quite natural, showing the gritty look of Brooklyn with excellent skin tone rendition. While I was impressed with the level of detail of this encode, the encode was plagued by excessive noise in some scenes as well as some motion artifacts which becomes distracting on larger screens. Since I didn’t see the film in the theater, I can’t say whether the noise was in the original. However, the rest of the issues I saw appear to be related to the encoding process. Had this been a great film, I would have been a lot more disappointed with the overall video quality of the release. Given it is such a bad film, I will have no problem getting over my disappointment.

Audio 

Even worse that the video presentation is the audio which is lackluster at is best. In short, the film’s audio is very flat, lacking any degree of depth. Transparency and imaging, for want of a better word, suck. This is probably one of the worst sounding lossless encodes I have heard in terms of transparency and imaging. I also found the bass to be too punchy, especially the music score, which features bloated and flabby bass. On the plus side, at least the numerous gun shots have plenty of heft. However, that is about the only positive note I can sound in regards to the audio presentation on this release. it is almost as bad as the film itself.

Special Features 

The best part of this release are the extras which is faint praise indeed. Cop Out With Your Glock Out Edition is a two disc combo pack, including a DVD copy as well as a digital copy of the film on a separate disc. The main extra is Warner’s Maximum Movie Mode which is renamed Maximum Comedy Mode on this release. The Maximum Comedy Mode features over 40 minutes of extended scenes and outtakes, picture in picture commentary featuring Kevin Smith and Seann William Scott. The best parts of the Maximum Comedy Mode are the walk-ons by Kevin Smith. The rest, you can have.

Final Thoughts 

If you are a masochist, give Cop Out a look. Otherwise, do yourself a favor and skip this one in its entirety.

Film 

When I saw the trailer for Cop Out in the theater, I thought the film looked like one to avoid completely. It looked like a terrible film with an insipid plot with mail it in performances by the cast, especially Bruce Willis. Well, having now seen the entire film, my impressions from the trailer were spot on. This is one stupid film with a lame plot and an awful performance by Bruce Willis, who looks like he is sleepwalking during the entire film. Tracey Morgan gives his usual annoying performance as does the most annoying actor in Hollywood, Seann William Scott. I guess you can say that I am not a fan.

You can essentially describe Cop Out as a buddy cop film with Bruce Willis and Tracey Morgan playing twp Brooklyn cops. After an investigation into a drug buy goes bad and the informant is killed, Bruce Willis’ character is suspended for a month. It is terrible timing as his daughter is about to get married. His character wants to pay for the wedding, in part because his ex-wife’s new husband wants to pay for it. Without receiving any pay, Bruce decides to sell a rare and very valuable baseball card which will more than pay for the wedding. However, the card is taken from him during a robbery and the robber in turn turns over the card to the leader of the drug ring that was the subject of the investigation that lead to the suspension. It turns out that the drug kingpin happens to be an avid collector of sports memorabilia. Needless to say, the pair moves to retrieve the card from the drug kingpin and in the process, bring down the drug operation.

Given that the film was directed by Kevin Smith, one would normally have expected a better film. However, you can’t turn lead into gold and the script here is nothing but a hunk of lead. If you are a masochist, give the film a look. The rest of you should just skip this film entirely.

Video 

At first glance, Cop Out boasts a what appears to be a fine looking transfer. However, initial appearances can be deceiving. What first leaps out at you is the level of detail which is extraordinary. From facial details such as skin pores and blemishes to clothing fabric and background details, I can’t imagine wanting more detail in a picture. The color palette is quite natural, showing the gritty look of Brooklyn with excellent skin tone rendition. While I was impressed with the level of detail of this encode, the encode was plagued by excessive noise in some scenes as well as some motion artifacts which becomes distracting on larger screens. Since I didn’t see the film in the theater, I can’t say whether the noise was in the original. However, the rest of the issues I saw appear to be related to the encoding process. Had this been a great film, I would have been a lot more disappointed with the overall video quality of the release. Given it is such a bad film, I will have no problem getting over my disappointment.

Audio 

Even worse that the video presentation is the audio which is lackluster at is best. In short, the film’s audio is very flat, lacking any degree of depth. Transparency and imaging, for want of a better word, suck. This is probably one of the worst sounding lossless encodes I have heard in terms of transparency and imaging. I also found the bass to be too punchy, especially the music score, which features bloated and flabby bass. On the plus side, at least the numerous gun shots have plenty of heft. However, that is about the only positive note I can sound in regards to the audio presentation on this release. it is almost as bad as the film itself.

Special Features 

The best part of this release are the extras which is faint praise indeed. Cop Out With Your Glock Out Edition is a two disc combo pack, including a DVD copy as well as a digital copy of the film on a separate disc. The main extra is Warner’s Maximum Movie Mode which is renamed Maximum Comedy Mode on this release. The Maximum Comedy Mode features over 40 minutes of extended scenes and outtakes, picture in picture commentary featuring Kevin Smith and Seann William Scott. The best parts of the Maximum Comedy Mode are the walk-ons by Kevin Smith. The rest, you can have.

Final Thoughts 

If you are a masochist, give Cop Out a look. Otherwise, do yourself a favor and skip this one in its entirety.

Film 

When I saw the trailer for Cop Out in the theater, I thought the film looked like one to avoid completely. It looked like a terrible film with an insipid plot with mail it in performances by the cast, especially Bruce Willis. Well, having now seen the entire film, my impressions from the trailer were spot on. This is one stupid film with a lame plot and an awful performance by Bruce Willis, who looks like he is sleepwalking during the entire film. Tracey Morgan gives his usual annoying performance as does the most annoying actor in Hollywood, Seann William Scott. I guess you can say that I am not a fan.

You can essentially describe Cop Out as a buddy cop film with Bruce Willis and Tracey Morgan playing twp Brooklyn cops. After an investigation into a drug buy goes bad and the informant is killed, Bruce Willis’ character is suspended for a month. It is terrible timing as his daughter is about to get married. His character wants to pay for the wedding, in part because his ex-wife’s new husband wants to pay for it. Without receiving any pay, Bruce decides to sell a rare and very valuable baseball card which will more than pay for the wedding. However, the card is taken from him during a robbery and the robber in turn turns over the card to the leader of the drug ring that was the subject of the investigation that lead to the suspension. It turns out that the drug kingpin happens to be an avid collector of sports memorabilia. Needless to say, the pair moves to retrieve the card from the drug kingpin and in the process, bring down the drug operation.

Given that the film was directed by Kevin Smith, one would normally have expected a better film. However, you can’t turn lead into gold and the script here is nothing but a hunk of lead. If you are a masochist, give the film a look. The rest of you should just skip this film entirely.

Video 

At first glance, Cop Out boasts a what appears to be a fine looking transfer. However, initial appearances can be deceiving. What first leaps out at you is the level of detail which is extraordinary. From facial details such as skin pores and blemishes to clothing fabric and background details, I can’t imagine wanting more detail in a picture. The color palette is quite natural, showing the gritty look of Brooklyn with excellent skin tone rendition. While I was impressed with the level of detail of this encode, the encode was plagued by excessive noise in some scenes as well as some motion artifacts which becomes distracting on larger screens. Since I didn’t see the film in the theater, I can’t say whether the noise was in the original. However, the rest of the issues I saw appear to be related to the encoding process. Had this been a great film, I would have been a lot more disappointed with the overall video quality of the release. Given it is such a bad film, I will have no problem getting over my disappointment.

Audio 

Even worse that the video presentation is the audio which is lackluster at is best. In short, the film’s audio is very flat, lacking any degree of depth. Transparency and imaging, for want of a better word, suck. This is probably one of the worst sounding lossless encodes I have heard in terms of transparency and imaging. I also found the bass to be too punchy, especially the music score, which features bloated and flabby bass. On the plus side, at least the numerous gun shots have plenty of heft. However, that is about the only positive note I can sound in regards to the audio presentation on this release. it is almost as bad as the film itself.

Special Features 

The best part of this release are the extras which is faint praise indeed. Cop Out With Your Glock Out Edition is a two disc combo pack, including a DVD copy as well as a digital copy of the film on a separate disc. The main extra is Warner’s Maximum Movie Mode which is renamed Maximum Comedy Mode on this release. The Maximum Comedy Mode features over 40 minutes of extended scenes and outtakes, picture in picture commentary featuring Kevin Smith and Seann William Scott. The best parts of the Maximum Comedy Mode are the walk-ons by Kevin Smith. The rest, you can have.

Final Thoughts 

If you are a masochist, give Cop Out a look. Otherwise, do yourself a favor and skip this one in its entirety.

Film 

When I saw the trailer for Cop Out in the theater, I thought the film looked like one to avoid completely. It looked like a terrible film with an insipid plot with mail it in performances by the cast, especially Bruce Willis. Well, having now seen the entire film, my impressions from the trailer were spot on. This is one stupid film with a lame plot and an awful performance by Bruce Willis, who looks like he is sleepwalking during the entire film. Tracey Morgan gives his usual annoying performance as does the most annoying actor in Hollywood, Seann William Scott. I guess you can say that I am not a fan.

You can essentially describe Cop Out as a buddy cop film with Bruce Willis and Tracey Morgan playing twp Brooklyn cops. After an investigation into a drug buy goes bad and the informant is killed, Bruce Willis’ character is suspended for a month. It is terrible timing as his daughter is about to get married. His character wants to pay for the wedding, in part because his ex-wife’s new husband wants to pay for it. Without receiving any pay, Bruce decides to sell a rare and very valuable baseball card which will more than pay for the wedding. However, the card is taken from him during a robbery and the robber in turn turns over the card to the leader of the drug ring that was the subject of the investigation that lead to the suspension. It turns out that the drug kingpin happens to be an avid collector of sports memorabilia. Needless to say, the pair moves to retrieve the card from the drug kingpin and in the process, bring down the drug operation.

Given that the film was directed by Kevin Smith, one would normally have expected a better film. However, you can’t turn lead into gold and the script here is nothing but a hunk of lead. If you are a masochist, give the film a look. The rest of you should just skip this film entirely.

Video 

At first glance, Cop Out boasts a what appears to be a fine looking transfer. However, initial appearances can be deceiving. What first leaps out at you is the level of detail which is extraordinary. From facial details such as skin pores and blemishes to clothing fabric and background details, I can’t imagine wanting more detail in a picture. The color palette is quite natural, showing the gritty look of Brooklyn with excellent skin tone rendition. While I was impressed with the level of detail of this encode, the encode was plagued by excessive noise in some scenes as well as some motion artifacts which becomes distracting on larger screens. Since I didn’t see the film in the theater, I can’t say whether the noise was in the original. However, the rest of the issues I saw appear to be related to the encoding process. Had this been a great film, I would have been a lot more disappointed with the overall video quality of the release. Given it is such a bad film, I will have no problem getting over my disappointment.

Audio 

Even worse that the video presentation is the audio which is lackluster at is best. In short, the film’s audio is very flat, lacking any degree of depth. Transparency and imaging, for want of a better word, suck. This is probably one of the worst sounding lossless encodes I have heard in terms of transparency and imaging. I also found the bass to be too punchy, especially the music score, which features bloated and flabby bass. On the plus side, at least the numerous gun shots have plenty of heft. However, that is about the only positive note I can sound in regards to the audio presentation on this release. it is almost as bad as the film itself.

Special Features 

The best part of this release are the extras which is faint praise indeed. Cop Out With Your Glock Out Edition is a two disc combo pack, including a DVD copy as well as a digital copy of the film on a separate disc. The main extra is Warner’s Maximum Movie Mode which is renamed Maximum Comedy Mode on this release. The Maximum Comedy Mode features over 40 minutes of extended scenes and outtakes, picture in picture commentary featuring Kevin Smith and Seann William Scott. The best parts of the Maximum Comedy Mode are the walk-ons by Kevin Smith. The rest, you can have.

Final Thoughts 

If you are a masochist, give Cop Out a look. Otherwise, do yourself a favor and skip this one in its entirety.

Film 

Watching this film, I kept asking myself why would an actor like Liam Neeson want to get involved in this project. It must have been quite a payday. The plot of Clash of the Titans is about as thin as it gets and is just an excuse for some battle sequences and some pretty nifty CGI.

The film’s premise is that Zues and the rest of the Greek gods, are upset that their people are no longer worshiping them and are in fact, in open rebellion against them. This infuriates Zues who created man for the sole purpose of worshiping him and the rest of the gods, thereby somehow increasing their power. In comes Zues’ brother Hades, who is naturally quite upset over Zues’ relegation of him to the underworld.

Playing on Zues’ sensitivity and anger, Hades concocts a plan to force man into dropping their rebellion and return to their worship of the gods. Unbeknownst to Zues, Hades was really using this opportunity to strike back at his brother and wrest control of Olympus from him. Into this family squabble comes Perseus, who is part god and part man, being the son of Zues after he essentially raped the wife of the king of the rebels. Perseus, discovering his true identity, wants no part of divine nature and wants to live his life as a man and wants to strike back at Hades for Hades’ killing of his foster family. Before Hades can complete his plan to crush man, Perseus joins a ban of warriors who journey into forbidden worlds, including the underworld itself, looking for the key to foil Hade’s plot.

While the plot sounds like a good idea, this film spends far too long on battle sequences and fails to delve into the feelings and true nature of both Perseus and the gods themselves. I would have liked to see more of a focus of the gods and their true role of Greek mythology in shaping Greek society and less on CGI. In short, a more thoughtful film. Far too often, CGI is used just for its own sake and as a substitute for a plot. Such is the case in this film. Is Clash of the Titans a terrible film? No, but is one that you will only want to see once and certainly not a film you would want to add to your collection. Therefore, if you must see this film, I would recommend that you do so on the basis of a rental only.

Video 

With the exception of a handful of dimly lit interior shots, the video quality on this release is excellent. The film has a nice natural looking color palettte with excellent skin tone rendition. The film’s locales vary from lush green locations to brown and tan deserts, and volcanic landscapes and are rendered beautifully here. Blacks are deep and stable and together with the high level of detail, produce an image of very nice depth. While this release is not 3D, it is clear where the hokey 3D effects were placed throughout the film and it is also clear why the theatrical 3D release was so poorly received.

While there is a bit of DNR and Edge enhancement visible in the image, they are minimal and not really noticeable on a screen size under 60 inches. Even with the application of some DNR, overall detail is excellent, including facial detail and skin texture, backgrounds, clothing and the like. The only real issue I had with the release were a few interior shots which looked very soft and a bit washed out and flat and having a very processed look. With these minor exceptions, I found this to be a very pleasing transfer. I wish the same could be said for the film.

Audio 

If you are looking for a film with a bombastic soundtrack, Clash of the Titans is the film for you. it will certainly give your subwoofer a workout. The film features excellent overall fidelity and dynamics. The fight sequences with the giant scorpions are true reference material for bass junkies. Not only will your entire room shake, but you may also shake the rest of the house and may have you scrambling for the remote if it feels like your house is about to crash on top of you.

The dialogue track is also well recorded and well placed in the mix, never getting drowned out or obscured by the cacophony of the battle sequences. The only real issue I had with the audio was the sound design itself which I would have preferred to be a little more immersive throughout the film and a little more refined. Don’t get me wrong, the film’s action sequences are certainly very immersive. It is just that I would have preferred the quieter interior sequences to have that same immersive feeling as well. This is a rather small complaint and one which did not impact my viewing experience to any significant degree.

Special Features 

The Blu-ray edition of Clash of the Titans is certainly packed with many extras. The release is a combo pack so it includes a second disc containing a DVD copy of the film as well as a digital copy.

The extras contained on the Blu-ray disc feature deleted scenes and an alternate ending of the film. Also included is a featurette on Sam Worthington entitled “Sam Worthington: An Action Hero for the Ages”.

The best and longest of the extras is what Warners calls maximum Movie Mode which runs concurrent;y with the film where Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes and director Louis Leterrier discuss various aspects of the making of the film. As it runs concurrently with the film, you really should watch the film first and then rewatch the film with the Maximum Movie Mode enabled. The only downside to this approach is that it will result in you having to watch the film twice.

The Maximum Movie Mode focuses on a number of areas including Sam Worthington is Perseus, Harnessing the Gods, Zeus: Father of Gods and Men, Enter the World of Hades, Calibos: Te Man Behind the Monster, Tenerife: A Continent on an island, Scorpioch, Actors and their Stunts, Wales: A Beautiful Scarred Landscape, Bringing Medusa to Life and Prepare for Kraken. All in all, the Maximum Movie Mode features more than 40 minutes of PIP commentary.

Final Thoughts 

If you like mindless action adventure film, Clash of the Titans just may be the film for you. For the rest of you, if you must, I would check out Clash of the Titans on the basis of a rental only. All I know is that once was more than enough for me.

Film 

Watching this film, I kept asking myself why would an actor like Liam Neeson want to get involved in this project. It must have been quite a payday. The plot of Clash of the Titans is about as thin as it gets and is just an excuse for some battle sequences and some pretty nifty CGI.

The film’s premise is that Zues and the rest of the Greek gods, are upset that their people are no longer worshiping them and are in fact, in open rebellion against them. This infuriates Zues who created man for the sole purpose of worshiping him and the rest of the gods, thereby somehow increasing their power. In comes Zues’ brother Hades, who is naturally quite upset over Zues’ relegation of him to the underworld.

Playing on Zues’ sensitivity and anger, Hades concocts a plan to force man into dropping their rebellion and return to their worship of the gods. Unbeknownst to Zues, Hades was really using this opportunity to strike back at his brother and wrest control of Olympus from him. Into this family squabble comes Perseus, who is part god and part man, being the son of Zues after he essentially raped the wife of the king of the rebels. Perseus, discovering his true identity, wants no part of divine nature and wants to live his life as a man and wants to strike back at Hades for Hades’ killing of his foster family. Before Hades can complete his plan to crush man, Perseus joins a ban of warriors who journey into forbidden worlds, including the underworld itself, looking for the key to foil Hade’s plot.

While the plot sounds like a good idea, this film spends far too long on battle sequences and fails to delve into the feelings and true nature of both Perseus and the gods themselves. I would have liked to see more of a focus of the gods and their true role of Greek mythology in shaping Greek society and less on CGI. In short, a more thoughtful film. Far too often, CGI is used just for its own sake and as a substitute for a plot. Such is the case in this film. Is Clash of the Titans a terrible film? No, but is one that you will only want to see once and certainly not a film you would want to add to your collection. Therefore, if you must see this film, I would recommend that you do so on the basis of a rental only.

Video 

With the exception of a handful of dimly lit interior shots, the video quality on this release is excellent. The film has a nice natural looking color palettte with excellent skin tone rendition. The film’s locales vary from lush green locations to brown and tan deserts, and volcanic landscapes and are rendered beautifully here. Blacks are deep and stable and together with the high level of detail, produce an image of very nice depth. While this release is not 3D, it is clear where the hokey 3D effects were placed throughout the film and it is also clear why the theatrical 3D release was so poorly received.

While there is a bit of DNR and Edge enhancement visible in the image, they are minimal and not really noticeable on a screen size under 60 inches. Even with the application of some DNR, overall detail is excellent, including facial detail and skin texture, backgrounds, clothing and the like. The only real issue I had with the release were a few interior shots which looked very soft and a bit washed out and flat and having a very processed look. With these minor exceptions, I found this to be a very pleasing transfer. I wish the same could be said for the film.

Audio 

If you are looking for a film with a bombastic soundtrack, Clash of the Titans is the film for you. it will certainly give your subwoofer a workout. The film features excellent overall fidelity and dynamics. The fight sequences with the giant scorpions are true reference material for bass junkies. Not only will your entire room shake, but you may also shake the rest of the house and may have you scrambling for the remote if it feels like your house is about to crash on top of you.

The dialogue track is also well recorded and well placed in the mix, never getting drowned out or obscured by the cacophony of the battle sequences. The only real issue I had with the audio was the sound design itself which I would have preferred to be a little more immersive throughout the film and a little more refined. Don’t get me wrong, the film’s action sequences are certainly very immersive. It is just that I would have preferred the quieter interior sequences to have that same immersive feeling as well. This is a rather small complaint and one which did not impact my viewing experience to any significant degree.

Special Features 

The Blu-ray edition of Clash of the Titans is certainly packed with many extras. The release is a combo pack so it includes a second disc containing a DVD copy of the film as well as a digital copy.

The extras contained on the Blu-ray disc feature deleted scenes and an alternate ending of the film. Also included is a featurette on Sam Worthington entitled “Sam Worthington: An Action Hero for the Ages”.

The best and longest of the extras is what Warners calls maximum Movie Mode which runs concurrent;y with the film where Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes and director Louis Leterrier discuss various aspects of the making of the film. As it runs concurrently with the film, you really should watch the film first and then rewatch the film with the Maximum Movie Mode enabled. The only downside to this approach is that it will result in you having to watch the film twice.

The Maximum Movie Mode focuses on a number of areas including Sam Worthington is Perseus, Harnessing the Gods, Zeus: Father of Gods and Men, Enter the World of Hades, Calibos: Te Man Behind the Monster, Tenerife: A Continent on an island, Scorpioch, Actors and their Stunts, Wales: A Beautiful Scarred Landscape, Bringing Medusa to Life and Prepare for Kraken. All in all, the Maximum Movie Mode features more than 40 minutes of PIP commentary.

Final Thoughts 

If you like mindless action adventure film, Clash of the Titans just may be the film for you. For the rest of you, if you must, I would check out Clash of the Titans on the basis of a rental only. All I know is that once was more than enough for me.

Film 

Watching this film, I kept asking myself why would an actor like Liam Neeson want to get involved in this project. It must have been quite a payday. The plot of Clash of the Titans is about as thin as it gets and is just an excuse for some battle sequences and some pretty nifty CGI.

The film’s premise is that Zues and the rest of the Greek gods, are upset that their people are no longer worshiping them and are in fact, in open rebellion against them. This infuriates Zues who created man for the sole purpose of worshiping him and the rest of the gods, thereby somehow increasing their power. In comes Zues’ brother Hades, who is naturally quite upset over Zues’ relegation of him to the underworld.

Playing on Zues’ sensitivity and anger, Hades concocts a plan to force man into dropping their rebellion and return to their worship of the gods. Unbeknownst to Zues, Hades was really using this opportunity to strike back at his brother and wrest control of Olympus from him. Into this family squabble comes Perseus, who is part god and part man, being the son of Zues after he essentially raped the wife of the king of the rebels. Perseus, discovering his true identity, wants no part of divine nature and wants to live his life as a man and wants to strike back at Hades for Hades’ killing of his foster family. Before Hades can complete his plan to crush man, Perseus joins a ban of warriors who journey into forbidden worlds, including the underworld itself, looking for the key to foil Hade’s plot.

While the plot sounds like a good idea, this film spends far too long on battle sequences and fails to delve into the feelings and true nature of both Perseus and the gods themselves. I would have liked to see more of a focus of the gods and their true role of Greek mythology in shaping Greek society and less on CGI. In short, a more thoughtful film. Far too often, CGI is used just for its own sake and as a substitute for a plot. Such is the case in this film. Is Clash of the Titans a terrible film? No, but is one that you will only want to see once and certainly not a film you would want to add to your collection. Therefore, if you must see this film, I would recommend that you do so on the basis of a rental only.

Video 

With the exception of a handful of dimly lit interior shots, the video quality on this release is excellent. The film has a nice natural looking color palettte with excellent skin tone rendition. The film’s locales vary from lush green locations to brown and tan deserts, and volcanic landscapes and are rendered beautifully here. Blacks are deep and stable and together with the high level of detail, produce an image of very nice depth. While this release is not 3D, it is clear where the hokey 3D effects were placed throughout the film and it is also clear why the theatrical 3D release was so poorly received.

While there is a bit of DNR and Edge enhancement visible in the image, they are minimal and not really noticeable on a screen size under 60 inches. Even with the application of some DNR, overall detail is excellent, including facial detail and skin texture, backgrounds, clothing and the like. The only real issue I had with the release were a few interior shots which looked very soft and a bit washed out and flat and having a very processed look. With these minor exceptions, I found this to be a very pleasing transfer. I wish the same could be said for the film.

Audio 

If you are looking for a film with a bombastic soundtrack, Clash of the Titans is the film for you. it will certainly give your subwoofer a workout. The film features excellent overall fidelity and dynamics. The fight sequences with the giant scorpions are true reference material for bass junkies. Not only will your entire room shake, but you may also shake the rest of the house and may have you scrambling for the remote if it feels like your house is about to crash on top of you.

The dialogue track is also well recorded and well placed in the mix, never getting drowned out or obscured by the cacophony of the battle sequences. The only real issue I had with the audio was the sound design itself which I would have preferred to be a little more immersive throughout the film and a little more refined. Don’t get me wrong, the film’s action sequences are certainly very immersive. It is just that I would have preferred the quieter interior sequences to have that same immersive feeling as well. This is a rather small complaint and one which did not impact my viewing experience to any significant degree.

Special Features 

The Blu-ray edition of Clash of the Titans is certainly packed with many extras. The release is a combo pack so it includes a second disc containing a DVD copy of the film as well as a digital copy.

The extras contained on the Blu-ray disc feature deleted scenes and an alternate ending of the film. Also included is a featurette on Sam Worthington entitled “Sam Worthington: An Action Hero for the Ages”.

The best and longest of the extras is what Warners calls maximum Movie Mode which runs concurrent;y with the film where Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes and director Louis Leterrier discuss various aspects of the making of the film. As it runs concurrently with the film, you really should watch the film first and then rewatch the film with the Maximum Movie Mode enabled. The only downside to this approach is that it will result in you having to watch the film twice.

The Maximum Movie Mode focuses on a number of areas including Sam Worthington is Perseus, Harnessing the Gods, Zeus: Father of Gods and Men, Enter the World of Hades, Calibos: Te Man Behind the Monster, Tenerife: A Continent on an island, Scorpioch, Actors and their Stunts, Wales: A Beautiful Scarred Landscape, Bringing Medusa to Life and Prepare for Kraken. All in all, the Maximum Movie Mode features more than 40 minutes of PIP commentary.

Final Thoughts 

If you like mindless action adventure film, Clash of the Titans just may be the film for you. For the rest of you, if you must, I would check out Clash of the Titans on the basis of a rental only. All I know is that once was more than enough for me.

Film 

Watching this film, I kept asking myself why would an actor like Liam Neeson want to get involved in this project. It must have been quite a payday. The plot of Clash of the Titans is about as thin as it gets and is just an excuse for some battle sequences and some pretty nifty CGI.

The film’s premise is that Zues and the rest of the Greek gods, are upset that their people are no longer worshiping them and are in fact, in open rebellion against them. This infuriates Zues who created man for the sole purpose of worshiping him and the rest of the gods, thereby somehow increasing their power. In comes Zues’ brother Hades, who is naturally quite upset over Zues’ relegation of him to the underworld.

Playing on Zues’ sensitivity and anger, Hades concocts a plan to force man into dropping their rebellion and return to their worship of the gods. Unbeknownst to Zues, Hades was really using this opportunity to strike back at his brother and wrest control of Olympus from him. Into this family squabble comes Perseus, who is part god and part man, being the son of Zues after he essentially raped the wife of the king of the rebels. Perseus, discovering his true identity, wants no part of divine nature and wants to live his life as a man and wants to strike back at Hades for Hades’ killing of his foster family. Before Hades can complete his plan to crush man, Perseus joins a ban of warriors who journey into forbidden worlds, including the underworld itself, looking for the key to foil Hade’s plot.

While the plot sounds like a good idea, this film spends far too long on battle sequences and fails to delve into the feelings and true nature of both Perseus and the gods themselves. I would have liked to see more of a focus of the gods and their true role of Greek mythology in shaping Greek society and less on CGI. In short, a more thoughtful film. Far too often, CGI is used just for its own sake and as a substitute for a plot. Such is the case in this film. Is Clash of the Titans a terrible film? No, but is one that you will only want to see once and certainly not a film you would want to add to your collection. Therefore, if you must see this film, I would recommend that you do so on the basis of a rental only.

Video 

With the exception of a handful of dimly lit interior shots, the video quality on this release is excellent. The film has a nice natural looking color palettte with excellent skin tone rendition. The film’s locales vary from lush green locations to brown and tan deserts, and volcanic landscapes and are rendered beautifully here. Blacks are deep and stable and together with the high level of detail, produce an image of very nice depth. While this release is not 3D, it is clear where the hokey 3D effects were placed throughout the film and it is also clear why the theatrical 3D release was so poorly received.

While there is a bit of DNR and Edge enhancement visible in the image, they are minimal and not really noticeable on a screen size under 60 inches. Even with the application of some DNR, overall detail is excellent, including facial detail and skin texture, backgrounds, clothing and the like. The only real issue I had with the release were a few interior shots which looked very soft and a bit washed out and flat and having a very processed look. With these minor exceptions, I found this to be a very pleasing transfer. I wish the same could be said for the film.

Audio 

If you are looking for a film with a bombastic soundtrack, Clash of the Titans is the film for you. it will certainly give your subwoofer a workout. The film features excellent overall fidelity and dynamics. The fight sequences with the giant scorpions are true reference material for bass junkies. Not only will your entire room shake, but you may also shake the rest of the house and may have you scrambling for the remote if it feels like your house is about to crash on top of you.

The dialogue track is also well recorded and well placed in the mix, never getting drowned out or obscured by the cacophony of the battle sequences. The only real issue I had with the audio was the sound design itself which I would have preferred to be a little more immersive throughout the film and a little more refined. Don’t get me wrong, the film’s action sequences are certainly very immersive. It is just that I would have preferred the quieter interior sequences to have that same immersive feeling as well. This is a rather small complaint and one which did not impact my viewing experience to any significant degree.

Special Features 

The Blu-ray edition of Clash of the Titans is certainly packed with many extras. The release is a combo pack so it includes a second disc containing a DVD copy of the film as well as a digital copy.

The extras contained on the Blu-ray disc feature deleted scenes and an alternate ending of the film. Also included is a featurette on Sam Worthington entitled “Sam Worthington: An Action Hero for the Ages”.

The best and longest of the extras is what Warners calls maximum Movie Mode which runs concurrent;y with the film where Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes and director Louis Leterrier discuss various aspects of the making of the film. As it runs concurrently with the film, you really should watch the film first and then rewatch the film with the Maximum Movie Mode enabled. The only downside to this approach is that it will result in you having to watch the film twice.

The Maximum Movie Mode focuses on a number of areas including Sam Worthington is Perseus, Harnessing the Gods, Zeus: Father of Gods and Men, Enter the World of Hades, Calibos: Te Man Behind the Monster, Tenerife: A Continent on an island, Scorpioch, Actors and their Stunts, Wales: A Beautiful Scarred Landscape, Bringing Medusa to Life and Prepare for Kraken. All in all, the Maximum Movie Mode features more than 40 minutes of PIP commentary.

Final Thoughts 

If you like mindless action adventure film, Clash of the Titans just may be the film for you. For the rest of you, if you must, I would check out Clash of the Titans on the basis of a rental only. All I know is that once was more than enough for me.

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.

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.