DISC JUST IN for 5/26/09

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Here’s a look at the latest DVD and Blu-ray Disc releases:

BLU-RAY DISC:
Children of Men (Universal)
Cinderella Man (Universal)
Falling Down (Warner)
Field of Dreams (Universal)
New in Town (Lionsgate)
Powder Blue (Image)
Robin Hood: Price of Thieves (Warner)
Seabiscuit (Universal)
Spy Game (Universal)
The Sky Crawlers (Sony)
True Romance (Warner)

DVD:
Beyond Rangoon (Warner)
The Devil’s Tomb (Sony)
Forever Strong (Excel)
Harlan Ellison: Dreams w/Sharp Teeth (New Video)
Killshot (Genius/Weinstein)
M. Butterfly (Warner)
Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus (Asylum)
New in Town (Lionsgate)
Powder Blue (Image)
Revolution: Revisited (Warner)
The Sky Crawlers (Sony)
Zabriskie Point (Warner)

TV-on-DVD:
The Closer: Season 4 (Warner)
Designing Women: Season 1 (Shout Factory)
Gunsmoke: Season 3, Vol.2 (Paramount)
Jeeves & Wooster: Complete Series (A&E)
Land of the Lost: Complete Series (Universal)
Land of the Lost: Complete Gift Set (Universal)
The Mod Squad: Season 2, Vol.2 (Paramount)
Law & Order SVU: Season 9 (Universal)
Sat. Morning Cartoons: 1960′s Vol.1 (Warner)
Sat. Morning Cartoons: 1970′s Vol.1 (Warner)
UFO Hunters: Season 2 (A&E)    
The Universe: Season 3 (A&E)

HIGHLIGHTS:

Children of Men – If bleak but compelling sci-fi drama is your thing, look no further. Thankfully the Blu-ray looks and sounds just as good as the previous HD DVD release.

Cinderella Man – Excellent movie, one of Ron Howard’s best. This Depression-era drama comes to Blu-ray with superb-looking 1080p video and a plethora of interesting and well-executed extras.

Field of Dreams – Here’s another title Universal first released on HD DVD and they’re now rolling out on Blu-ray. Not much has changed in the transition, but this is still an easy title to recommend.  Great Father’s Day idea, too. If you buy it, he will watch it.

Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus – Nuff said.

New in Town – I don’t know what it is about Renee Zellwegger, but she tends to irritate me. Not once has she had me at "Hello." This romantic comedy has her as a frosty fish out of water in rural Minnesota. You won’t find any suprises with this one, so rent before you buy.

Powder Blue – Jessica Biel gets naked as a stripper.  Rumor has it there’s also a plot and a few other characters. (Men are pigs, I know. Guilty as charged.)

Robin Hood – Despite its problems (Costner’s non-accent and Christian Slater’s F-bomb for starters), I’ll always have a soft spot for this entertaining take on the Robin Hood story. Much of the fun comes by way of Alan Rickman’s slithering performance as the Sheriff of Nottingham. Though technically unremarkable, this Blu-ray from Warner does boast an extended verison of the film.

Seabiscuit - If you’re in a Depression-era mood these days, Seabiscuit and Cinderella Man make for an ideal double feature. In addition to housing a great film, this Blu-ray delivers top notch video and room-shaking bass during the riveting race sequences.

Sky Crawlers – Say what you will about the film itself, the striking visuals in Mamoru Oshii’s Sky Crawlers make this Blu-ray worth at least a rental. If you’re not familiar with Oshii’s work, check out Ghost in the Shell and see what all the fuss is about.

True Romance – Although Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds has me more than a little worried, there’s no denying the insane greatness of True Romance. Though the picture is only a slight improvement over my old DVD, this new Blu-ray does feature a solid Dolby TrueHD track.

Greg’s Pick of the Week:

Falling Down (Blu-ray)
Warner Home Video | Rated R | 112 mins | $39.99

It’s hard to believe this gritty, provocative essay on life in the modern world is from the same guy who felt compelled to put nipples on the Bat suit (Joel Schumacher). Michael Douglas steals the show here as William Foster, a recently-divorced, out of work father who finally snaps in the midst of the latest L.A. traffic jam. Armed with a baseball bat and (eventually) automatic weapons, Foster tears across the city of angels as he descends into madness. Or, as he might call it, "stands up for his rights, as a consumer." On his trail is Detective Martin Prendergast, played by the always excellent Robert Duvall.

In these rocky economic times, with so many people desperate and out of work, Falling Down feels eerily relevant, possibly more so than it did in 1993. Perhaps thinking the time was right for a resurgence in the film’s popularity, Warner Bros. has put together an attractive "Digibook" package for this new Blu-ray release. Sporting a hard-bound book featuring actor bios and production photos, Falling Down certainly looks good on the shelf.

On the screen, things could be better but it’s still a step up from the previous DVD. The 1080p picture is solid enough thanks to improved image detail, but blacks do appear crushed on occasion and the picture looks relatively flat. In a surprising move, the Dolby TrueHD soundtrack is only 2-channel, but it gets the job done well enough. Extras are minimal, with only a commentary a 10-minute featurette. In the end though, Falling Down was a high point for Schumacher and it’s well worth your time.

EVALUATION SYSTEM:
Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 1080 projector
Carada Masquerade screen system (92")
Panasonic DMP-BD35 Blu-ray Disc player
Oppo DV-983H DVD player
Onkyo TX-SR805 A/V receiver
Noble Fidelity L-55 LCRS speakers
Datacolor SpyderTV PRO 2007 video calibration
Monster Power HTS5100 power center
BetterCables interconnects
UltraLink speaker wire