DISC JUST IN for 5/5/09

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

BLU-RAY DISC:
Bleak House (BBC/Warner)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount/Criterion)
Dexter: Season 2 (Paramount)
Dog Soldiers (First Look)
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (Paramount)
Grease (Paramount)
Incendiary (ThinkFilm)
It Could Happen to You (Sony)
Last Chance Harvey (Anchor Bay)
Roxanne (Sony)
Saturday Night Fever (Paramount)

DVD:
Chandni Chowk to China (Warner)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount/Criterion)
Enchanted April (Disney)
Incendiary (ThinkFilm)
Ivanhoe (Sony)
Just Another Love Story (Koch)
Last Chance Harvey (Anchor Bay)
The Last Templar (Genius)
Living Proof (Sony)
Look (Anchor Bay)
Love Takes Wing (Fox)
A Plumm Summer (Paramount)
Smother (Screen Media/Universal)
The Wedding Weekend (First Look)
Wendy and Lucy (Oscilloscope)

TV-on-DVD:
Boston Legal: Season 5 (Fox)
Crusoe: The Complete Series (Universal)
Gene Roddenberry’s EARTH: Final Conflict: Season 1 (Universal)
Gigantor: The Collection Vol.1 (Koch)
Jake and the Fatman: Season 2 (Paramount)
Lipstick Jungle: Season 2 (Universal)
McLeod’s Daughters: Season 8 (Koch)
Mythbusters: Collection 4 (Discovery)
October Road: Season 2 (Disney)
That Girl: Season 5 (Shout Factory)

HIGHLIGHTS:

Chandni Chowk – Chandni Chowk to China holds the distiction of having the most flat-out bizarre trailer I saw in all of 2008. Is it a comedy? Is it a romance? Is it a musical? Is it a martial arts epic? In short, yes. Said another way, it’s Bollywood. If you enjoyed the closing musical number in Slumdog Millionaire – and you didn’t mind that it seemed totally out of place – there’s a good chance you’ll find something to enjoy here, but keeping an open mind is the critical first step. Unfortunately, Warner Bros. did not see fit to go the Blu-ray route with Chandni, but the DVD’s Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack (in native Hindi with available English subtitles) is quite good and makes terrific use of the surround channels.

Dog Soldiers – I’ve somehow never gotten around to seeing this werewolf cult favorite, but this new Blu-ray edition from First Look seems like a prime opportunity to tear into it.

Ferris Bueller – If not for the superb Blu-ray treatment afforded to one Benjamin Button, Ferris would easily have earned my Pick of the Week. Paramount’s Blu-ray video is a step up from my oft-viewed DVD, but it’s not the night and day difference you’ll find with some other titles (such as Paramount’s own Saturday Night Fever). The soundtrack here is a similar story – an adequate but hardly noteworthy Dolby TrueHD mix. With such faint praise on the technical front, I’m forced to admit my love of this release is rooted squarely in nostalgia. As a child of the 80′s, I can think of few films my friends and I watched or quoted more often than Ferris, John Hughes’ finest hour.

Grease - For girls of a certain age, Grease is the ultimate chick flick. From what I can tell, it’s right up there with Beaches, The Notebook and Pretty Woman. And if you’re a fan, chances are good you already own Grease on DVD. Paramount gives you ample reason to upgrade though, thanks to their new Rockin’ Rydell Blu-ray which sports ocassionally crisp 1080p video and an energetic Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack. Extras are plentiful, but they’re presented in standard definition only.

Last Chance Harvey – Here’s another one I haven’t had a chance to see yet, but I can’t help but think the romantic pairing of Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson should make for an adult and entertaining 90 minutes. Anchor Bay’s Blu-ray is BD Live-enabled and features a director commentary plus a making-of featurette.

Roxanne - The story of Cyrano de Bergerac has been told many times, but the great Steve Martin and the lovely Daryl Hannah give it a refreshing twist in this modern day fable. Sony’s Blu-ray delivers solid-enough picture and sound but it’s disappointing to see a complete lack of bonus material on this fan favorite.

Saturday Night Fever – As aforementioned, Paramount deserves a great deal of credit for the impressive video overhaul they’ve bestowed upon this 70′s classic. As it turns out, John Travolta’s star-making performance is only one of the many reasons to give this new edition a spin. In addition to the sparkling 1080p transfer, the Dolby TrueHD soundtrack is every bit as good. A respectable mix of extras including a multi-part documentary (presented in HD no less) is the icing on the cake.

Greg’s Pick of the Week:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Blu-ray)
Paramount Home Entertainment | Rated PG-13 | 165 mins | $39.99

Much has been written about David Fincher’s masterful film, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. And while Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett certainly earn high marks for the acting on display, the visual effects and technical aspects of this particular production tell an equally compelling story. After all, a film about a man born prematurely old who then ages backwards has to achieve some level of believability, if it hopes to avoid adjectives such as "laughable" or "ridiculous." The film’s Oscar wins for Best Visual Effects, Art Direction and Makeup should be proof enough that the visual elements of Benjamin Button are second to none.

Thankfully, the visual effects are given ample attention on Disc Two of this handsome 2-disc set. Fans of the film will definitely want start by exploring Fincher’s excellent 4-part documentary, entitled "The Curious Birth of Benjamin Button."

In a rare move, Paramount Home Entertainment has partnered with The Criterion Collection to deliver this exemplary 2-disc special edition, with "special" for once being an operative word. From its pristine 1080p video to a spacious and natural-sounding DTS-HD 5.1 soundtrack to a second disc chock full of bonus material, Criterion #476 belongs on every movie lover’s shelf.

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