Blu-ray

Sort By:  Post Date TitlePublish Date
Anton van Beek  |  Feb 07, 2013  |  0 comments

The battle for the throne of Westeros continues to heat up in this adaptation of the second novel in George R.R. Martin's series.

Anton van Beek  |  Feb 06, 2013  |  0 comments

Fans of Frank Oz's blackly comic musical about a man-eating plant are well-served by this recent region-free US Blu-ray release. Not only do the (authentically grainy) AVC 1.78:1 1080p encode and remixed DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio make it look and sound better than ever, but the disc also includes the option to watch the 'Director's Cut' of the film which features a meticulous restoration of the original downbeat - and somewhat more spectacular - finale. Also included on the disc are a director's commentary (plus a separate chat-track for the alternate ending), two retrospective featurettes, outtakes and deleted scenes and two trailers.

Mark Craven  |  Feb 05, 2013  |  0 comments

For a period during the late 1970s and early '80s, everything director Walter Hill touched turned to solid gold. The Driver, The Warriors, The Long Riders, 48 Hrs and Streets of Fire sandwich 1981's Southern Comfort to complete a triumphant run of movies that marked him out as one of Hollywood's greats. Then he made Brewster's Millions and everything went downhill.

Anton van Beek  |  Feb 05, 2013  |  0 comments

The law of diminishing returns continues to work its magic with this fourth outing in the popular cartoon franchise. This time, when Scrat's lust for acorns inadvertently causes the continental divide (don't ask) Manny, Sid and Diego find themselves stranded on an iceberg and at the mercy of prehistoric pirates as they try to get back home. What follows is a surprisingly mirth-free adventure that is so short on ideas that it gives almost as much screen time to a preachy plot involving an annoying bunch of new teenage characters. Yawn.

Anton van Beek  |  Feb 04, 2013  |  0 comments

This tense psychological thriller stars Toby Jones as an English sound engineer working on the audio mix for a horror film in '70s Italy. Heavily indebted to the films of Argento, Fulci and their ilk, it's an impressive homage, albeit one that can't quite deliver a suitably grandiose pay-off to its escalating build-up. The BD offers satisfyingly rich and warm AVC 1.85:1 1080p visuals, plus plenty of extras, but (fittingly) the real star is the DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack, with its almost fetishistic attention to detail and uncanny ability to unsettle in a way visuals rarely manage.

Anton van Beek  |  Feb 04, 2013  |  0 comments

When 007's latest mission goes awry, M finds herself under threat from forces both at home (an inquiry into her role in the mission's failure) and abroad (a mysterious terrorist with a personal vendetta) in this 23rd outing in the continuing adventures of Britain's favourite secret agent.

Anton van Beek  |  Feb 03, 2013  |  0 comments

Following on from Universal's bumper box of Hitchcock Blu-rays (reviewed here) Warner Home Video's new triple-pack brings together the studio's two previous stand-alone hi-def Hitchcock releases – North by Northwest (released back in 2009) and Dial M for Murder (reviewed here) – with hi-def debutant Strangers on a Train. The AVC 1.33:1 1080p black-and-white encode of the latter impresses from the start with its combination of sharpness, clarity and excellent contrast, and is ably supported by an equally well restored DTS-HD MA mono mix. Extras take the form of a commentary, five featurettes, the theatrical trailer and a standard-def version of the Preview Version of the film.

Anton van Beek  |  Feb 03, 2013  |  0 comments

Even a decade-and-a-half after its original release, Vincenzo Natali's ruthlessly efficient sci-fi shocker remains a textbook example of how to make the most of a miniscule budget. This hi-def outing's AVC 1.78:1 1080p encode isn't what you'd call glossy, but it captures the grainy nature of the source material. The audio, however, has been upgraded, resulting in an atmospheric DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundscape that belies the film's micro budget. Sadly, there are no new extras on this 15th anniversary release, just a brief interview with actress Nicole deBoer, storyboards and a commentary taken from the film's old DVD incarnation.

Anton van Beek  |  Feb 03, 2013  |  0 comments

With the Jason Bourne situation threatening to unearth all manner of dirty secrets about the US military complex, the decision is taken to (literally) kill off another, similar, black ops program. But wouldn't you know it, one of targets survives, and now the sinister government goons have yet another rogue agent on their hands.

Anton van Beek  |  Feb 03, 2013  |  0 comments

The most telling thing about this big-screen sci-fi blockbuster is the on-screen credit that states that it was 'suggested by' Isaac Asimov's famous collection of short stories that goes under the same name. So, while it occasionally flirts with the deeper concerns of Asimov's writing, at the end of the day director Alex Proyas' I, Robot is all about making Will Smith look bad-ass and giving him thousands and thousands of robots to shoot, punch and run over. Which may be your thing, of course.

Anton van Beek  |  Feb 02, 2013  |  0 comments

If you like your cartoons to come drenched in blood and full of action, then we have no doubt that this ultra-violent anime classic is already one of your favourites. Manga Entertainment's limited edition steelbook release includes both BD and DVD copies, with the former disc sporting a cleanly delineated AVC 1.33:1 1080p encode – although frozen grain betrays the use of noise reduction tools during the restoration. The Japanese LPCM stereo track is joined by a DTS-HD MA 5.1 English dub. Extras include a chat-track, TV spot and 26-page booklet.

Anton van Beek  |  Feb 02, 2013  |  0 comments

One of Hitchcock's middling works (even he once joked that he could have 'phoned it in'), Dial M for Murder stars Ray Milland as Tony Wendice, a former tennis professional plotting to kill his adulterous wife Margot (Grace Kelly) and grab the £90,000 he'll be left in her will. Sadly - for Ray, if not his wife - his elaborate plan doesn't run smoothly, but will Margot and her lover ever discover the truth about the attempt on her life?

Anton van Beek  |  Feb 01, 2013  |  0 comments

This new restoration of the celebrated Ealing comedy is almost as dazzling as the titular garment itself. Okay, so there's some minor print damage here and there, as well as occasional shimmering contrast levels, but overall it's a very commendable image that restores the movie to its original visual glory while maintaining a natural, film-like appearance. Just as impressive is the LPCM dual-mono soundtrack, which is extremely clear and well balanced. The disc also includes a featurette, stills gallery, restoration comparison and trailer.

Anton van Beek  |  Jan 31, 2013  |  0 comments

It may lack the scope of Princess Mononoke or Spirited Away, but My Neighbour Totoro is every bit their equal in terms of pure storytelling and unbridled imagination – it remains one of the most iconic and affecting films in the Studio Ghibli pantheon. Unlike some previous releases in the range, …Totoro hasn't had all of its native grain filtered out, resulting in a much more authentic look for this hi-def incarnation. Audio comes in LPCM stereo Japanese or English options, while extras include a picture-in-picture storyboard mode, numerous short interviews with the Japanese filmmakers and the US voice cast, plus a selection of trailers.

Anton van Beek  |  Jan 31, 2013  |  0 comments

While many prefer the spectacle delivered by T2 or Avatar, here at HCC we hold fast in our belief that James Cameron's 1984 hit remains his greatest film.

Pages

X