Blu-ray Round Up: Four Disney Titles

We're gonna take a quick break from the horror titles we're talking about this month to cover four great titles from the House of Mouse.  Two of which are considered Disney classics and two new movies.

We'll start first with a seminal Disney classic making its debut on Blu-ray in a wonderful 70th Anniversary edition.

Dumbo
Special Features:  Digital Restoration, Disney View - Expanded Viewing Experience, Cine-explore experience, Never -Before-Seen Deleted Scene, Never-Before-Heard Deleted Song, Taking Flight: The Making of Dumbo, The Magic of Dumbo: A Ride of Passage - A Heartfelt Look at Disneyland's Most Popular Ride, Audio Commentary, Featurettes, Art Galleries, Animated Shorts, Games, Trivia and more.

70 years old and Dumbo still has a strong grip on the hearts of millions of people and now with this excellent blu-ray set the film can be seen in gorgeous high definition.  Disney has really done a wonderful job with this restoration.  I'm not sure why it isn't part of their Diamond edition because it seems like they treated it like one of those releases.

The disc is jammed with special features.  Behind the scenes, pictures, games, and more deliver a wealth of supplemental material that is sure to satisfy any fan of the film.  You really get a lot of cool stuff, not the least of which are the deleted scene and song.

The digital restoration is stunning.  Disney has given us Dumbo looking and sounding better than ever.  It looks almost brand new and really makes the movie even better.

The story holds up as good as it always was.  Touching, funny, heartfelt and exciting, Dumbo delivers even better on blu-ray.

Pop Culture Beast rating:  9/10

Next up, is one of my all time favorite Disney films.  

The Lion King

Special features:  4 Never-Before-Seen Deleted Scenes, Never-Before-Seen Bloopers, Deleted Song, The Morning Report: Extended Song, Pride of the Lion King, the Lion King: a Memoir - Don Hahn, Disney Sing Along Mode, Interactive Blu-ray gallery, Plus classic DVD features.

The Lion King finally arrives on Blu-ray and it is glorious.  A beautiful film in both story and picture with laughs, tears, great songs and a great cast.

Disney has really releases a gorgeous set here.  The picture and sound are nothing short of stunning.  The colors are bright and the sound is crisp and deeply immersive.  It really is a beauty to watch.  The blu-ray has such a good picture that you would swear it was in 3D.  Just stunning.

The special features are good, if not a little underwhelming.  The bloopers aren't as funny as they could have been but still a clever idea.  The deleted scenes are interesting but nothing mind-blowing. It's no secret that the real star here is the film itself.  No amount of extras could really measure up to the film anyway.  Still, Disney did a decent job.  I  might have liked a little more considering this is a Diamond Edition.

Out of the four titles on this list, The Lion King is the only MUST OWN of the bunch.  Were I you, I'd be clicking HERE and buying it right about now.

The Lion King Pop Culture Beast rating 10/10.

Next up is the wildly successful sequel...

Pirates of the Caribbean:  On Stranger Tides
Special Features:  Disney Second Screen, Audio Commentary with Rob Marshall and John DeLuca, Bloopers, and a Lego Animated Short

Johnny Depp returns (and not for the last time, the 5th chapter is rumored to lens next summer) as Captain Jack Sparrow in the fourth entry of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise: On Stranger Tides. This time, Jack sets sail with a new director, Rob Marshall, and Penelope Cruz.  Plus, a completely unnecessary B story involving a mermaid and a love lorn priest, and a great but underused villain.

It didn't get the best of reviews, but I enjoyed the film.  Sure it fell short in a few places but it was nowhere near as convoluted as the previous entries.  Sure the entire plot with the priest falling in love with the mermaid was a complete waste of time and really had nothing at all to do with the plot or even brought any enjoyment whatsoever to the movie and sure Blackbeard kinda just fizzled out in the end.  It's still Johnny being Jack and we love that.

Don't waste your money on the 3D version of this.  You don't need it.  No one needs it.  It's silly and does nothing for the movie.  Which, incidentally, looks magical on blu-ray. There are a lot of dark scenes in the film and they really look great here.  No muddy at all.  I was pretty satisfied with that as I kinda thought it might get a little lost in the picture.  I am proud to say I am wrong.

Of course the sound is off the charts.  The battle scenes fill the air to the point that I was struggling to keep myself from looking behind me to see if I was missing anything.  Really crisp clear and deep sound.

Special features wise we get a little bit of the shaft.  You get the second screen option if you are into that, commentary, some bloopers that are pretty funny and a Lego animated short.   Nothing to interesting or worth writing home about.

Overall, an entertaining, if not a little underwhelming, On Stranger Tides will please most fans of the series.  Others though might find themselves wanting something with a little more dep(p)th.

Pirates of the Caribbean:  On Stranger Tides Pop Culture Beast rating 7/10.

Last but certainly not least...

Winnie The Pooh
Special features:  Exclusive featurette, Sing Along, 5 deleted scenes, "The Ballad of Nessie" theatrical short, Mini Adventures and a DVD copy of the film.

Winnie the Pooh is back in a (thankfully) 2-d animated adventure that feels just like the old classic.  It has all the heart and laughs you'd expect from a Pooh film.  There are really only two complaints about the movie.  It suffers from "wrong sounding muppet" syndrome and it is about 20 minutes too short.

You can't watch the film without noticing the voices.  They aren't bad or anything they're just not right.  Eeyore specifically, who I was convinced (wrongly) was Ed Asner.  You get used to it eventually but its still a little saddening to know that some of the original voices won't be heard again.

Another problem is the run time.  It clocks in at just over an hour.  That is a short amount of movie to justify a $25 price tag.  I was enjoying the film and could easily have enjoyed another 15 minutes or so.  I think kids watching would feel the same way.  It's just too short.

Still, it is a fun family film that all will enjoy.  The artwork is beautiful and the film is a clever little gem that really stays true to the Winnie the Pooh story.  It really looks gorgeous on blu-ray.  There aren't any major bombastic scenes to make the great sound stand out but it is a nice soundtrack,

Special features are decent enough.  There are deleted scenes that leave one wondering why they were taken out at all considering how short the movie is but still worth watching.  The features are mainly for the kids.  there are no real historical features that parents might be interested in.  Nothing really all that in depth.

In the end, Winnie The Pooh is a charming little tale that is just a bit too short that will definitely leave you wanting another trip into that magical world of the 100-Acre Wood.

Winnie The Pooh Pop Culture Beast rating 8/10


Dumbo, Pirates 4, Winnie The Pooh and The Lion King are all available now!

RAWR(for more)

Blu-ray Round Up: Family Time!

It seems like nowadays the time spent with family has fallen by the way side. It's iPods, video games, work, etc that gets int he way of quality time. So, I thought it'd be nice to highlight four titles that families can gather and watch together.

There's something for all ages here so have a look and plan your evening!

It might be hard to get the younger kids to sit through this one but Fiddler on the Roof is a wonderful film to share with the family.  It's pretty long so be prepared for a 3-hour film but this 40th anniversary release is a wonderful watch.  The transfer is beautiful and the sound, so important for a musical, is spectacular. 

Those of you out there who are fans of the film will be pleased with the special features.  There are numerous featurettes that focus on the music, the cast, the director and more.  You also get trailers, a deleted scene, and more.

The running time might scare off the kids but maybe you'll get lucky and they'll make it through.  they'll be glad they did in the end,

 
When I was growing up no one, not Disney or anyone, made cartoons as good as Don Bluth.  These next two titles are prime examples of that.  All Dogs Go To Heaven and The Secret of Nimh are absolute must haves, especially if you have young kids in the family.  They will love these movies and you will not find a better animated film (outside of Pixar).  You'll laugh, you'll cry, you and your kids will never forget these movies.

They both look great on blu-ray but unfortunately, not exactly loaded with special features.  Nimh has a commentary, a behind the scenes featurette and a trailer.  All Dogs is bare bones.

I really hope they release more Don Bluth films.  Sure they don't scream for High-Def releases but I'd love for his movies to belong to as many generations as possible.

 

Last but not least is probably the funnest movie of the bunch and one that all the kids (grown and young) will love.

Teen Wolf!  arguably one of Michael J. Fox's best movies if we aren't counting Back To The Future or The Frighteners.

Definitely one that the whole family will enjoy.  It's really funny and no matter the ages the kids will be hooked.  It is totally 80s but that's half the fun to be honest.

Sadly, this release is also devoid of features. Which is sad for fans of the movies but it still looks pretty great on the format so I guess that's something.

Anyway, I hope these suggestions lead to a great night celebrating the awesomeness of film with the family!

Fiddler On The Roof, The Secret of Nimh, All Dogs Go To Heaven (as well as its sequel) and Teen Wolf are all available now!

RAWR(for more)

Blu-ray Round Up: MGM Classics

MGM is kicking their blu-ray releases into high gear with the release of five (among others) classic films that would be at home on any film fans shelf.

Let's have a peak at these five MGM classics: Raging Bull, Dances With Wolves, Last Tango In Paris, Moonstruck and Rain Man.

Dances With Wolves is a much anticipated release for the films 20th anniversary.  The set  has a decent number of features that are unfortunately, not all that interesting.  Quantity isn't always quality.

Picture wise though, flawless is the word of the day.  It really does look gorgeous.  Unfortunately, I don't know that this movie will be one that merits repeat viewing.  It's a great movie, albeit with some flaws, but it's pretty long and at times a bit slow.  It's nice to have as a collector but honestly, I doubt you'll be pulling it off the shelf after you watch it.

Moonstruck is another story.  It's a charming little film that earned Cher her academy award.  Very funny with some fantastic performances.

Moonstruck looks wonderful on Blu-ray and the sound is top notch. 

Special features are decent.  You get a commentary and a few featurettes.   Nothing to go nuts over but then again, this is an 80's romantic comedy so really what features would one want?

Ah, the crown jewel of these Round-Up.  The 30th Anniversary Edition of Raging Bull.  A gorgeous transfer with superb audio and some really good features including 3 commentaries, a 90 minute making of featurette, a featurette with Martin Scorsese discussing film, and even Cathy Moriarty on Johnny Carson, among others.  Really great collection supplementing one of Scorsese's best.

There is a reason Raging Bull is an AFI Top 100 film.  Out of all the titles we cover this time, Raging Bull is the definite must own.

Last Tango In Paris.  I dunno what really to say about this one.  It was controversial back when it was first released but I'm not sure that today would have the same effect.  It was originally brandished with an X rating.  That was changed to NC-17 some 2 decades later.  Marlon Brando's performance was brilliant of course and the film is worth it for his performance alone.  It is a nicely directed human story about a man dealing with a devastating loss in a somewhat unusual way.  If you like movies about people who are lost and suffering that come together and have sex then you will want this movie.  It is after all presented it its original uncut glory.

It looks beautiful on blu-ray and almost like it's a new film.  The problem is that there are absolutely zero special features to speak of, outside a trailer.  Seems pretty odd to not give any real features to a film as controversial as this one was.

Definetly worth a buy and a watch.  Repeat viewings might not ever happen though.  Unless you REALLY like Brando.

I'm not a particularly big fan of Rain Man.  It's a good movie but I really never have the desire to ever watch it again.  I'm not sure why.  I feel like it is an okay movie bolstered by a great performance.  That said, it is a sight to behold on blu-ray.  Just beautiful, crisp and clear.  The audio is wonderful as well.  As for special features, well, it's a little skimpy.  Some commentary, a deleted scene and some featurettes only one of which is all that interesting.

I wouldn't call Rain Man a must own, especially if you have it on DVD.  It is a major step up in terms of picture quality but beyond that there isn't much to write home about.

So there you have it.  Quick looks at soem MGM classics.  All are good films, some are more repeat watchable than others but all of them deserve a spot on your shelf.  Most of them (with the exception of Raging Bull) can be had for under $20.

Rain Man, Moonstruck, Last Tango in Paris, Dances With Wolves and Raging Bull are all available now.

RAWR(for more)

Blu-Ray Round Up - Pixar's Up, Monsters Inc, and Cars

This week, Pixar has released three of their films on Blu-Ray, two of which are hitting the format for the first time, and a third in a deluxe box set including two nifty little figures. This review will probably tell you what you already know. Y'know, that these are all must have Blu-rays and that Pixar continues to deliver amazing films that look incredible on the format. Pixar can seem to do no wrong.

Click the Rawr for the complete reviews of Up, Monsters, Inc., and Cars.




Up
Special features: 4-disc set including 2 Blu-ray discs, DVD, and Digital Copy. "Dug's Special Mission" - all-new short follows the misadventures of Dug, "Partly Cloudy" - theatrical short, Cine-Explore - The making of Up with Pete Docter and Bob Peterson, The Many Endings of Muntz - Alternate Scenes, Games, Married Life -Expanded character back story, 8 Documentaries, and more

We'll begin with the latest Pixar masterpiece, Up. The film surrounds an old man who decides to tie thousands of balloons to his home and fly to Paradise Falls, the place he and his wife always planned to see. He has an unwitting guest in the form of a boy scout and along the journey they pick up a giant bird and a dog named Dug.

That's the story boiled down to its bare minimum.

Up is by far one of the best films of the year. It's hilarious, heartwarming, touching, charming, hilarious (I know I said it twice) and is full of the magic that put Pixar on the map.

I think it is my favorite Pixar movie to date. Despite it's rather emotional opening scenes, the film really has a positive message about friendship and even loss. The voice work is spot on most especially from Ed Asner. His work here is just amazing. Natural and believable. He really gives a soul to Carl.

The film looks absolutely stunning on Blu-ray. We don't get the 3-d version but it looks about as close as you can get. Gorgeous colors and crystal clear picture. It's a simply beautiful viewing experience.

Disney has of course kept up the tradition of an insane amount of supplemental materials. The release consists of four discs, including two Blu-rays, a DVD, and a Digital Copy. You get pretty much every kind of feature you can imagine so it is a Pixar fan's dream.

One thing I will always miss is the bloopers they did for the first few films. I never understood why they stopped that.

Up is another brilliant achievement in a long line of brilliance from Pixar and it is represented superbly with this release. It is a fantastic value as well with dozens of bonus features that make a beautiful movie even better.


Monsters, Inc.
Special Features: 4-disc set including 2 Blu-ray discs, DVD, and Digital Copy. All new exclusive bonus: Monsters, Inc. Ride and Go Seek: Building Monstropolis in Japan, Filmmakers' Round Table, Audio Commentary, plus original DVD features including the shorts For The Birds and Mike's New Car. 2nd Blu-ray includes All-New Roz'z 100-Door Challenge Game, Pixar Fun Factory Tour, Banished Concepts, and more.

Next up is the eagerly awaited Monster's, Inc.

While, it's fallen from my favorite of the Pixar films, Monsters, Inc. is still among the best of the best. The world is still as fresh and original as when we first saw it years ago and it's still just as funny. You know the story of the monsters who have careers in scaring kids only to find out that they themselves are terrified of humans after one of them gets loose in Monstropolis.

I remember the first time I saw the movie how real Sully's fur looked. It was like each individual strand was waving in the breeze. It was madness. On blu-ray that effect is still just as awe inspiring as before. You just want to reach out and pet him!

As with all the Pixar movies released including the other two discussed in this feature, the picture is incredible. Crystal clear and vibrant. I swear I noticed thing I've never noticed before. Each time I pop in a Pixar film I'm just blown away at how great they look on Blu-ray.

Again, like Up, this set is jam packed with features. You get everything from the original DVD release along with tons of new stuff in the form of featurettes, games, shorts, and more. Fans of MI will be extremely pleased with the four disc set (2 Blu-rays, a DVD, and a Digital Copy).

It may not be my favorite Pixar movie, but it's more than worth revisiting on Blu-ray.

Cars Deluxe Gift Set
Special Features: Blu-ray and DVD with 2 exclusive car figures. Also includes Cine-explore, Carfinder Game, Deleted Scene, Radiator Springs Featurettes, Mater and the Ghostlight Short, One Man Band short, Inspiration for Cars, deleted scenes, and more.

Finally, we have a rerelease of what is, shockingly, the most popular Pixar movie to date. Disney is releasing Cars in a Deluxe Gift Set, which basically consists of a couple toys and the already available Blu-ray/DVD combo.

It's definitely a buy for the boys in the family, unless the gals are Cars fans too!

Personally, I''m not the biggest fan of Cars. It's a Pixar movie so it's still light years better than most other movies but it's probably my least favorite from the company. I just couldn't really get myself involved in it.

Still, in true Pixar fashion, it looks brilliant. Beautiful colors and a picture that is about as realistic looking as a CGI movie can possible get. The characters are pretty good, if not slightly annoying in the case of Mater, which is probably why it's my least favorite. It's the only Pixar movie where I didn't immediately love every single character.

This set isn't as feature heavy as the others but there is still a nice amount, including some pretty funny shorts. The kids will go nuts for the two figures they've included. They're really durable and will be great to play with or even just display.

Even though it's my least favorite of the films, Cars is still a treat to watch and like all the other Pixar films, it's a joy to behold on Blu-ray.

Up, Monsters, Inc., and Cars are all available now.

RAWR(for more)

Blu-Ray Round Up: Fox!

Fox has a more than a few new and upcoming releases hitting Blu-Ray so we thought we'd take some and feature them for you. After the jump we'll tell you about five upcoming releases including three films and two TV shows.

We'll be featuring a classic film that spawned a television series, a military thriller, a teen comedy, and two dramatic television series from both network and cable television.

All pretense aside, click the Rawr! for our quick takes on M*A*S*H, High Crimes, The Girl Next Door, Lie To Me Season One, and Sons of Anarchy Season One.



M*A*S*H
Written by: Ring Lardner, Jr.
Based on the book by: Richard Hooker
Directed by: Robert Altman
Starring: Donald Sutherland, Elliot Gould, Tom Skerritt, Sally Kellerman, Gary Burghoff, Jo Ann Pflug, Rene Auberjonois, and Robert Duvall

Special Features: The Complete Interactive Guild To M*A*S*H, Commentary from Robert Altman, AMC Backstory: M*A*S*H, Documentaries: Enlisted: The Story of M*A*S*H and M*A*S*H: History Through the Lens, Remembering M*A*S*H: 30th Anniversary Cast & Crew Reunion, Original Theatrical Trailer, Portuguese Trailer, Still Gallery

The classic 1970 film M*A*S*H arrives on Blu-ray with a disc that is loaded with special features. While I didn't love this film, (I'm not a particularly huge fan of the show either) I can see its importance. Especially, now a days. The film sits at #56 on the AFI Top 100 Movies list and it's well deserved of the position. It is a great film in terms of history and quality with some really funny scenes and great acting, I just didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would.

Still, I would say the film warrants watching, especially with its message and themes and most especially given the state of the world and the country right now. It has something important to say.

Fans of the film should be well satisfied with the large amount of features on the disc making it a nice value for its $20.99 price tag.

High Crimes
Written by: Yuri Zeltser and Cary Bickley
Based on the book by: Joseph Finder
Directed By: Carl Franklin
Starring: Ashley Judd, Morgan Freeman, Jim Caviezel, Amanda Peet, and Tom Bower

Bonus Features: Commentary from Carl Franklin, featurettes including Liar Liar (How to Beat a Polygraph), and A Different Kind of Justice (Military Vs. Civilian Law), Original Trailer

Next up is the military thriller High Crimes starring what someone apparently thought would end up being the Tom and Meg of the thriller genre: Ashley Judd and Morgan Freeman. The two of them being the only saving grace for this flick. High Crimes also stars the relentlessly boring Jim Caviezel as Judd's husband who is charged with a fifteen year old murder and faces court martial. Judd works with Freeman to try and clear his name, exposing a government cover up in the process.

High Crimes is a rather convoluted movie that I pretty much had to force myself through. I enjoy both Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd but even they couldn't save this one.

The blu-ray is featurette heavy and honestly I didn't care enough to watch them all. There really isn't anything else of note on this release, it's pretty bare bones especially for a Blu-ray. If Judd and Freeman ever reunite after this, let's hope it's worthy of their talents.

The Girl Next Door
Written by: Stuart Blumberg, David T. Wagner, and Brent Goldberg
Directed by: Luke Greenfield
Starring: Emile Hirsch, Elisha Cuthbert, Timothy Olyphant, James Remar, Chris Marquette, and Paul Dano

Bonus Features: Commentary from Luke Greenfield, Scene specific commentary from Emile Hirsch and Elisha Cuthbert, The Eli Experience Featurette, A Look Next Door Making-of Featurette, Gag Reel, Deleted and Extended Scenes including the Original Ending.

The Girl Next Door is a charming and hilarious little film that is pleasantly served on Blu-ray with some great features. I'd been looking forward to seeing the movie again as I hadn't seen it since it was released on DVD a few years ago.

Emile Hirsch (who really owns this movie) stars as a kid who falls in love with his new neighbor who, unknown to him, is a porn star. Hilarity ensues.

Luke Greenfield delivers a really great film here. Lots of laughs, great characters, and some great performances from the cast. It's part coming of age, part teen sex comedy and a great example of both.

The film is nice addition to my Blu-ray collection and is really presented well on the format, in terms of picture, sound, and features. It helps an already great move seem even better.

Out of the three movies reviewed here this is my favorite.

The Girl Next Door is a film you're sure to enjoy and definitely deserves a home on your shelf.

Lie To Me: Season One
Starring: Tim Roth, Kelli Williams, Brendan Hines, Kristen Ariza, and Monica Raymund

Bonus Features: The Truth About Lies featurette and Deleted Scenes

Lie To Me is a new drama from Fox about a group of scientists specializing in facial expressions and body language who help various law agencies with cases. Basically, they can tell when people are lying.

The first season arrives on Blu-ray with all thirteen episodes that feature the crew dealing with murder, rape, affairs, suicide, and more. To be honest, I thought the show would be a bit over the top but it's actually pretty well done and enjoyable.

Tim Roth leads a great cast and it's easy to see why he has the cult following that he does. He carries this show well and seems to effortlessly slip into his character. The show really is captivating and each episode has a clever and quite riveting story.

Lie To Me was a mid-season replacement so season one only has thirteen episodes but it is returning for its second season on September 28 which gives you plenty of time to catch up on this surprising show.

Sons of Anarchy: Season One
Starring: Charlie Hunnam, Katey Sagal, Ron Perlman, Theo Rossi, Maggie Siff, Johnny Lewis, Tommy Flanagan, Kim Coates, and Mitch Pileggi

Bonus Features: Commentary on Selected Episode, Featurettes The Making of Sons of Anarchy Season One, Casting Sons of Anarchy, The Ink, The Bikes, Deleted Scenes, Anarchy On The Set

I decided to save the best for last with Sons of Anarchy. If you read this post and decide to pick one of these things to buy and watch please let it be Sons of Anarchy. It's wild, it's crazy, it's over the top, but it is oh so good.

Sons of Anarchy is a perfectly casted gem of a show with some amazing performances and extremely well written episodes. Admittedly, I did not expect much from the show. When I first saw commercials for it I thought, "Why would anyone want to watch a show about a bunch of white trash bikers?" The show is indeed about bikers but it's the relationships and the situations that drive the stories. It's about family and brotherhood and it is a helluva lot of fun to watch.

Each episode of the 13 episode first season is fantastic. I was hooked after the pilot and watched half the show in one sitting, and the other half in another. The show, the writing, the casting, the acting, everything is near perfect. I am completely hooked.

It's violent, cringe worthy, funny, touching, exciting, and many other adjectives that I won't bore you with. It's also one of the shows I am most looking forward to returning this fall. Tomorrow, Tuesday September 8, to be exact.

Sons of Anarchy is definitely a must own, can't miss show that is extremely worth catching on Blu-ray. It's well supported with some good features that make an already addicting show even more interesting.

Each one of these releases are presented with spectacular picture and sound. Fox seems to take great care in their releases and these are no exception. They all have perfect pristine picture and sound that is crisp and clear.

If I had to tell you which ones to settle on? I'd of course again say Sons of Anarchy and The Girl Next Door but, with the exception of High Crimes, you can't go wrong with any of them.

M*A*S*H, High Crimes, The Girl Next Door, Lie To Me Season One, and Sons of Anarchy Season One are available on Blu-ray now.

RAWR(for more)