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A Sneak Peak at 'The Smurfs' Second Screen and Exclusive Blu-ray Special Features
Thu Dec 01, 2011 at 05:35 PM ETTags: Michael S. Palmer, Apps, Fun Stuff (all tags)
by Michael S. Palmer
As Black Friday madness recedes into memory, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is offering families an unofficial alternative on December 2nd -- Blue Friday -- with 'The Smurfs' launching on Blu-ray and other digital rental / purchase platforms.
Our friends at Sony Pictures Imageworks were kind enough to invite HDD to their studio lot in beautiful Culver City, California to learn se about the various Blu-ray editions, test out Smurf-O-Vision: Second Screen Experience and some family friends apps, and enjoy an early look at 'The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol.'
A Smurf-sized Film and Why I Wish it Was HD
Christmas may be my favorite holiday. My wife and I often decorate before Thanksgiving, I usually leave a string or two of lights up in my living room as cheap "cinema lighting", and one time I purposefully left up the office Christmas Tree until March to see just how long it would take my passive aggressive supervisor to directly request its removal (a hilarious and cheerful three months, it was!). So while the growing multitude of Dickens adaptations may be boring to some, I'm always up for a new twist on the classic tale.
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'The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol' doesn't disappoint. This heartwarming, visually striking short utilizes both modern CGI animation as well as 2D cell animation reminiscent of the old TV show. The only catch, my HD-loving friends, is that it's exclusively available on DVD as part of the 3 Disc Holiday Gift Set (see below). A shame, because yesterday we were able to see an HDCAM copy of the short, which is richly detailed, colorful, and would have popped on ye olde HDTVe. However, after a bit of technical difficulty, we watched the most of the short projected from the DVD, and it admittedly looks pretty good in SD too.
Second Screen Smurfs
Next on our tour was a look at Smurf-O-Vision, also available exclusively on the 3-Disc Holiday Gift Set. While most Second Screen applications act like behind the scene featurettes, allowing users to dive into production designs and concept art, Sony did something quite different and really fun with 'The Smurfs'. Smurf-O-Vision is a free app that allows kids to play along with the movie in 15 unique activities. For example, if a character on screen is blowing bubbles, bubbles appear on your iPad and you pop them. There's also Smurfberries to poke, popcorn to pop, and flies to squash among other things.
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Sony was smart to make the Smurf-O-Vision application easy to use in a variety of scenarios. Users can sync the app to the film using a manual setting or WiFi (if your Blu-ray player is connected to your home network). And let's say your adorable little ones want to play Smurf-O-Vision, but you don't want to watch the film for the three trillionth time, or you're on the road with no Blu-ray available, the app still works as a standalone. The kiddies can play any of the 15 activities in any order they wish. Cleverly designed, oddly addictive, and technically you don't even need to buy the Blu-ray to ever use it. In fact, over 35 thousand people are already enjoying it.
Smurftacular Apps
The Smurfs Village Game (available for Apple iOS or Android) has been around for a while, but it has a new Holiday Quest update featuring all new holiday-themed quests inspired by 'The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol', such as growing blackberries for holiday Smurfberry Nog, or helping the holiday-decorated mushroom village build a SnowSmurf.
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Another fun and free (my favorite price) app is GoldRun, which allows you to take family pictures with one of six Smurf characters. Simply adjust the characters' size and screen position to make it appear as if the Smurf was really standing next to you or the group. Then upload to your favorite photo-sharing or social networking site.
How Many Different Ways Can I Buy the Smurfs?
Excellent question. For Blu-ray fans, there are two versions to consider:
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First, there's the 3D Blu-ray + DVD edition, which includes one Blu-ray with both 3D and 2D versions of the film along with The Smurfs Fantastic Adventure Game, and one DVD, which includes a Find The Smurfs Game. Both discs also host a number of behind the scenes featurettes and audio commentaries.
Next, there is a 3-Disc Holiday Gift Set (which we just reviewed). This package features one 2D Blu-ray along with the Smurf-O-Vision: Second Screen Experience, a DVD of the movie, and a DVD of an all new animated short, 'The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol'. As part of a Walmart exclusive, the 3-Disc Holiday Gift Set includes a plush Smurf toy and a $5 credit for Walmart's Vudu streaming service. All retail editions of 'The Smurfs', including the DVD-only edition, include an UltraViolet digital redemption code for streaming and/or download from your Digital Locker in the Cloud.
Why in the Smurf Would I Buy It?
Look for our full review coming soon, but after finally getting a chance to see the film last night, I was really surprised. 'The Smurfs' is a fun family film sure to delight the kiddies, not bore the adults, and it looks and sounds pretty darn spiffy on Blu-ray (though the rear channels in the otherwise delightful 5.1 DTS-HD MA surround track seem to be mixed a little hot at times).
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Pick up 'The Smurfs' on Blu-ray Friday, December 2nd! In addition to the physical copy editions mentioned above, the film will also be available day and date on various OnDemand, streaming, and digital download services such as Vudu and iTunes. Thanks again to Sony Imageworks and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment for a fun afternoon.
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High-Def Digest Holiday Gift Guide 2011: HD Gear & Demo Material
Wed Nov 23, 2011 at 01:37 PM ETTags: HDD Holiday Gift Guide, Holiday Gift Guide 2011, High-Def Retailing, Michael S. Palmer (all tags)
We've researched and tested the top equipment available, watched all the latest Blu-rays on the market, and scoured the net for the very best deals, all to give you HDD's 2011 Gift Guide to HD Gear & Demo Material!
by Michael S. Palmer
Happy holidays, HDD Readers!
As it was last year (and two years ago), it's quickly becoming my favorite time of the year. In fact, my wife already made these awesome pumpkin deserts that weren't quite pie and not quite a muffin. Whatever they are, these sugary, waistband-busting delights fueled my search to bring you the heads up on some fun products worth wrapping up this year. I've tried to arrange everything within a three-tiered system of Bargain or Entry Level, Mid Range, and Flagship. In the case of speaker systems, the most expensive system I'm showing here is about $3,000, and in audiophile terms, that's still technically entry level so please excuse me there. I don't know many people in the market who spend $5,000 or more dollars on speakers. If you'd like to see automobile-priced speakers added to future reviews and list, please let me know in the forums.
DISPLAYS
The trend this year is rapidly dropping prices, Internet connectivity and, whether you care or not, 3D. Plasma is still the go-to flat panel display technology for a more accurate picture and colors, but LED LCD panels are incredibly bright (and super thin), so I've included one here. Keep in mind that the first two series mentions are terrific deals (for the huge sizes), but may have some image trade offs. The last two look amazing, but be prepared to pay for Quality.
Bargain 3D: Panasonic's ST30 Series.
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What's to Love: The 50-inch TC P50ST30 will set you back less than $900 and features an incredible 2D and 3D imagery. Have more money to spend? There are 55, 60, and 65-inch models as well, with the flagship in the series, the P65ST30 costing just over $2,000. Definitely a bargain for a picture that looks this good while playing 3D in full 1080p to each eye (using active shutter glasses).
Potential Tradeoffs: This plasma series may be too dark for bright rooms, and no 3D glasses are included with the purchase (they cost over $100 each), so the bargain price may disappear if you have to supply 3D eyewear for an entire family.
For the Bright Room: LG's LW5600 Series.
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What's to Love: The LW5600 series is affordable, light weight, thin, and blindingly bright. Seriously, straight out of the box, this is one of the brightest televisions I've ever seen. So much so that, without calibration, colors, details, and skin tones will be easily washed out. But, for a sunny room, it's perfect. The LW5600 series features Passive 3D technology, and ships with four pairs of glasses. Most likely, they're the very same ones you use (and usually toss out) at your local cinema. Once calibrated, 2D picture is crisp and vivid, and as an Internet capable TV, it has a host of apps and streaming services built in. The 47-inch model costs just over $1,000, and the 55-inch is a few greenbacks north of $1,300.
Potential Tradeoffs: Passive 3D technology may be a little easier on the eyes than Active Shutter glasses, but there's a trade off in resolution, which may be noticeable to some viewers. Also, I happen to be in the process of doing a full, extended review of the set and, in low light conditions, there is noticeable "blooming" or "light bleed" (light leaking out from behind the screen bezel) in all four corners. This might not bother all viewers, especially in well-lit conditions, but this could not be my reference TV. I would personally consider this series great for the bright family rooms, kids play rooms, or any type of secondary display. Picky viewers beware.
Perfect Colors: Samsung's PND800 Series.
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What's to Love: The PND800 series is Samsung's flagship line, boasting supremely accurate colors, built-in WiFi with more apps and streaming services than their competitors, incredible 2D and 3D imagery, and it even looks good in fully lit rooms. Samsung also includes a dual-sided Bluetooth full QWERTY keyboard remote. The 51-inch model will set you back a little more than $1,400 and the huge 64-incher just over $2,400.
Potential Tradeoffs: These televisions are not cheap and 1080/24p source material (Blu-ray movies) may lose some black level performance. Also, there's no Amazon Instant if that happens to be your streaming service of choice.
Deepest Black Levels: Panasonic VT30 Series.
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What's to Love: Panasonic's flagship VT30 series boasts the inkiest black levels of any plasma (and therefore, any flat panel) television available in 2011. It's still not quite KURO good, but it's damn close. For those not in the know, black levels are important because the closer the television can get to "true black" (aka the absence of light), colors look more accurate and depth and perceived-resolution improve. While last year's VT25 series suffered from a loss of black level capabilities over time, I've been following a fantastic article over at CNET where they kept track of how five high end plasma aged during their first year of use. The good news is that the VT30 series actually gets blacker (a good thing) as it ages. Pick up the 65-inch TC-P65VT30 for just under $3,000.
Potential Tradeoffs: The most expensive TV in the bunch. Also, the CNET article also said the VT30's color temperature can change over time, so you'll want to make sure to recalibrate your settings for this, or any other, TV as it ages -- every six months to a year. Good advice for any display, really.
BLU-RAY DISC PLAYERS
The truth about Blu-ray players is that most, if not all, deliver perfect picture and sound (well, depending on the source material and encode) during Blu-ray playback. HDMI-transmitted digital signals either arrive, or they don't. So, when picking out a Blu-ray player in 2011, the toughest decision about what to buy isn't really about image quality, but rather about budget and included features. How much do you have to spend, and what's really important to you -- things like streaming apps, games, disc loading speed?
Affordably Full Featured: Sony BDP-S580.
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What's to Love: You can pick up an S580 3D Blu-ray player for under $130, and it comes with WiFi (as well as an Ethernet port for a wired connection) and a host of great apps like Pandora, Netflix, Vudu, Amazon etc. There's also a free Media Remote app for your iOS and Android devices. The 3D works great, and it loads much quicker than most 2011 Blu-ray players. There's an equally impressive / more expensive model, the S780, but the main difference is built-in 2D-3D conversion which, in my humble opinion, is a waste of money.
Potential Tradeoffs: Not really much, especially at this price point (though, for about $10-20 dollars more, you can pick up the slightly faster Panasonic model below). Some people don't like Sony's XMB navigation interface, and I've heard Netflix streaming cover art can be a little small.
Speed Demon: Panasonic DMP-BDT210.
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What's to Love: A CNET Editor's Choice winner, the BDT210 is the fastest loading 3D Blu-ray player available today -- movies load in as little as 7 seconds (finally back at DVD speeds…that only took 5 years!), and as always, 3D and 2D imagery are perfect. The BDT210 is a steal at just under $140. It features a touch-free sensor for ejecting discs, Skype capabilities, and WiFI -- with most of the standard video and audio streaming services like Amazon Instant, which is not available on our next selection. Also, for about $35 more, you can pick up the Panasonic BDT310, which includes an extra HDMI output for those who do not have an AV Receiver with 1.4a / 3D passthrough. Lastly, if you buy either the BDT210 or BDT310, Panasonic will mail you a copy of 'Avatar 3D'.
Potential Tradeoffs: It's missing a few streaming service like Hulu Plus and, if you're a baseball fan, MLB.TV.
A Versatile All Star: Sony PS3.
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What's to Love: Sony's PlayStation 3 is the gift that keeps on giving. It plays Blu-ray movies in 2D and 3D (now with DTS-HD MA support), plays high definition video games, streams all sorts of content from your home network and/or the Internet, has access to MLB.TV and NFL Season Ticket in HD, remains most upgradeable player on the market, and it's available at three price points: 1) a $249.99 160GB system that includes one DualShock 3controller (and a $50 promotional gift card if you buy it on Amazon). 2) a $299.99 320GB PS3 Uncharted 3 Bundle (includes one system, one DualShock 3 controller, one copy of 'Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception') that saves you $10 on the cost of both the system and the game. And 3) a $299 320GB PS3 Move Bundle (includes one DualShock 3 controller, one PlayStation Move motion controller, one PlayStation Eye camera, 'Sport Champion's Blu-ray game, and a PlayStation Move game demos disc). Different systems for different levels of buyers, but sure to be an amazing present.
Potential Tradeoffs: As of today, the PS3 still does not support Dolby TrueHD while playing 3D Blu-rays. That means no 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon – 3D' or 'Megamind - 3D' or 'Kung Fu Panda 2 - 3D' until they get around to fixing this with another firmware update (we're currently at 3.73), which they most likely will do in the not too distant future. Until then, Dolby TrueHD soundtracks will play in Dolby Digital. Also, there is no included remote control, so there is the added expensive of buying Sony's Bluetooth remote or, if you're a Logitech Harmony remote user, the terrific Logitech Harmony PS3 Adapter. Lastly, as they age, some PS3's suffer from fan noise, and if the system overheats, they can fry the circuit board (see Yellow Light of Death). Personally, my fat PS3 (circa 2008) is quiet and works perfectly.
A/V RECEIVERS
The Entry Level Bargain: Onkyo TX-NR509.
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What's to Love: For less than $350, we have a networkable 5.1 AVR with 80w (x 5 channels) of power, 4 3D-ready HDMI inputs, iPod compatibility, Internet Streaming (vTuner, Mediafly, Pandora, Slacker, Rhapsody), and it decodes all the modern HD Audio codecs. If you have a few extra bucks and want 7.2 capabilities, check out the THX Select 2 Plus certified TX-NR609, which serves up 100w/channel and includes support for 4K upscaling.
Potential Tradeoffs: 5.1 channels and 4 HDMI inputs might not be enough for everyone. Especially when considering more and more theatrical movies are being mixed in 7.1.
The Mid-Level Performer: Denon AVR-2112ci.
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What's to love: For right around $600, this 7.1 receiver (90 watts per channel) features AirPlay, 6 3D-ready HDMI inputs, FLAC HD Decoding, streaming (Pandora, Flickr, Rhapsody), GUI overlay, and decodes all the modern codecs. Some will argue the AVR-1912 is the better deal, but for about $50 more, the 2112ci includes an extra year of warranty and Audyssey's MultEQ XT calibration software.
Potential Tradeoffs: The 2212ci is less powerful than -- and doesn't have as many digital or analog inputs, nor the fancy, newer GUI of -- the 2312ci (or 3312ci).
The Beast: Marantz SR7005.
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What's to Love: 125 watts times 7 channels with six 1.4a (3D capabile) HDMI inputs and 2 selectable HDMI outs, streaming on your home network or Internet, multiple room calibration software options, and some higher end connections for remote control systems. This AVR will blow the doors off all but the largest media rooms.
Potential Tradeoffs: Well, there's no built-in power for 9 or 11 channels of sound, nor built-in AirPlay.
SPEAKERS
Big Sound; Bargain Price: Pioneer SP-PK21BS.
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What's to Love: Simply put, there isn't a better sounding 5.1 speaker system available for under $400. Or if there is, I haven't heard it. These speakers can play loud without distorting and can compete with some systems costing double. I just called Pioneer to confirm they still have the package for sale (there is no Buy Now option on the above link, though all the speakers are available separately), and while the DB8 subwoofers are currently out of stock, they are anticipating shipping more the week of December 5th. If you have a few extra bucks, you want to consider upgrading the system's center channel (to this). To purchase, simply call Pioneer. They have free shipping (!), and actual human beings answer the phone.
Potential Tradeoffs: These speakers are bulky (an alternative is the 5.1 Energy Classic Theater System) so they might not be right for all living rooms.
Mid Level Monitors: The Boston Acoustics A 25 speaker System.
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What's to Love: This is a well rounded monitor-sized speaker system. The design is simple and appealing, and the sound is terrific. From blistering highs to rumbling bass with solid mid range as well. I've had nothing but a great experience with Boston Acoustics; as I write this, my 14-year-old desktop 2.1 system is going strong, and my first ever 5.1 system (circa 2000) still gets daily use over at a buddy's house.
Note: I couldn't find the "system" for purchase as a package, but it's not a big deal. Surf over to the Boston Acoustics A Series Loudspeaker page and combine four A25 Monitors ($149.99 each) for 5.1 (or six for 7.1), one A 225C Center Channel ($249.99 each), and one ASW 250 Subwoofer ($349.99 each). The result is a $1,200 5.1 system (or a $1,500 7.1 system). There are also smaller monitors, floorstanding models, and a larger subwoofer in this series for you to mix and match should you be so inclined. And Boston Acoustics offers free shipping. If you're looking to save a few dollars, you should also check out the Last Years / Refurbished Models page.
Potential Tradeoffs: Monitors can't deliver the power of full range floorstanding speakers.
Wireless and Well Reviewed: the Aperion Intimus 4T Summit Wireless 7.1 System (5.1 system pictured).
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What's to Love: $3,000 is all that stands between you and a wireless 7.1 system. What's amazing about this set is that each speaker has its own built-in amplifier, so its compact wireless transmitter can replace your AVR (it has three 3D-ready HDMI inputs). It decodes all the modern HD audio codecs with ease and set up is simple: plug in the speakers, press a few buttons, and the system calibrates itself. There's even a MyZone button on the remote that will recalibrate the system in six seconds to make wherever you're sitting the system's sweet spot.
Potential Tradeoffs: $3,000 is a lot of money for many buyers (and if you can afford to spend that money on speakers alone, running wire behind walls should be in the cards too). And, wireless speakers aren't technically wireless -- you still need to find power outlets for each speaker and subwoofer. If you've already invested in a pricy AVR, you may not wish to make it useless. 3 HDMI inputs is limiting in this day and age. And Audiophiles may bristle at 96khz/24bit audio resolution bandwidth cap.
ACCESSORIES
Bargain Cables: Monoprice & Amazon Basics.
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What's to Love: Monoprice is my go to supplier for all cables and connectors. They're cheap and well made. Relative newcomer Amazon Basics has some good prices as well (though not as much of a selection).
Potential Tradeoffs: None. I can't say it enough… you save boatloads NOT buying big box store wires and cabling for your system. Audiophile-super-cables? Please. Audiophiles have been tricked in listening tests over and over again, and most modern audio and video signals are digital, meaning it all arrives, or doesn't.
Universal Remotes: Logitech Harmony Link.
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What's to Love: I really enjoy my Harmony One and PS3 Adapter, but there's a new system I'm itching to try out in the very near future. The Logitech Harmony Link is a small networkable device / iOS app combination that controls your home cinema system (the device is an IR mini blaster). With so many TVs, BD players, and AVRs now have their own proprietary apps, the simplicity of the programmable remote seems to be in jeopardy. But for $100, anyone in the house with an iOS Device can control the home theatre. Seems like a great idea.
Potential Tradeoffs: I've read some reviews saying it's not quite ready yet. I suppose this happens with many first generation products. Research before you buy. I hope to report back soon with a review.
DEMOS
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Now that you've picked up some awesome, 3D capable gear, it's time to show it off and test it out. Here's a sampling of my favorite 2011 discs (thus far) in the audio and/or video departments:
HDD's Aaron Peck already covered classics, but the one title he's missed (because it's just coming out now) is 'Mutiny on the Bounty'. The 70mm epic (and long awaited HD-DVD holdout) starring Marlon Brando is another Blu-ray catalog stunner from Warner Bros. Keep your eyes peeled for more 2011 Holiday Gift Guides
In the 5.1 spectrum of things, 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2' is a must own audio and video release, an exciting action blockbuster, and a fitting finale to the epic series. There's also a 3D Best Buy exclusive available now as well as an 8 Film Collection, but the full mega-ultra-super edition won't be available until next year. Also, I want to give a shout out to the best found footage film of the year, 'Troll Hunter', a fun horror/action film from Norway about… well, hunting trolls. The audio and video are surprisingly good, and the monsters look great.
Next, let's talk about 7.1. Personally, I can't get enough of the format. Most likely this is because I'm getting use out of the money I invested in two extra speakers, but overall, I love hearing more detail in places I've never before. It's truly enveloping, and this year is filled with a number of great releases. 'The Art of Flight' is a fun action sports film with beautiful cinematography. We're currently giving away three copies on The Bonus View, so maybe you can win a free gift for someone you love! 'Transfomers: Dark of the Moon' is an assault on the senses (in both the good and bad way) with perhaps the best soundtrack I've heard on Blu-ray to date, but buyer beware, a 3D edition is in the works. 'Super 8', while imperfect, is another sonic thrill ride highlighted by wall shacking train crash. Lastly, while folks have been arguing about the 'Jurassic Park' transfers, the 7.1 Audio is the highlight of the set.
3D has been expanding this year with a number of excellent releases. 'Tron Legacy' was the year's first stunner (though it does feature some 2D-only scenes), followed by the 'Toy Story Trilogy', 'How to Train Your Dragon', 'Megamind', 'Cars 2', the severely underrated 'Rio', and 'Tangled'. While they all looked amazing in 3D, 'Dragon' is interesting because it's been remixed into 7.1 for the 3D Blu-ray. And 'Megamind', which I personally found hilarious despite a troublesome 2D transfer, looks even better in 3D. While most of the excellent 3D releases are of the CGI animated variety, I have to admit I was shocked by how well 'Lion King' and 'Beauty and the Beast' turned into three-dimensional experience. A lot of fun here, and two more kick ass 7.1 soundtracks.
Well, that's all we have, dear readers. What's your dream gear or demo disc for this holiday season? Hit up the forums to let us know! Now, I'm off to get more of those delicious pumpkin goodies...
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HDD Interviews the Cast and Crew of 'Jurassic Park'
Thu Sep 22, 2011 at 05:00 PM ETTags: Jurassic Park, Steven Spielberg, Michael S. Palmer (all tags)
by Michael S. Palmer
With the 'Jurassic Park Trilogy' coming to Blu-ray next month, Universal Studios Home Entertainment graciously invited High-Def Digest to sit down four members of the blockbuster film's cast and crew. On the crew side, we met Dennis Murren (the Godfather of CGI who cut his teeth on 'Star Wars' and 'Close Encounters'), Phil Tippet (a stop motion animator who also worked on 'Star Wars' and 'Temple of Doom'. He was original hired to do the dinosaurs for 'Jurassic Park' until the decision was made to go digital; he later designed the creatures for 'Starship Troopers' and runs a VFX studio), and John Rosengrant (who worked with Stan Winston until he passed away in 2008; his credits include everything from 'The Terminator' through 'Iron Man' and the last two 'Twilight' films). After talking to these guys, we then sat down with Ariana Richards, who played Lex in 'Jurassic Park' and 'The Lost World.'
Dennis Murren, Phil Tippet, and John Rosengrant are effects wizards any film geek could follow around for days (or weeks), picking their brains and finding out how they did this or that. Sadly, we were only given a few minutes to speak with all three. It definitely wasn't enough time to get anything in depth, so for that I apologize in advance. Here's what they had to say:
IT'S REALLY AN HONOR TO MEET ALL OF YOU. THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME. DO YOU GUYS HAVE HOME CINEMAS?
[Phil and John shake their heads, no.]
Dennis: No, but I have a 65-inch big screen TV.
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE DEMO DISCS?
Dennis: All of them… '2001', 'The Shining', 'Black Narcissus', 'Citizen Kane'…
John: I just watched 'Bullit' the other day and thought it was fantastic.
'JURASSIC PARK' IS ONE OF THE FIRST INSTANCES OF A PHOTO-REALISTIC CGI CHARACTER OR CREATURE, YET WHY DOES IT LOOK BETTER THAN MANY, MORE MODERN USES OF CGI?
Dennis: Well, we had been working on the technology for that for at least a year or two, just to see if it was ready. And Phil had been studying animals for decades. And Stan's group had been studying animal sculpting for decades. So the basis of the look and the motion is in reality. I think what's going on now, and it's been going on for the last ten years, is that people are copying movies instead of copying reality. So if you see a dinosaur film that was made ten years ago, they were probably looking at 'Jurassic Park,' but those of us who made 'Jurassic Park' were looking at wild animals like rhinos and giraffes. We were looking at the real thing. I think that's so important to be able to make this stuff look real.
Phil: You use your observational skills.
John: There's this video game mentality too. You know, there's no gravity and it should be flying at 150mph. And with these animals, it was 'Oh, what could these animals really run at? How would he really move?'
Phil: There's also an economic aspect to it too, which is off-shoring stuff. Sending it taxed based places where the studios get back millions of dollars, but the talent pool isn't there. So they save a bunch of money, but they get crap work.
John: And if it does well at the box office that enables them to keep doing it. Because they're not looking at it from an artistic point of view. It's a bean counter's point of view.
WHAT WAS EACH OF YOUR LOWEST POINTS DURING THE PRODUCTION, AND WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?
Phil: I did fail! I thought I was going to get fired, but they kept me on.
[editor's note: Phil was originally hired to use his go-motion stop animation to create the dinosaur effects before the decision was made to have digital dinosaurs. Spielberg kept him on the crew to help supervise Dinosaur movements and animation. One way he did this was by creating a stop-motion puppet with digital sensors; imagine an early version of motion-capture.]
John: You switched tools; you got a new wrench.
Dennis: I think every day could have been a failure, and I'm serious about that, but the dailies the next day were so exciting you just kept on moving and saying this is amazing stuff. But every day there were serious problems.
John: It's hard work, but a labor of love. We were really excited about doing this so long hours or whatever it was taking to create a 9,000 pound T-Rex, we waded through it because it was so exciting to see that thing move.
ARE THE T-REXS AND SPINOSAURUS THE BIGGEST CHARACTERS YOU'VE EVER CREATED?
John: Yes. Absolutely, the Spinosaurus was enormous. It was 24,000 pounds, a thousand horsepower with the accumulators all moving. That thing was like a small plane.
PHIL, DID YOU EVER IMAGINE YOU'D BE WORKING WITH DIGITAL EFFECTS IN YOUR CAREER?
Phil: There were no digital effects when I started my career, so how could I possibly imagine it! It snuck up and bit me on the thigh. [he turns to John] What did you guys do with the T-Rexs.
John: I think they were all dismantled.
THEY'RE KICKING ME OUT. THANKS, GUYS.
[THE STERN-LOOKING FOLKS OFF TO THE SIDE KICK ME OUT. I THEN RUSHED OVER TO ANOTHER ROOM TO MEET ARIANA, WHERE WE HAD A FULL FIVE MINTUES.]
HI, ARIANA. I CHECKED OUT YOUR ART, AND IT'S FANTASTIC. REALLY IMPRESSIVE.
Ariana: You did? Thank you so much.
FIRST, HDD PRIMARILY REVIEWS BLU-RAY. DO YOU HAVE A HOME CINEMA OR ANY FAVORITE BLU-RAYS?
Ariana: Of course, and how could I not care about seeing Jurassic on Blu-ray. I'm excited to see what they do with the HD for sure.
HAVE YOU SEEN IT YET?
Ariana: No, I actually haven't gotten to see it on Blu-ray yet, but it is coming very soon.
IS THERE A QUESTION NO ONE EVER ASKS IN THESE PRESS JUNKETS THAT YOU'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO ANSWER (OR A SUBJECT YOU'VE WANTED TO TALK ABOUT)?
Ariana: That's a very good question. Do you have something in mind?
NO, I FIGURE YOU'RE HEARING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN, SO I WAS TRYING TO SPARE YOU THAT.
Ariana: That's really nice of you, but I don't know. I'd like you to surprise me.
OKAY, IN YOUR ART/PAINTINGS. HAS WORKING WITH A VISUAL MAESTRO LIKE STEVEN SPIELBERG, BEING ON SET AND WORKING WITH HIM, HAS THAT INSPIRED OR INFLUENCED YOUR WORK?
Ariana: That is actually a really good question and thank you so much for that. Absolutely, working with Steven was so impactful for me. Watching the way he would work and visually compose scenes. He would walk around and do this [Ariana makes the universal director hand-framing a shot gesture] and frame up an image. That was very common for me to see, and I did. I embraced that and brought it into my work along with wanting to express the essence. When you play a character, you want the emotion to come through. So I'm doing that when I paint these portraits of people and express that magic of bringing them to life. Really, in a sense, becoming my own director.
WHAT WAS THE CASTING PROCESS LIKE? I IMAGINE IT WAS MONTHS AND MONTHS.
Ariana: The casting process was not months and months, actually. It was very fast. Steven had seen me in some other projects I had done prior to Jurassic and liked my work. And he wanted me to come in and audition screaming and be put on tape just screaming. I didn't even really know anything about the project at that time; I hadn't read the script for anything. So I screamed and then he, apparently, watched the tape of all the girls screaming that day. He was sitting at home on the couch next to his wife, Kate, who was sleeping. He went through a couple screamers, and there I was. As soon I started screaming, she leapt up off the couch and started running into the hallway to see if her kids were okay. So, shortly after that, Steven invited me to come into his office and meet him. This was on my way to Disneyland, so I decided it was okay to take a detour --
HA.
Ariana: And after a few minutes, Steven asked me 'So, Ariana, are you busy this summer?' Of course I said no, and that was the beginning. And I have to say, maybe he did this on purpose, but when I first walked into his office, he got up and bumped his head on the chandelier, which put me at ease right away. So I think maybe he did that on purpose.
WHAT'S IT LIKE ACTING AGAINST NOTHING (FOR THE CGI) VS. ACTING AGAINST ANIMATRONIC DINOSAURS?
Ariana: Acting with the dinosaurs was so remarkable because they were so incredibly realistic, the level of detail that Stan Winston and Phil Tippet and Dennis Muren put into these dinosaurs. There was so much for me to draw from. I stepped into that world and really felt like I was in Jurassic Park. There were only very few times when there wasn't a dinosaur there, and in that case I would remember what it was like to work with them.
AT THE TIME YOU'D BEEN ACTING SINCE A YOUNG AGE, BUT WHAT'S IT LIKE TO BECOME WORLD FAMOUS AS A TEENAGER?
Ariana: That's an interesting question too. I went through Jurassic and it was so exciting. I had no idea it was going to be so huge afterwards. Then it hit and everybody was so excited about it. As an example, I couldn't eat lunch without a line of people wanting to talk to me and ask for my autograph. It was really intense, but at the same time, a lot of people were so positive about it, so excited. I never had anyone be difficult; they were always really appreciative of it, and excited to meet me. I have to say there were times when it got a little overwhelming.
LAST QUESTION. YOU MENTIONED IN ONE OF THE BLU-RAY'S NEW DOCUMENTARIES THAT ONE OF THE REASONS YOU LOVED YOUR CHARACTER WAS THAT SHE WAS AN INSPIRATION TO YOUNG GIRLS IN TERMS OF COMPUTERS AND SCIENCE [editor's note: remember, this is 1993 folks and home computers were not quite as ubiquitous], DID YOU EVER GET A CHANCE TO MEET ANY OF THOSE FANS?
Ariana: I did. Actually, I was really happy when I got a chance to talk to people who said, 'You know what, Ariana, after all these years, I wanted to let you know how much your work in Jurassic affected me, how much the story affected me and inspired me to take this direction in my life and learn these skills. And I want you to know how much you meant to me. And that is really been rewarding to me.
EXCELLENT, THANKS VERY MUCH.
AND THANKS AGAIN TO EVERYONE AT UNIVERSAL HOME ENTERTAINMENT. I WISH WE COULD HAVE SPENT MORE TIME WITH THE VFX WIZARDS, BUT IF YOUI CHECK OUT THE BLU-RAY ON OCTOBER 25TH, IT HAS A NEW SIX-PART DOCUMENTARY WHERE YOU GET TO KNOW THEM PRETTY WELL.
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE SCENE OR EFFECT IN 'JURASSIC PARK'? AND HOW WOULD YOU RANK THE TRIOLOGY IN TERMS OF QUALITY? HIT UP THE FORUM LINK BELOW. CHEERS!
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Exclusive First Look at 'X-Men: First Class' Blu-ray Special Features
Thu Sep 08, 2011 at 10:00 AM ETTags: Michael S. Palmer, Fun Stuff (all tags)
by Michael S. Palmer
Get ready, Mutant Readers. September 9th is officially 'X-Men: First Class' Friday as 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment launches a full blown media blitz in support of their latest entry in the 'X-Men' franchise, which has grossed $3 billion for the studio ($1.9 billion at the global box office, and 60 million DVD and Blu-ray units sold).
In fact, 'X-Men: First Class' will be seemingly everywhere for the next week. Football fans will get themed, exclusive content in partnership with Thursday's NFL season opener between New Orleans and Green Bay as well as for Monday Night Football (you know, when New England uses its mutant powers to lay waste to Miami). Also, for our Los Angeles area readers, 'X-Men: First Class' will be projected in 3D across an entire side of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel Thursday and Friday night (9/8 and 9/9).
On to our topic at hand, High-Def Digest was among a group of esteemed journalists power nerds fortunate enough to sit down with series Producer Lauren Shuler Donner, actor Lucas Till (Havoc), and Visual Effects Supervisor John Dykstra for an early first look at what this Blu-ray has to offer.
First, every Blu-ray will come with codes to unlock 10 Marvel 'X-Men' Digital Comics. One, an 'X-Men: First Class' backstory comic about the Hellfire Club, is exclusive to the Blu-ray.
We then sampled the Cerebro Mutant Tracker, a BD-Live enabled interactive database for every character in the 'X-Men' movie universe. There are over 40 mutant profiles (which include team affiliation, abilities, and connections to other characters) and videos, and this database will expand as more films join the franchise. We got to check out Raven Darkholme / Mystique, which featured clips of both Jennifer Lawrence and Rebecca Romijn.
The 'X-Men: First Class' Blu-ray also includes a feature called X Marks the Spot, which plays during the feature film and allows viewers to branch off into special features about the specific scene they are watching. We sampled a featurette about the film's opening scenes, which is an extended version of the original X-Men's first scene. Bryan Singer (director of the first two films, and here a producer and co-writer of the story) talks about how much detail went in to recreating the first film's location in a completely different country ten years later.
Next, we saw three clips from the eight-part documentary, Children of the Atom. The entire behind-the-scenes featurette covers everything from pre-production through post. The first clip was about the costumes. Since the first 'X-Men' did not have the classic yellow suits, the filmmakers wanted to go back to the original look, but in a functional and realistic way. Turns out yellow is actually the original color of Kevlar, so the idea was that the X-Men are actually wearing bullet proof suits. Each mutant has specific alterations to help his or her mutant abilities. It was fascinating to see the craft going into the various hand-stitched suit panels. Really impressive.
The makeup documentary is a must see for our male readers crushing on Jennifer Lawrence. To use her own words, "It's like a sleepover, except I'm naked and being painted." Well, as close to naked as a family film will allow. Kidding aside, the makeup work is impressive. No CG is used in a process, which includes prosthetics and five (or more) paint layers. A decade ago, when the Mystique makeup was developed for Rebecca Romijn, it took 8 hours for her to get into full body makeup…and then she would shoot for 8-12 hours a day. For Jennifer, they knocked it down to about 5 or so.
Then it was onto highlight the film's composer, Henry Jackman (not related to Hugh). Mr. Jackman's Isolated Score not only plays over the entire film (note: I'm not sure what the audio encoding is for this) when selected, but he also has his own documentary, entitled "Sound and Fury". We got to see a clip where he explains his collaboration with director Matthew Vaughn in creating "Erik/Magneto's Theme". Mr. Jackson is a wildly entertaining and energetic personality. It seems Mr. Vaughn wanted to pay homage to the '60s scores of John Barry who, among his vast credits, composed 'Goldfinger'.
Lastly, effects legend John Dykstra took us through three of the film's clips, and spoke about the challenges of making the film's effects work with what has been established in the franchise universe, as well as realistic and original. There wasn't much new information here, I'm sad to report. I was actually surprised to hear how much they stressed for realism, as when I saw 'X-Men: First Class' theatrically the final effects, while very good, seemed a tad plastic or cartoonish. While we didn't see any behind the scenes footage in the construction of the visual effects work (some of which was done by fan favorite, WETA), one of the eight parts in "Children of the Atom" is about he visual effects.
The 'X-Men: First Class Blu-ray lands in retail locations Friday (9/9), with the choice of two collectible slip covers (one with James McAvoy as Charles Xavier, and the other with Michael Fassbender as Erik Lensherr). In addition to what's mentioned above, there will also be Extended and Deleted Scenes and a Theatrical Trailer. The whole package adds up to more than two hours of special features.
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Dolby Invites HDD Readers to Live Streaming Event on Monday July 11
Fri Jul 08, 2011 at 04:00 PM ETTags: Facebook, Michael S. Palmer (all tags)
Surround sound lovers, pull up a chair. Our friends over at Dolby are inviting you all to "Surrounded: 7.1 Cinema & Beyond" a live streaming event they're holding this coming Monday, July 11th on their Facebook page.
Why? Well, Dolby 7.1 (the theatrical version) is officially a year old. Since it debuted last summer on 'Toy Story 3,' twenty-five feature films have been mixed directly that format, with stellar auditory results like 'Tron: Legacy' and 'Tangled' later making their way onto Blu-ray Disc.
In celebration, Dolby is hosting a Filmmakers' Forum to discuss the impact of 7.1 Surround Sound on 2D and 3D movies. Featured guests will include Erik Aadahl (the supervising sound editor on 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon,' 'Kung Fu Panda 2,' and 'Megamind'), Eric Brevig (the director of 'Yogi Bear' and 'Journey to the Center of the Earth'), Michael Semanick (the re-recording mixer of 'Cars 2 and 'Toy Story 3'), Rohan Sippy (the director of 'Dum Maaro Dum'), and Kinson Tsang (the supervising sound designer on 'Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen' and 'The Lost Bladesman').
HOW DO I ATTEND?
Simple, head on over to Dolby's Livestream tab on their Facebook page to watch the event live.
WHEN DO I DO THIS?
Monday, July 11, 2011. 7:00PM-8:00PM (PDT)
HOW DO I ASK QUESTIONS?
Easy, you can do so by logging into the Livestream event itself on the Facebook page, or Tweet them a question using the #surrounded hashtag.
Hope to see you there!
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An Interview with DVA President, Ryan Kugler
Wed Jun 29, 2011 at 03:45 PM ETTags: High-Def Retailing, Industry Trends, Michael S. Palmer (all tags)
by Michael S. Palmer
Last week, we took a few minutes to explore current state of high definition streaming video, collectively known in the industry as Video On Demand. Basically, it was time to see how far we've come and if The Cloud is really a viable option for everyone. Forum Members had some great insights about limitations and personal experiences; for example, I had little experience with how expensive broadband (and therefore HD streaming) can be in Canada. After talking to a few of you, and during the process of researching what was available, these early years of The Cloud seem more like a first draft. Some of the services are better than others, some are even super convenient, but bandwidth is the current limitation linchpin for all video content (for some, it's too expensive, or too time consuming, or not available).
On the flipside, we have physical media like Blu-ray Disc. Still King in terms of bandwidth, and perhaps more important to consider, still King in terms of what matters most to movie studios sales. Is it smart to plan for a future where the disc has gone the way of the dodo as sales figures for physical media continue to drop? Of course, but for now, each and every week, most people still buy (or rent) DVDs and Blu-rays. This is no real surprise to regular High-Def Digest readers, as we gather to talk about the week's latest and greatest (and most controversial) Blu-ray releases. We are known to race out each week for brand new, hot-off-the-presses, super-mega collector's editions. But have you ever given a moment's thought to what happens to a DVD or a Blu-ray if it doesn't immediately fly off the shelf of your local big box store?
High-Def Digest recently got a chance for a quick chat with Ryan Kugler, the president of DVA (Distribution Video and Audio), a liquidation and wholesale company that has been specializing in home entertainment products for over 20 years. Ryan's company specializes in buying up older Blu-rays and DVDs, and reselling them; for him, the physical media business has never been better.
WHAT PERCENTAGE OF YOUR HOME VIDEO VOLUME IS BLU-RAY?
I think it's turning more and more into Blu-ray. The studios are trying to phase out DVD because Blu-ray is the new medium, and they're really trying to say, when a movie comes out, they prefer it to come out on Blu-ray. Period. As Blu-ray takes over the market, we're buying more and more, and it's growing many percentage points month to month. But as far as our overall Blu-ray versus DVD purchases, in terms of our inventory, I would say it's about 25 percent Blu-ray.
AS MORE OF A BEHIND-THE-SCENES PLAYER IN THE HOME ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY, COULD YOU EXPLAIN WHAT IT IS DVA DOES BY TAKING US THROUGH YOUR WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTION PROCESS.
When a movie comes out on DVD and Blu-ray, it goes to Target and Best Buy and whatever's left of Blockbuster, and other major retailers like Walmart, Kmart, Sears, Toys R Us, etc. Once it's done its run for a few months, retailers [call DVA] and say, "Hey we have some excess inventory of the DVD or the Blu-ray." Or sometimes the studio calls about product that did not sell because the movie didn't sell as many as they had hoped. Or the retailer wants to change out for another movie. And then they would call us (the retailer, the distributor, or the studio) and say, "Hey we have this excess inventory of this particular product, are you interested in buying it?"
Our company buys that inventory from anywhere on the food chain -- from the producer, studio, manufacturer, to the distributor, retailers, to the secondary retailer. We then bring it into our warehouse and put it in inventory. We then turn around and make assortments for other retailers. Discount dollar stores, flea markets, truck stops, where when you walk into a retail location, you see a bin in the front of the store or near the cash register that says "$4.99 Movies" and it's a mixture of movies, not in alphabetical order. It's just kind of like a treasure hunt type value bin where you go through it. Our business is really supplying those value bins to the retailer.
So one of your readers might have bought a movie from us, indirectly, through one of those value bins. A retailer will usually have their section of New Releases and A-Z Movies, but they'll also have another section of this area where you can just sort through stuff.
DO YOU SELL MANY BLU-RAY VALUE BINS?
No, we really haven't. When we buy Blu-ray and we re-sell it, it's for a customer specifically looking for it, whether it's a video store or a retailer who is looking to do a special section of Blu-ray or to fill some inventory.
Internet Retailers is another big area that we sell to. They're basically people who sell on different "marketplaces," like Amazon and eBay and Half.com. They buy the product, turn around, and sell it on another person's site called a marketplace, or they sell it on their own site.
THE DWINDLING DVD MARKET SEEMS TO BE HURTING MOST BUSINESS MODELS, BUT DVA IS EXPANDING. HOW DOES THAT WORK?
Well, we actually started expanding because of the dwindling CD market. We do CD music as well, and we do books. All CDs, DVDs, and books can be downloaded now. CDs, obviously, are going a little quicker because you can download a CD in 30 seconds and, as an example, I just downloaded a movie yesterday for my son because we're going to be getting on a plane, and it took three freakin' hours. So the downloading of digital [movies] isn't going to be as broad as the CD world because it's still easier just to go to a store and buy it. It's basically as long as it takes to watch it, it takes to download it. So we're expanding into other areas buying excess inventory. Those areas include buying actual Blu-ray players, DVD players, iPods, TVs.
WHAT'S THE FUTURE OF PHYSICAL MEDIA? HOW LONG WILL IT BE A PART OF YOUR BUSINESS MODEL?
I've been doing this for about 20 years, and when I started 20 years ago, I remember hearing, at the time it was called the Super Highway which we now call the Internet, there was threat of the movie business going away to the Super Highway. So I've been hearing this for 20 years that the movie business was going to go away due to people just downloading it. Currently, the downloading of movies is less than 10 percent of movie consumption, whereas the downloading of CD music is actually right around 50 percent. So physical media is still bought and sold, still needed, still used, and I think to a certain extent, there will always be something physical that you can buy to get a movie, book, or CD on. Whether it's a disc that we've been using for, what, the last 30-something years, that'll probably change to who knows, a chip, a pen, a watch. But I think there will be physically something that you can always buy to get what you want. And we will always be distributing that product.
My father always said this line, "the Buggy Whip business isn't as big as it was 150 years ago, but there's still one company selling Buggy Whips." So if we're the last company selling DVDs, then so be it and I look forward to it.
I HEARD YOU WERE AT E3 THIS YEAR; CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR APPEARANCE THERE?
We were at E3. We are in the video game business. Anything entertainment related, that's pretty much what we buy. The video game business is doing very well. The video game business can, again, be done online, but physical sales are much greater than online sales, and we've been doing it for probably around 10 years now, maybe 15. If you look at Xbox or NDS or whatever, you have all these different physical formats, and with what Wii is doing with their new console, there's ever-changing formats. So anytime the game business changes and goes through an evolution, we can tag along on the new format, but when retailers are done distributing the old physical format, there's still some retailers that want it. Small Mom N Pop chains or dollar discount chains out in Middle America where the demographics aren't as up-to-date with new change and therefore there's always one retailer -- like there's someone always selling Buggy Whips -- that wants to sell that product that's no longer widespread, or known, or used. Any time a format goes away, we take the last leg of it.
WHAT'S NEXT FOR DVA?
Small electronics. We've been doing a lot of iPods, a lot of TVs. Anything that emits or transmits or is the next phase of entertainment, we'll go with. It's a fun business, and it's been good to us. We've grown in the last couple years despite the recession -- up about $5 million in sales, so it's been going good for us.
THANKS TO RYAN FOR TAKING A FEW MINUTES TO TALK TO US ABOUT DVA AND THE CURRENT STRENGTH OF PHYSICAL MEDIA. FEEL FREE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT DVA BY HEADING OVER TO THEIR WEBSITE, WHICH HAS DIFFERENT SECTIONS FOR CONSUMERS, RETAILERS, AND DISTRIBUTORS.
AND AS ALWAYS, WHAT DO YOU THINK THE CURRENT STATE OF PHYSICAL MEDIA? I KNOW MANY OF YOU ARE DIE HARD PHYSICAL-FANS, BUT HOW LONG WILL IT LAST? ALSO, I KNOW MANY OF YOU ARE HIGH-DEF JUNKIES (AS AM I), DO YOU STILL HIT UP THE DVD VALUE BINS, OR IS EVERYTHING NOW "1080P OR BUST?" HIT UP THE FORUMS TO SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS.
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True Grit/No Grit - A Review of Westerns on Blu-ray
Tue May 31, 2011 at 05:00 PM ETTags: Michael S. Palmer (all tags)
By Michael S. Palmer
'True Grit' is more than an Oscar-nominated Western by filmmakers Joel and Ethan Cohen starring Jeff Bridges, Josh Brolin, Matt Damon and the astonishing Hailee Steinfeld. It's more than a 1969 film starring John Wayne in an Oscar-winning role. Heck, it's more than a renowned novel by Charles Portis. For our purposes, True Grit is a state of being...
A bench mark by which all westerns should be judged (not to say either adaptation of' True Grit' is a perfect film, or the best westerns ever made). True Grit, as defined by 14-year-old Mattie Ross, is being tough enough to take down the fiercest foe. A broken past. A roughian. A darkness. A gritty edge.
True Grit Westerns are films with imperfect heroes and worthy antagonists. Films that feel real in the worlds they present and in the lives at stake. Films that stand alone in their true toughness and badass'dom.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, we have No Grit westerns. Not necessarily Bad films at all, No Grit Westerns lack a certain toughness and roughness. In one way or another, they're too light around the edges. Too safe, perhaps. Or too comedic. [It should also be said that a "No Grit" ranking also means "Not Enough Grit".]
With that criteria, we embark on the first step of a Blu-ray journey, ranking available westerns as to whether or not they have True Grit or No Grit. I've tossed in some odd sub-genres just for fun; you may be a little surprised about what titles have been included.
CLASSIC WESTERNS
'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'
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No Grit. This might be a controversial ranking -- I'm open to changing it -- but the overall feeling and tone of this film is light and larger than life. For me, it's borderline Grit, falling down the side of too much fun for a True Grit ranking.
'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly'
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True Grit. This iconic western masterpiece looks fantastic on Blu-ray and may be one of the best examples of True Grit. In fact, just about every Clint Eastwood western has some serious Grit.
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No Grit. I love Jimmy Stewart, but this movie is more about the Cinerama than being a great western.
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True Grit. One of Martin Scorses's favorite Blu-rays, 'The Searchers' is among the first gritty revenge westerns. A departure for John Wayne and director John Ford from their earlier work.
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True Grit. Sam Peckinpah is King Grit.
MODERN ERA WESTERNS
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True Grit. Every once and a while a western actually gets made in Hollywood, reminding us why they were once the town's most popular genre. '3:10 To Yuma' features great characters who are constantly tested by how much Grit they truly possess.
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No Grit. Another borderline ranking... In a movie where a man (Viggo Mortensen) must test his Grit in just about every scene. Yet, for me, the film is a little too safe and clean to be True Grit, which is definitely okay. It's a family film.
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No Grit. This disaster of a film fits just about all of the requirements for True Grit except it's boring and makes little sense.
The Mask of Zorro' / 'The Legend of Zorro'
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Doulbe-ought No Grit. While the first film may be an adventurous, swashbuckling ride, these re-imaginings of the hero with the black mask don't have much Grit at all.
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True Grit. A fantastic, leather-tough Australian western, directed by John Hillcoat, with startling bleakness and realism. So much Grit.
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True Grit. Clint Eastwood's Best Picture Oscar winner redefined westerns, given them a fresh life, by showing us what it's like for an older cowboy. Personally, this is my favorite western, and also the western that first got me interested in the genre (I still have so much to see).
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No Grit. The Brat Pack goes to the old west. It's violent, but in the end it's a little too Rock N' Roll to be considered True Grit.
POST-APOCALYPTIC WESTERNS
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True Grit.Everything about this film is True Grit, from the world itself, to Gary Oldman as Carnegie, to the bandits roving the wasteland hunting and killing and... eating.
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No Grit. Too earnest and silly to have any real Grit.
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True Grit. On the borderline. There's so much over-the-top acting here, but in the end, Mel Gibson's performance grounds this violent after-world. And like all films with True Grit, the anti-hero finds something worthy to protect.
CONTEMPORARY WESTERNS
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No Grit. A film brimming with solid performances, but at the end of the day, I personally find all Ang Lee films to be utterly boring, including this one. You may love it, and that's okay too.
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No Grit. Let me be clear, I love this movie. It's awesome, but it's also revenge porn like another one of my personal favorites, 'Man on Fire'. In the end, it's a little too easy to shake off the film's violence because of how big and fun it is. Also, Scorpio is a bit silly. So close to True Grit, but not quite there for me. How about you?
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True Grit in this case means most Grit in recent history (including the Cohen Brothers' follow up film, 'True Grit' which of course, also has True Grit). It's not a perfect film -- for me at least -- but Anton Chigurh (as played by Javier Bardem) is the scariest character captured on celluloid since perhaps Hannibal Lecter. Josh Brolin and Tommy Lee Jones complete the Grit character-trilogy on display here. Nothing in 'No Country' is simple, easy, or safe. Epic Grit.
'The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada'
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True Grit. Available only as an import Blu-ray, this is another, lesser known, Tommy Lee Jones film that is almost pure Grit. Jones plays a man who forces an accidental killer on a long, horseback journey to return a murdered immigrant's body to his hometown for reburial. It's tragic, and deeply moving. Hopefully it will soon find a US Blu-ray release. Has anyone seen any of the imports? Let us know in the forum.
SCIENCE FICTION WESTERNS
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True Grit. Though these two classics are better known in the horror and action genres, respectively, 'Alien' and 'Aliens' are full blown westerns.
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No Grit. Alas, I'm an unabashed fan of the entire BTTF trilogy. I love it, even the goofier aspects (the Cubs winning the World Series?), but in terms of Western authenticity, this one falls very short of having any Grit. That being said, "This isn't a holdup, it's a science experiment", may be one of my favorite lines ever.
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No Grit. Sorry, Whedon fans. This film pays a lot of homage to the western genre, but it's a little too tongue-in-cheek to have any real Grit.
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No Grit. Okay, I'm cheating with this one, as it's not out on Blu-ray just yet, but the pre-order's up so that has to count for something, right? 'Star Wars' (the original trilogy) is one of my favorite movies of all time. It's also clearly a Western in Space. But alas, this blockbuster franchise doesn't have an ounce of Grit.
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That's a pretty good start to a list, going off the movies A) I've seen and B) are available on Blu-ray. Hit up the forums to tell us where you agree, disagree, and more importantly, what you're adding to the list -- there are so many Westerns still in need of an official True Grit/No Grit ranking.
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Top Ten INCREDIBLE Computer Animated Blu-rays
Tue Apr 12, 2011 at 03:25 PM ETTags: Michael S. Palmer, Fun Stuff (all tags)
by Michael S. Palmer
I love the smell of new Blu-rays on a Tuesday morning.
And this week is better than most, thanks to our friends at Disney who are finally (finally!) releasing Pixar's 'The Incredibles' on a 4-disc Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy combo pack. At the present, it also includes information on obtaining one free admission to 'Cars 2' from Disney Movie Rewards.
Seeing this movie in high definition for the first time is an experience only rivaled by the original theatrical experience. The colors are bold, the textures are lush, and the sound is unbelievably dynamic. One can only hope director Brad Bird ('The Iron Giant') will bring as much energy, heart, and enthusiasm to the 'Mission Impossible' franchise as he has to his animated oeuvre.
Re-watching 'The Incredibles' over the weekend got me thinking about my love for animated films. Or more specifically, how a perfect Blu-ray is for this era for computer generated (CG) animation. For most CG animated films, we're getting direct digital outputs that have never seen a lazy projectionist, or been stored in the real world where artifacts and dust can build up or chemical dyes can fade. Sure, zeroes and ones have their own storage complications, but for now, these films are as perfect as they can possibly be. Which I think speaks to why so many of them are Reference or Demo Blu-rays. Obviously, much of this has to do with the hand-crafted multi-channel soundtracks and the bright, shiny kid-attention-grabbing colors. But the Pixar revolution, starting with 'Toy Story', has lead to a world where the CG animated flicks are routinely the best of every year, outpacing most live action films in terms of drama, comedy, heart, suspense, and action.
With all of that in mind, here are my top ten favorite, incredible CG animated demo discs. Be sure to hit up the forums to add your own lists, or favorite must-watch CG animated Blu-rays.
10) 'Ratatouille'
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Another Brad Bird film, but this one about the potentially stomach-turning tale of a rat who wants to be a gourmet chef, so he cooks food (he touches food!) in a kitchen. And yet, this a charming story featuring luscious production design, great characters, and some well choreographed action. On a personal note, this is also one of my fav's because it's the first Pixar film I ever watched with my wife (please feel free to make a "recipe for love" pun).
9) 'Surf's Up'
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Here's a sad example of what happens when you're the last out of the gate. Sure, 'Armageddon' may have done better than 'Deep Impact', but by the time 'Surf's Up' hit cinemas in 2007, the world was over cute penguin pictures. But, if you haven't seen this flick, please go out and give it another try. Speaking as a guy who surfs, this is one of the few movies that captures the wondrous elation of gliding across a curling wave. Speaking of which, the waves and the colors in the movie are simply breathtaking and often realistic. And my final two words of praise are this (because nothing is funnier than): Chicken Joe.
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Dr. Seuss has had a rough time being adapted into feature films, but 'Horton Hears A Who!' is the exception. It features a wonderful Seussian tone that is somehow reverential to the material as well as modern. It also marked a symbolic return to physical comedy for Jim Carrey who, along with Steve Carrel, delivers a top notch vocal performance. 'Horton Hears A Who!' is a delight from beginning to end, and also features some great messages for kids about bullying and over-conforming.
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For many years, I held a teeny-tiny grudge against DreamWorks for 'Shrek' winning the first Animation Oscar over 'Monsters, Inc.', almost dismissing the studio because of its need for post-modern pop culture references and a production quality which lagged behind Disney/Pixar releases. 'Kung Fu Panda' is what forever changed my mind. It's a hilarious, warm-hearted adventure about, well, about a panda who wants to learn Kung Fu. Audiences are then exposed to exotic locations, grand action set pieces, and a truly terrifying villain. This may be Jack Black's best role. I can't wait for number two. Also, we have since met the guy who did the top-notch soundtrack so it's great to support him and his team.
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'Monster House' is about three young kids who battle their block's haunted house to prevent it from eating all the children on Halloween. To think this is Gil Kenan's directorial debut is nothing short of astonishing. This is a young filmmaker who is really on top of his game. 'Monster House' is a nostalgic callback to the Steven Spielberg / Amblin era of early 1980s films, but one that is made with a very modern combination of computer animation and motion-capture performance. 'Avatar' aside, 'Monster House' may be the best use of motion capture because we get the realism of the human performances without the uncanny valley.
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I'm a sucker for movies where a kid gets onto a mythological beast and gets to fly, so I couldn't wait to see 'How To Train Your Dragon'. What really impresses me here are all the character dynamics. Despite all the silliness and elevated nature of the world, the way people interacted felt real to me. Also, I think it's really clever that the filmmakers were able to humanize the dragons, making them more than ravaging beasts. Also, the action-packed climax is literally as explosive as they come.
4) 'Wall-E'
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I've put 'Wall-E' on a number of lists, but I can't help myself. It should go on pretty much all lists. It speaks about love and what it means to be human, all while wrapping itself in a virtually silent film that is as funny as it is heart-warming.
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What should have won the first ever Academy Award for Animation, 'Monsters, Inc.' is an ingenious reverse-engineered fairy tale about the world where monsters come from before hiding inside your closet. Every single frame of this movie is so well designed, simultaneously speaking to story, mythology, and theme. It's one of the smartest movies ever made, and at the time, was a huge leap forward in technology (being one of the first animated films to feature a fully rendered furry character). This quite literally is the 'China Town' of animated films.
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Ah, the reason we're having this list today. 'The Incredibles' may be the best superhero film ever made -- granted, it builds on audiences' knowledge and expectations of said superhero stories, but it masters them so well, it nearly reinvents the genre. The characters, the family themes, the villain, the retro world design. There's so much for film fans, superhero fans, and James Bond fans to get excited about here. Yet, the film still works perfectly for first time viewers. And, as E already said in his review, it's a Must Own. My only minor complaint is that I've had the rare privilege, thanks to our friends at Dolby, to hear one scene from this film re-mixed into 7.1 -- that, dear Readers, would have made this Blu-ray audio worthy of 6 out of 5 stars.
And now, the number one incredible CG animated demo of all time (to me):
1) 'UP'
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The best movie of 2009, and perhaps Pixar's best film to date, 'UP' is a movie, like so many Pixar films, that couldn't have been made anywhere else in Hollywood. "An old man, a boy scout, and a talking dog take a house down to South America? Who will we market this to? But 'UP' managed to be an emotional experience, blending adult themes with broad humor, crackerjack action, and a really beautiful story. I'm not sure if 'UP' is my favorite film, but if I was ever trapped on a desert island and could only have one film with me, 'UP' just might be it.
Well, there we have it. As always, there are certainly more films to mention than what's considered on my personal (all too short) list of favorites -- yet remember, we're only considering currently available Blu-ray Discs -- so I encourage readers to hit up the forums to add titles and/or arrange your own list. What are your favorite CGI animated Blu-rays? And which titles can you no longer wait to see on Blu?
Cheers.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
The Top Ten Blu-ray Deals Under Ten Bucks!
Wed Mar 02, 2011 at 04:40 PM ETTags: Michael S. Palmer, High-Def Digest, High-Def Retailing, Fun Stuff (all tags)
by Michael S. Palmer
Everyone loves a good deal, and with the economy limping along, Blu-rays often have to take a backseat to more important purchases like "food," "electricity," and "rent." Or so we've been told.
Fret not, dear readers, High-Def Digest has you covered with a variety of comedies, thrillers, foreign films, action movies, family films and veritable classics that'll sit pretty in any collection. Oh, and they can all be snagged for less than $10!
So, lets jump in! Here's High-Def Digest's list of The Top Ten Blu-ray Deals Under Ten Bucks (in no particular order, given the multiple genres). While a couple of titles occasionally fluctuate on Amazon, all can be found for less that $10:
'Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Kahn'
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It's really exciting to see historical Asian epics competing with the hundred million dollar (and then some) Hollywood blockbusters, and holding their own. 'Mongol,' as its post colon title reveals, is Genghis Kahn's origin story. As someone who went into this one blind, I was really blown away; the cinematography is grand, but the smaller moments work well too.
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The original 'Final Destination' works for a number of reasons. First, because I was in high school at the time, it tapped into the phobias surrounding the 1996 TWA Flight 800 disaster. But more so, it's just a really interesting story that is very well directed. Not only does it feel creepy in a cerebral way, exploring the notions of fate and destiny and how they relate to death, but the set pieces themselves are elongated, edge-of-your-seat sequences of bubbling tension. There's a reason why this spawned a franchise of much crappier sequels.
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No one could ever make a movie like this today. Mostly because it would be called 'Western Movie!' and have tangential references to the Kardashians and Charlie Sheen's "Goddesses" for no reason. There's also some fantastic satire, which treads in some always controversial subject matter. 'Blazing Saddles' may be the best spoof ever, and arguably Mel Brooks' best film. It remains as funny and as razor sharp today as it was when it premiered in 1974. Remastered for the 2004 30th Anniversary DVD, it looks pretty great in high definition as well.
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As we pointed out a couple weeks ago, every list needs a Tony Scott picture on it. 'Spy Game' isn't perfect, and as a thriller, most of the tension is reduced by the multiple story lines, but the real mystery is figuring out who these two spies (Robert Redford and Brad Pitt) are, and what their friendship means to each other. There's also some good fun to be had in sticking it to the bureaucrats. I also like the way the different eras get different film temperatures, and there's only one director in the world that would film a discussion between two men…on a rooftop…using a circling helicopter as the scene's main camera. Hazzah.
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'3:10 to Yuma' proved to the world that we don't have to say goodbye to the western as an exciting and profitable genre. Russell Crowe and Christian Bale are fantastic here, but the real winner is the 7.1 channel PCM soundtrack. As Josh Zyber put it in his review, it's "a flat-out stunner." It terms of pure demo material, there's not much better for less than $10.
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I'll always remember 'Magnolia' for the summer I spent taking classes at USC in Los Angeles. My roommates were huge Paul Thomas Anderson fans, and were out here to write the next suburban epic. I had no idea what they were talking about, so they dragged me to a second run screening of 'Magnolia'. I was glued to my seat from the first reel. There's nothing really quite like this combination of odd characters, kinetic camerawork, and melodrama. It's all depressing, yet so very engrossing. There's even a musical number and a supernatural event. This really has it all, and at three hours in length, it might be the cheapest film on this list, per minute.
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Okay, admit it, you're humming the theme song now. Me too. This is a film I'll always associate with childhood (that and 'N.I.M.H.') because it captured my imagination so fully. Storybook worlds and bullies and monsters and magical heroes, I still love this film today despite its faults. And even though the book's author complained about this adaptation, I recently went back and read the novel, and to be honest, Wolfgang Petersen and his team picked the perfect place to end the movie. Do any of our readers have kids? If so (and if they are old enough to watch this), what do they think about this one? Does it still work, or has the pristine perfection of Pixar ruined older, handmade special effects?
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Dark Castle movies (the film's production company, a division of Joel Silver's Silver Pictures) haven't really been breaking box office records and to be honest, some of them haven't been that great. And then came 'Orphan'. I avoided it in the cinemas because it looked like another "evil kid movie." But, after some strong word-of-mouth, I gave it a rent on Blu-ray. This movie is actually tense. Actually scary. And actually has good twists and turns on what should be a very predicable genre. It's also a visually interesting film with a muted color palette accentuated by the occasional popping neon color. File this one under, "I never thought it would work, but damn I enjoyed it."
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Steve McQueen is the coolest man that has ever lived. Ever. And here he is in the film with one of the most famous car chase sequences, shot on location in San Franscisco, caught on celluloid. It's almost as exciting to watch the film for the story as it is to be transported through time to the late sixties when muscle cars prowled the streets, burning rubber, and breaking continuity.
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Originally filmed in VistaVision, 'The Searchers' is one of Martin Scorsese's go-to demo Blu-rays because this Blu-ray version is the best the film has looked since its original release. This is an example of how well a studio should treat their catalog titles, and how well the Blu-ray format can reproduce an unparalleled film-like experience in the home. In fact, the only way to beat it would be to buy an actual film projector. No one makes them like John Ford use to make them.
Well, there we have it, Dear Readers, The Top Ten Blu-ray Deals. As always, there are certainly more films to mention than what's considered on this list of favorites -- yet remember, we're only considering currently available Blu-ray Discs. What's on your list of cheap films that are must-haves?
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
High-Def Digest Goes Behind the Scenes of 'Megamind' in 7.1 Dolby TrueHD
Tue Mar 01, 2011 at 02:30 PM ETTags: Michael S. Palmer (all tags)
by Michael S. Palmer
Last week, 'Megamind' became the first 7.1 theatrically mixed film to be released on Blu-ray with a 7.1 Dolby TrueHD soundtrack. Some are unhappy with the disc's video (banding in the sky, and aliasing around costume and hair textures), but I think we can all agree the TrueHD soundtrack is a winner.
Dolby and Paramount Home Entertainment were kind enough to invite High-Def Digest to a small screening of 'Megamind' to talk 7.1 There was also a Q&A with Erik Aadahl, the film's supervising sound editor. Erik is a literal genius who turned down Yale and Stanford to go to USC film school, and has worked on some of the best soundtracks of the last five years, including: 'Shrek Forever After', 'Transfomers: Revenge of the Fallen', 'Monsters vs. Aliens', 'Valkryie', 'Kung Fu Panda', 'Transformers', and 'Superman Returns'.
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But before we jump into 'Megamind' and the process of creating its soundtrack, I need to say one thing:
I love 7.1 with ever fiber of my nerdtronic high definition soul.
The proof for me came last fall when I went up to San Francisco to play in Dolby's sandbox. There, in perhaps the best sounding auditorium I've ever experienced, we saw the demos Dolby had previously used to convince Pixar and theatre owners that 'Toy Story 3' should be the first ever theatrically mixed 7.1 movie in history. Who knew how much extra immersion and precision could come from two additional channels directly behind one's head where our ears are supposed to be less acute? My conclusions were immediately backed up when, in another demo, we dropped back to 5.1. Missing the extra channels, missing that extra depth and control, the mix sounded flatter and further away. I was sad.
Needless to say, in a few short minutes, I was ready to sprint home -- all 500 miles -- and buy two more speakers.
My wife nearly cut up the credit card.
Thankfully, she did the smarter and more loving thing: she bought me two more speakers for Christmas (Best. Present. Ever.). I was quick to drop in 'Toy Story 3', as well as a host of mostly Lionsgate and New Line Cinema Blu-rays originally mixed in 5.1, only to be remixed into 7.1 for Blu-ray (a process we learned about from our good friends over at POP Sound).
Which brings us back to DreamWorks Animation's 'Megamind'…
We watched the 'Megamind' Blu-ray on an 18-foot wide screen (10.5-feet tall), running through an NEC 2K DLP projector. The Blu-ray picture looked almost as good as when I saw 'Megamind' in the theatre. But it sounded better. How? Oh, I think you already know: 7.1 over 5.1.
There are currently 1,300 cinema screens around the world (not enough) with Dolby 7.1. Ten films have been mixed for the format (again, not enough), but sound professionals like Erik Aadahl don't have any 5.1 currently on their rosters (he's working on 'Kung Fu Panda 2' next).
While some mixes are adjusted between theatrical and home theatre environments (dynamic range, etc),the 'Megamind' Blu-ray features, bit-for-bit, the exact same mix as Erik heard in the mixing stage; the same mix heard in the cinema. No changes. Straight from the professionals with the full dynamic range intact. These are fun times, dear readers.
But how do they do it?
Erik starts all of his projects (as we can see, they are mainly studio tent poles) gathering his Palette of Sound. In cooking terms, these are his ingredients. Some sound designers work with "canned food," or pre-recorded sounds (they have to for many budget ranges). Not Erik. Every sound he uses is signature to each movie. And to do this, he takes a few months building that Sonic Palette before ever working with animation or live action footage.
'Megamind' is about a quirky main character whose schemes often fail; Erik's soundtrack was designed from the ground up to help tell that story. Also, Jeffrey Katzenberg said that he wanted the film to sound "charming." So, quirky and charming. How can sound be those things?
Erik says he likes to find sounds with inherent "personality", as well as those that can "play." In terms of personality, Erik has a kitchen cabinet at home in desperate need of WD-40, but he's never fixed it because he enjoys its squeak. In fact, what would be an annoyance to most ears became the basis for the character Frenzy in the first 'Transfomers' film. In terms of playability, Erik likes to use sounds and devices that can be manipulated to communicate emotions and feelings.
How about an example?
Great idea. Erik brought two miniaturized versions of sound generators he used in the movie and played a couple clips to demo them, as well as the Blu-ray's use of 7.1.
First, he brought out a Van de Graaf generator, which generates a buzzing, humming noise as electricity arcs across an open space. Therefore, Erik is able to "play" the sounds in different tones and keys, give the sound a personality. The Van de Graaf generator, along with Erik's own voice, became the basis for Megamind's army of Brain Bots.
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Check out Chapter 3 on you 'Megamind' Blu-ray (00:12:12 – 00:14:21) to hear the Van de Graaf in action, and a nifty 360-degree pan in 7.1 as Megamind (Will Ferrel) wheels on and off camera while taunting Roxanne Ritchie (Tina Fey).
Second, there is a moment in the film where Megamind blows up an observatory using "all the power of the sun." This sound was directly inspired by Ben Burtt's work on 'Star Wars.' But instead of using high tension wires as Burtt did, Erik coiled hundreds of feet of copper wiring, which he was able to 'ping' and amplify as needed (again, seen in her miniature form).
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Check out Chapter 4 of your 'Megamind' Blu-ray (00:15:57 – 00:20:20) to hear the pinging copper coil, as well as some great use of the surround back channels as the camera changes POV from looking directly at the explosion, to having the explosion taking place behind camera.
Another important general concept was how sound can define characters. Megamind has already been described as quirky, his sounds being slightly off. Case in point, in his origin story, Megamind's spaceshift putters along, almost breaking down. Metroman, conversely, is in a mini Cadillac, which runs smoothly.
Last on our list of interesting factoids for the day was how 3D can affect the sound mixing process. Erik and his team, when doing a 3D film, do most of the work in 2D, and then watch their work playback in 3D, taking notes. In 3D, Erik found his eyes going to different screen locations and actions compared to the 2D version, so he had to make a few adjustments to line up things back up with the picture. In some cases, 2D and 3D versions of the same film will have slightly different editing choices, and thus completely separate sound mixes.
All-in-all, it was great to learn a little more about how 'Megamind' was built into a very fine 7.1 Dolby TrueHD soundtrack. I wish every Blu-ray sounded this good. Thanks again to the folks at Dolby and Paramount Home Entertainment for a fun morning (even if it was in the valley).
What do you say, dear readers? What do you think about the 'Megamind' 7.1 track? How many of you own a 7.1 system, or are interested in owning one? If you don't have one, why not? Have you sought out Dolby 7.1 Theatres? And, what's your favorite 7.1 Blu-ray so far? Hit up the forums and let us all know.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
MORE BLU-RAY NEWS TAGGED "MICHAEL S. PALMER":
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