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HDD First Look: 'Tomorrowland' in Dolby VisionBrad Bird's new film, 'Tomorrowland', opens in cinemas worldwide this weekend. Co-written by Damon Lindelof and inspired by on Walt Disney's personal archives, 'Tomorrowland' is a science fiction adventure about a teenage girl (Britt Robertson) who teams up with a former boy-genius (George Clooney) to unlock the mysteries threatening Tomorrowland, a futuristic world only a select chosen are invited to see when they are given a magical pin from the 1964 world's fair. [teaser]'Tomorrowland' is the first feature film released in Dolby Cinema, a new premium auditorium which combines the strengths of Dolby Atmos object-based surround sound with Dolby Vision, a set of high dynamic range standards behind brighter displays (which we first previewed in late 2013), more lifelike color grading, and Dolby's new 4K laser projection system.[/teaser] Three Dolby Cinema installations are opening this week as part of a partnership with AMC Theatres. Dubbed Dolby Cinema at AMC Prime, the premiere locations include the AMC BarryWoods 24 in Kansas City, MO; the AMC Deerbrook 24 in Humble, TX; and the AMC North Point Mall 12 in Alpharetta, GA. 100 more of these partnership auditoriums are slated to open by 2024. Also, while the theatre itself is not a full Dolby Cinema, the historic El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, CA will be showing 'Tomorrowland' in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. In fact, that's where I screened the film. The Movie I'll leave the full review to our resident theatrical critic. Yet, for my two pennies, 'Tomorrowland' is a beautifully produced, ambitious adventure brimming with big ideas and interesting characters...that I was ultimately unable to connect with fully on an emotional level. Individual set-pieces prove well placed and thrilling. Britt Robertson and George Clooney are quite good. The effects work, for the most part, is exceptional. Yet, the set-pieces are a little repetitive, the characters easily overcome too many obstacles (lower perceived stakes), the world building in Tomorrowland itself ultimately feels ignored, and I would humbly argue that the story revolves too much around the "most of the characters know what's happening, but aren't telling the chosen one to keep it a secret for the audience" structure. It's not bad, but its not great. Dolby Vision Minor caveat: I feel a little handicapped in my ability to judge 'Tomorrowland' in Dolby Vision because I have not seen Tomorrowland's standard color grading outside of trailers. Meaning, we'll need further testing and demos before deciding if Dolby Vision trumps all other projection systems and is declared the future of cinema. Cool? Cool. That said, I'm impressed so far and can't wait to do more testing, comparisons, and see where filmmakers take their work in this format. I would say Dolby Vision has a similar effect to the first time you saw a Plasma HDTV (in proper lighting conditions) after owning a dull LCD display. It offers deep, inky black levels with shadow details intact, gobs of resolution, a wide gamut of saturated colors, and crisp bright areas (details also intact). The presentation was lifelike and sparkling -- like looking into Brad Bird and cinematographer Claudio Miranda's imaginations. Pay special attention to a scene where George Clooney is not only backlit by the sun, but where the sun is also in the frame. Many movies would crunch the shadows, hiding Clooney's face completely. In Dolby Vision, you can still glimpse Clooney's face and all the details despite the harsh sunlight. Also, note the endless, properly exposed blue skies even when buildings and other real world locations are in shadow. It's rare in the modern era. Lastly, in nightime sequences, like the insdie of Clooney's house or the Eiffel Tower sequence, there are tons of bright colors and dark shadows where you can still see details. Great stuff. Dolby Atmos Without reservation, 'Tomorrowland' has an exemplary Atmos sound mix that begins right from the futuristic Disney logo as a man in a jet back zooms from left to right across the screen and then over our heads. The rest of the film's many set-pieces are a demo reel of what you can do with Atmos. Pin-pointed character voices in the surrounds. Orchestral score enveloping the room. Explosions and rocket engines roaring overhead and all around. Pay special attention to the sequence inside George Clooney's house (a truncated version was used as one of the trailers) where futuristic weapons and booby traps are deployed repeatedly, playing out in perfect relation to camera POV. It's a terrific sound mix, and should make for an exemplary home audio experience (assuming Disney adopts object-based mixes for Blu-ray or Digital). Behind the Scenes of Dolby Cinema Want to learn a little more about how the filmmakers used Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos to make Dolby Cinema the best way to see 'Tomorrowland'? Check out this behind-the-scenes video with filmmaker Brad Bird: Tomorrowland and the Dolby Cinema Experience from Dolby Laboratories on Vimeo. What's Next? The next Dolby Vision title will be Disney/Pixar's 'Inside Out', which opens here in the states on June 19. A few more Dolby Cinema at AMC Prime auditoriums should be open by then, including two more in Los Angeles. And, later this year, Dolby Vision will forge its way into the home cinemas with Vizio's Reference Series of Ultra HD Displays, though I'm not sure when content like 'Tomorrowland' will be available. I'm sure we'll find out shortly. Final Thoughts While 'Tomorrowland' may not have made me feel like a kid again (a hard thing to do a week after 'Mad Max Fury Road' upped the action cinema bar), I applaud its lofty ideas and breathtaking filmmaking. Also, Dolby Atmos is still king of theatrical surround sound, and Dolby Vision is off to a great start. Near any of the Dolby Cinema locations and planning to see 'Tomorrowland'? Planning to by a Dolby Vision enabled display? Let us know in the comments below or in our forums.Posted Wed May 20, 2015 at 01:30 PM PDT by: -
Criterion's August Blu-ray Titles Now Available for Pre-Order![teaser]The distributor has revealed its upcoming slate of August releases, including Brian De Palma's 'Dressed to Kill' and François Truffaut's 'Day for Night.' [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Criterion is preparing 'Night and the City,' 'The French Lieutenant's Woman,' 'Dressed to Kill,' 'Day for Night,' and 'Two Days, One Night' for Blu-ray throughout the month of August. 'Night and the City' (August 4) - Two-bit hustler Harry Fabian (Richard Widmark) longs for a life of ease and plenty. Trailed by an inglorious history of go-nowhere schemes, he tries to hatch a lucrative plan with a famous wrestler. But there is no easy money in this underworld of shifting alliances, bottomless graft, and pummeled flesh—and Fabian soon learns the horrible price of his ambition. Luminously shot in the streets of London while Hollywood blacklisters back home were closing in on director Jules Dassin, 'Night and the City,' also starring Gene Tierney, is film noir of the first order, and one of Dassin’s crowning achievements. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, an uncompressed English mono soundtrack, and supplements will include:Alternate presentation of the 101-minute British version of the film; Audio commentary from 2005 with film scholar Glenn Erickson; Interview with director Jules Dassin from 2005; Excerpts from a 1972 televison interview with Dassin; Comparison of the scores for the British and American versions of the film; Trailer; PLUS: An essay by film scholar Paul Arthur. Order the Blu-ray 'The French Lieutenant's Woman' (August 11) - An astounding array of talent came together for the big-screen adaptation of John Fowles's novel 'The French Lieutenant’s Woman,' a postmodern masterpiece that had been considered unfilmable. With an ingenious script by the Nobel Prize–winning playwright Harold Pinter, British New Wave trailblazer Karel Reisz transforms Fowles’s tale of scandalous romance into an arresting, hugely entertaining movie about cinema. In Pinter’s reimagining, Jeremy Irons and Meryl Streep star in parallel narratives, as a Victorian-era gentleman and the social outcast he risks everything to love, and as the contemporary actors cast in those roles and immersed in their own forbidden affair. The French Lieutenant’s Woman, shot by the consummate cinematographer Freddie Francis and scored by the venerated composer and conductor Carl Davis, is a beguiling, intellectually nimble feat of filmmaking, starring a pair of legendary actors in early leading roles. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, an uncompressed English mono soundtrack, and supplements will include: New introduction by film scholar Ian Christie; New interviews with actors Jeremy Irons and Meryl Streep, editor John Bloom, and composer Carl Davis; Episode of The South Bank Show from 1981 featuring director Karel Reisz, novelist John Fowles, and screenwriter Harold Pinter; Trailer; PLUS: An essay by film scholar Lucy Bolton Order the Blu-ray 'Dressed to Kill' (August 18) - Brian De Palma ascended to the highest ranks of American suspense filmmaking with this virtuoso, explicit erotic thriller. At once tongue-in-cheek and scary as hell, 'Dressed to Kill' revolves around the grisly murder of a woman in Manhattan, and what happens when her psychiatrist, her brainiac teenage son, and the prostitute who witnessed the crime try to piece together what happened while the killer remains at large. With its masterfully executed scenes of horror, voluptuous camera work, and passionate score, Dressed to Kill is a veritable symphony of terror, enhanced by vivid performances by Angie Dickinson, Michael Caine, and Nancy Allen. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, an uncompressed English mono soundtrack, and supplements will include: New interviews with actor Nancy Allen, producer George Litto, composer Pino Donaggio, shower-scene body double Victoria Lynn Johnson, and poster photographic art director Stephen Sayadian; New profile of cinematographer Ralf Bode, featuring filmmaker Michael Apted; The Making of “Dressed to Kill,” a 2001 documentary featuring De Palma; Interview with actor-director Keith Gordon from 2001; Video pieces from 2001 about the different versions of the film and the cuts made to avoid an X rating; Gallery of storyboards by De Palma; Trailer; PLUS: An essay by critic Michael Koresky. Order the Blu-ray 'Day for Night' (August 18) - This loving farce from François Truffaut about the joys and turbulence of moviemaking is one of his most beloved films. Truffaut himself appears as the harried director of a frivolous melodrama, the shooting of which is plagued by the whims of a neurotic actor (Jean-Pierre Léaud); an aging but still forceful Italian diva (Valentina Cortese); and a British ingenue haunted by personal scandal (Jacqueline Bisset). An irreverent paean to the prosaic craft of cinema as well as a delightful human comedy about the pitfalls of love and sex, 'Day for Night' is buoyed by robust performances and a sparkling score by the legendary Georges Delerue. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, an uncompressed French mono soundtrack, and supplements will include: New visual essay by filmmaker :: kogonada; New interview with cinematographer Pierre-William Glenn; New interview with film scholar Dudley Andrew; Documentary on the film from 2003, featuring film scholar Annette Insdorf; Archival interviews with director François Truffaut; editor Yann Dedet; and actors Jean-Pierre Aumont, Nathalie Baye, Jacqueline Bisset, Dani, and Bernard Menez; Television footage of Truffaut on the film’s set in 1972; Trailer; PLUS: An essay by critic David Cairns. Order the Blu-ray 'Two Days, One Night' (July 21) - Oscar winner Marion Cotillard received another nomination for her searing, deeply felt performance as a working-class woman desperate to hold on to her factory job, in this gripping film from master Belgian directors Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne. Cotillard is Sandra, a wife and mother who suffers from depression and discovers that, while she was home on sick leave, a majority of her coworkers voted in favor of her being fired rather than give up their annual bonuses. She then spends a Saturday and Sunday visiting them each in turn, to try to convince them to change their minds. From this simple premise, the Dardennes render a powerful, humanist drama about the importance of community in an increasingly impersonal world. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements will include: New interviews with the Dardennes and actors Marion Cotillard and Fabrizio Rongione; When Léon M.’s Boat Went Down the Meuse for the First Time (1979), a forty-five minute documentary by the Dardennes, featuring a new introduction by the directors; New tour of the film’s key locations with the directors; Trailer; PLUS: An essay by critic Girish Shambu. Order the Blu-ray Suggested list price for each Blu-ray is $39.95. You can find the latest specs for all of the titles listed above linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they're indexed throughout August.Posted Wed May 20, 2015 at 01:00 PM PDT by: -
Die Hard Western Fans Can Check Out John Maclean's 'Slow West' on Blu-ray in July[teaser]The film starring Michael Fassbender and Kodi Smit-McPhee will hit Blu-ray this summer. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Lionsgate is preparing to bring 'Slow West' to Blu-ray on July 7. In search of his fugitive girlfriend and her father, 16-year-old Jay (Kodi Smit-McPhee) heads west across the 19th-century American wilderness. Along the way, Jay meets Silas (Michael Fassbender), a mysterious traveler who protects him from the savage and lawless elements. But is Silas really watching out for Jay...or is he tied to the band of desperados tracking them? Every step west brings Jay closer to the truth-leading to an epic, bullet-laced showdown in this quintessential Western. Specs haven't been revealed yet, but supplements include a making of featurette and deleted scenes. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $24.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Slow West' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under July 7. Order the Blu-rayPosted Wed May 20, 2015 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
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'Looking: The Complete Second Season' Heading to Blu-ray In July[teaser]The second season of the HBO series will arrive on Blu-ray in July, and you can pre-order the show here. [/teaser]In an early announcement to retailers, HBO is preparing 'Looking: The Complete Second Season' for Blu-ray on July 21. The unfiltered experiences of three gay friends living and loving in modern-day San Francisco continue in Season 2 of this HBO original series. This year, Patrick (Jonathan Groff) finds himself getting what he thinks he wants--both professionally and romantically--only to realize it's not what he needs; Agustin (Frankie J. Alvarez) leaves his art aspirations behind while striking up a friendship with a charming "bear" in the wake of his rough break-up from Season 1; and Dom (Murray Bartlett) faces many ups and down as he continues pursuing his dream of opening a Portuguese peri peri chicken establishment. Supplements have not been detailed yet, but the Blu-ray/Digital HD combo pack will feature 1080p video and a DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack. Suggested list price for the 2-Disc Blu-ray is $39.98. You can find the latest specs for 'Looking: The Complete Second Season' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under July 21. Order the Blu-rayPosted Wed May 20, 2015 at 10:00 AM PDT by: -
'Monsters: Dark Continent' Blu-ray Detailed[teaser]The sci-fi sequel will head into battle on Blu-ray in June, and you can pre-order the movie here. [/teaser]In an early announcement to retailers, Starz/Anchor Bay is preparing 'Monsters: Dark Continent' for Blu-ray on June 2. Ten years on from the events of Monsters, and the 'Infected Zones' have now spread worldwide. In the Middle East a new insurgency has begun. At the same time there has also been a proliferation of Monsters in that region. The Army decide to draft in more numbers to help deal with this insurgency. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements will include a behind-the-scenes featurette Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $26.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Monsters: Dark Continent' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under June 2. Order the Blu-rayPosted Wed May 20, 2015 at 08:00 AM PDT by: -
Luciano Ercoli's 'Killer Cop' Blu-ray Supplements Detailed[teaser]The 1975 crime thriller is planned for Blu-ray next month. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, RaroVideo says 'Killer Cop' will hit Blu-ray on June 2. A great example of the "Poliziotteschi" (Italo-crime) with a plot based upon the 1969 Piazza Fontana bombing in Milan, KILLER COP begins with an explosion in a hotel killing dozens of innocent people. Police inspector Matteo Rolandi is a witness to the massacre and the suspect, Franco Ludovisi, is a young political activist. Ludovisi, even though the General Attorney Di Federico puts him under protection, is shot and killed. Behind this event there seems to be a conspiracy aimed at destabilizing the political social scene, but despite the fear instilled by the bombers, Inspector Rolandi continues his investigation, strongly determined to find the people behind this brutal terrorist act. Specs have yet to be revealed, but supplements include Video interview with Alessandro Calosci (20 mins), and a fully illustrated booklet. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $29.95. You can find the latest specs for 'Killer Cop' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under June 2. Order the Blu-rayPosted Wed May 20, 2015 at 06:00 AM PDT by: -
Noah Baumbach's Dramedy 'While We're Young' Bound for Blu-ray[teaser]The fresh and insightful comedy starring Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts arrives on Blu-ray next month. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Lionsgate is working on 'While We're Young' for Blu-ray on June 30. After Josh (Stiller) and his wife Cornelia (Watts) meet a free-spirited twenty-something couple (Adam Driver and Amanda Seyfried), they adopt a new lifestyle complete with hip-hop dance classes and mind-expanding parties. But with each hilarious attempt to act young, Josh and Cornelia start to appreciate the rewards of growing old together. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a lossless 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements include six behind-the-scenes vignettes. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $24.99. You can find the latest specs for 'While We're Young' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under June 30. Order the Blu-rayPosted Tue May 19, 2015 at 01:00 PM PDT by: -
Two Thrillers 'Dark Summer' and 'Alien Outpost' Bound for Blu-ray[teaser]Two highly stylized horror thrillers will arrive on Blu-ray in July. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Shout Factory will be releasing 'Dark Summer' and 'Alien Outpost' on Blu-ray on July 7. 'Dark Summer' - A claustrophobic modern ghost story, Dark Summer follows Daniel Williamson, a 17 year old under house arrest for the summer after cyberstalking a classmate. With his mother away on business, a horrifying incident occurs and Williamson soon experiences strange supernatural occurrences--which become increasingly more sinister and terrifying, with twists that will leave audiences reeling. Starring Peter Stormare (Fargo), Maestro Harrell (The Wire), Keir Gilchrist (It Follows, United States of Tara), Stella Maeve (The Runaways) and Grace Phipps (Fright Night), Dark Summer is a highly original twist on the supernatural summer season terror. Specs haven't been revealed yet, but supplements include: Audio Commentary with director Paul Solet; Atmosphere and Style Featurette; Director Paul Solet Featurette; The Art of Dark Summer Featurette; The Music of Dark Summer Featurette; A Conversation with Peter Stormare Featurette; The Kids - Cast interviews; and Theatrical Trailer. Set in 2021, Alien Outpost is the story of the aftermath of the First Earth War , in which an invading race of aliens known as the Heavies are narrowly defeated. But thousands of the aliens were left behind, and a new war on terror now rages. In the wake of the war, a series of remote operating bases are created to defend the planet, with the deadliest being base Three Seven, positioned in the most hostile place on Earth. A documentary film crew is sent to record daily life in Outpost Three Seven, where the men, led by hardened commander Captain Spears (Rick Ravanello, Dark Haul), are under constant enemy fire. When a member of the crew disappears during a Heavy ambush, the unit launches a raid deep into enemy territory to rescue him… only to make a terrifying discovery. Specs have yet to be revealed, but supplements include: Audio Commentary By Director/Co-Writer Jabbar Raisani And Director Of Photography/Co-Writer Blake Clifton; Interviews With Cast And Crew; Deleted Scenes; and Theatrical Trailer. You can find the latest specs for 'Dark Summer' and 'Alien Outpost' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they are indexed under July 7. Order Dark Summer Order Alien OutpostPosted Tue May 19, 2015 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
Sony Dates 'Joe Dirt' Blu-ray for July[teaser]David Spade and his mullet will make their Blu-ray debut in July. You can pre-order the disc here. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Sony is preparing 'Joe Dirt' for Blu-ray on July 7. From the producing team that brought you 'Deuce Bigalow' and 'Big Daddy.' David Spade plays Joe, whose search for his family has him hittin' the road and keepin' it real with every lowlife he meets, including a sweet hottie (Brittany Daniel), a janitor (Christopher Walken), and a psychotic cannibal (Brian Thompson) with whom he has a brief interlude. Through it all, Joe keeps on trucking all the way to L.A., where a shock jock DJ (Dennis Miller) targets Joe as the butt of his show. But Joe's plucky spirit encourages listeners to cheer him on and help him find a better family than the one he thought he wanted. Rock on! The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements will include: First look at Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser; David Spade Commentary; Director's Commentary; Outtakes & Bloopers Reel; Deleted & Alternate Scenes; and Theatrical Trailers. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $19.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Joe Dirt' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under July 7. Order the Blu-rayPosted Tue May 19, 2015 at 10:00 AM PDT by: -
'The Brokenwood Mysteries: Series 1' Bound for Blu-ray[teaser]Four murder mysteries will unravel on Blu-ray in July. You can pre-order the show now. [/teaser]In an early announcement to retailers, Acorn Media is preparing 'The Brokenwood Mysteries: Series 1' for Blu-ray on July 7. Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Shepherd (Neill Rea, Go Girls) arrives on assignment in Brokenwood, a small town where memories-and animosities- run deep. He's an experienced cop with a 1971 "classic" car, a collection of country music cassettes, and an indeterminate number of ex-wives. The new woman in his life is his assistant, Detective Kristin Sims (Fern Sutherland, The Almighty Johnsons), a by-the-book investigator nearly 20 years younger than her boss's car, who quickly has to get used to his lone-wolf ways. As Shepherd adapts to the slower pace of life away from the city, he soon discovers that Brokenwood is a place of secrets and suspicions. Everyone and everything is connected, and the serenity of the countryside can easily be shattered by violence and death. Filmed amid the beautiful landscape of New Zealand's North Island, these four feature-length mysteries show that murder can haunt even the most idyllic locations. Specs and supplements have not been detailed yet. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $59.99. You can find the latest specs for 'The Brokenwood Mysteries: Series 1' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under July 7. Order the Blu-rayPosted Tue May 19, 2015 at 08:00 AM PDT by:
