All About Music: Bluray

Showing posts with label Bluray. Show all posts

Wednesday, 28 November 2012

MOVIE REVIEW: Rock of Ages (Blu-ray)

Songs Produced by ADAM ANDERS and PEER ASTROM

"Paradise City"
Written by Steven Adler, Saul Hudson, Duff Rose McKagan, W. Axl Rose and Izzy Stradlin
Performed by Tom Cruise

"Sister Christian"
Written by Kelly Keagy
Performed by Julianne Hough

"Just Like Paradise"
Written by David Lee Roth and Brett Tuggle
Performed by Julianne Hough

"Nothin' But A Good Time"
Written by Bobby Dall, C.C. Deville, Bret Michaels and Rikki Rockett
Performed by Diego Boneta, Russell Brand and Alec Baldwin

"I Remember You"
Written by David Michael Sabo and Rachel Bolan Southworth
Performed by Skid Row
Courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp. by arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing

"Jukebox Hero"
Written by Michael L. Jones and Louis Grammatico
Performed by Diego Boneta and Julianne Hough

"I Love Rock 'n Roll"
Written by Jake Hooker and Alan Merrill
Performed by Alec Baldwin and Russell Brand

"Hit Me With Your Best Shot"
Written by Eddie Schwartz
Performed by Catherine Zeta-Jones

"Oh Sherrie"
Written by Bill Cuomo, Randy Goodrum, Craig Krampf and Steve Perry

"Waiting For A Girl Like You"
Written by Michael L. Jones and Louis Grammatico
Performed by Diego Boneta and Julianne Hough

"Don't Stop Believin' (Acoustic)"
Written by Jonathan Cain, Neal Schon and Steve Perry
Performed by Diego Boneta

"Talk Dirty To Me"
Written by Bobby Dall, C.C. Deville, Bret Michaels and Rikki Rockett
Performed by Poison
Courtesy of Capitol Records under License from EMI Film & Television Music

"More Than Words"
Written by Gary Cherone and Nuno Bettencourt
Performed by Julianne Hough and Diego Boneta

"Heaven"
Written by Jani Lane
Performed by Julianne Hough and Diego Boneta

"Rock Of Ages"
Written by Joseph Elliot, Peter Willis, Richard Allen, Richard Savage, Robert Lange and Stephen Clark
Performed by Def Leppard
Courtesy of Universal International Music, B.V. under License from Universal Music Enterprises

"Wanted Dead Or Alive"
Written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora
Performed by Tom Cruise and Julianne Hough

"I Want To Know What Love Is"
Written by Michael L. Jones
Performed by Tom Cruise and Malin Akerman

"I Wanna Rock"
Written by Dee Snider
Performed by Diego Boneta

"Pour Some Sugar On Me"
Written by Joseph Elliot, Philip Collen, Richard Allen, Richard Savage, Robert Lange and Stephen Clark
Performed by Tom Cruise

"Harden My Heart"
Written by Marvin Ross
Performed by Julianne Hough and Mary J. Blige

"Bringin' On The Heartbreak"
Written by Joseph Elliot, Peter Willis, Richard Allen, Richard Savage and Stephen Clark
Performed by Def Leppard
Courtesy of Universal International Music, B.V. under License from Universal Music Enterprises

"Shadows Of The Night"
Written by D.L. Byron
Performed by Mary J. Blige and Julianne Hough

"Here I Go Again"
Written by David Coverdale and Bernie Marsden
Performed by Diego Boneta, Julianne Hough, Mary J. Blige, Paul Giamatti and Tom Cruise

"Can't Fight This Feeling"
Written by Kevin Cronin
Performed by Russell Brand and Alec Baldwin

"Any Way You Want It"
Written by Steve Perry and Neal Schon
Performed by Mary J. Blige, Constantine Maroulis, Paul Giamatti, Diego Boneta and Julianne Hough

"Undercover Love"
Written by Adam Anders, Peer Astrom and Savan Kotecha
Performed by Diego Boneta

"Every Rose Has Its Thorn"
Written by Bobby Dall, C.C. Deville, Bret Michaels and Rikki Rockett
Performed by Diego Boneta, Julianne Hough, Tom Cruise and Mary J. Blige

"We Built This City"
Written by Bernie Taupin, Dennis Lambert, Martin Page and Peter Wolf
Performed by Russell Brand

"We're Not Gonna Take It"
Written by Dee Snider
Performed by Catherine Zeta-Jones

"No One Like You"
Written by Rudolf Schenker, Klaus Meine and Herman Rarebell
Performed by Scorpions
Courtesty of The Island Def Jam Music Group under License from Universal Music Enterprises

"Don't Stop Believin'"
Written by Jonathan Cain, Neal Schon and Steve Perry
Performed by Julianne Hough, Diego Boneta, Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand and Mary J. Blige

"Cum On Feel The Noize"
Written by James Lea and Neville Holder
Performed by Quiet Riot
Courtesy of Pasha/CBS Records by arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

"Rock You Like A Hurricane"
Written by Rudolf Schenker, Klaus Meine, and Herman Rarebell
Performed by Tom Cruise and Julianne Hough

Mary J. Blige appears courtesy of Interscope Records,
a division of UMG Recordings, Inc.

Julianne Hough appears courtesy of Mercury Records,
a division of UMG Recordings, Inc.

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MOVIE REVIEW: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (Blu-ray)

At the end of the last Pirates of the Caribbean film in 2007, we last saw Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) missing his ship, the Black Pearl - but with a special map that would lead to the Fountain of Youth. In Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the race is on to see who can find the Fountain first: the Spanish, the English, or dread pirate Blackbeard. On the English side, Sparrow is hired by King George II (Richard Griffiths) to guide an expedition to find the Fountain, led by rival Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), who is now missing a leg. But soon Sparrow reunites with Angelica (Penelope Cruz), his former lover - and daughter to Blackbeard (Ian McShane) - and is soon captured by Blackbeard and forced to help him find two chalices related to the Fountain. In the process, we encounter Philip (Sam Claflin), a missionary captured by Blackbeard, and a mermaid Syrena (?strid Berg?s-Frisbey) whose tear is needed in one of the chalices for the Fountain to properly work. But soon it is revealed that everyone has ulterior motives for wanting to find the Fountain, and former enemies might have to team up to prevent a greater threat.

Directed by Chicago and Memoirs of a Geisha's Rob Marshall, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides feels more like a dead fish compared to the previous outings, and lacks the fun spirit of the original film: this is certainly the low point of the series. It's hard to fault McShane, who does the best with the material he's given, but Depp feels like he's phoning it in, only occasionally giving us the playful spark that made his character so entertaining. Penelope Cruz tries her best to be sultry, and the always excellent Geoffrey Rush gives a new twist to Barbossa, so that's not all half-bad. The problem comes from the unnecessary side stories that weigh down the plot, the attempt at a romantic element between Philip and Syrena that falls flat on its face, and a director that was clearly out of his element. You know there's a problem when the film's big action set-pieces don't spark any adrenaline or sense of excitement, no matter how well choreographed they may be. There is one sequence in particular that stood out for me - the mermaid cove. Here, the tension, the visual effects, the action, and Hans Zimmer's frenetic score all came together to work in that "special" Pirates way. But other than that, the film just didn't hold together for me. Another part of the problem might have been that the film was adapted from a novel, On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers, and in an effort to force the square peg of the novel into the round hole of the Pirates universe, things probably got a bit lost-in-translation.

Shot digitally and in 3D, the 2D Blu-ray of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides features a very well done, and slightly too clean, presentation. Detail is impeccable, and there is no film grain at all to contend with; the omission of which actually makes it feel a little less film-like, and a little more 24p video-like. Colors are natural and don't have an overly-stylized saturation to them, and the shadows seem to retain most of the detail, without devolving into inky murkiness. In all, it's a very admirable presentation, one that undoubtedly would look even more stunning in 3D.

Audio is presented in a thunderous immersive DTS-HD Master Audio English 7.1 mix that will shake your floors and rattle your windows. Dialogue is clean and centered, while sound effects wash around you and Hans Zimmer's score keeps the action moving forward. Your subwoofer will keep punching your kidneys, and your ears might not stop ringing for a few hours afterwards, but this is one heck of an active track. In addition to the main track, French and Spanish DTS-HD HR 7.1 tracks are provided.

As far as supplements go, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides probably showcases the least number of extras of all the Pirates films. We start off with a feature-length commentary track from director Rob Marshall and executive producer John DeLuca. The track is a little languid and contains more than its fair share of back-patting and lauding the talent involved in the film, but there is still plenty of interesting and insightful information imparted. In particular, Marshall talks about the similarities between dance choreography and stunt choreography, the challenges faced with filming in 3D, some of the plot issues and how they resolved them, and (most importantly) how they tried to make this film stand apart from the previous trilogy (for better or worse).

"Bloopers of the Caribbean" (HD, 3-minutes) gives us a few blunders and gaffes on the set, and "Lego Pirates of the Caribbean" (HD, 5-minutes) provides us with a few side-story vignettes done in the very humorous and tongue-in-cheek Lego style (anyone who has played the various Lego games knows how they put their own spin on some classic film moments). The only other extra is what I feel to be one of the coolest cross-media ideas I've seen: Disney Second Screen. First they did it for Bambi, then Tron Legacy and The Lion King. And now with Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, they give us direct access to so much production artwork, stills, concept drawings, storyboards, visual effects progressions, behind-the-scenes clips, and more, it's so incredibly impressive. And once you first run the app (on your iPad or on the computer), it unlocks the full thing, so you can explore it on your own, away from the film. Truly impressive stuff, and I can't wait to see what they do with it in the future. Unfortunately missing from this release are any real "behind the scenes" making-of featurettes, and deleted scenes - all of which are, apparently, only on the 3D Blu-ray release of the film. And still, no trailers. Oh well.

Sluggish and bloated, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides has some entertaining moments, but in the end, falls flat. While it sports a very good presentation on 2D Blu-ray, and has a reference quality sound mix, the meager sampling of extras means that you should either buy the 3D version if you want the full experience, or just rent it. But that presumes you have an interest in seeing Jack Sparrow's latest (although probably not last) adventure at all.

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MOVIE REVIEW: Magnificent Seven (50th Anniversary Blu-ray), The

Based on the 1954 Akira Kurosawa classic film Seven Samurai, 1960's The Magnificent Seven tells the rousing story about a village in need, and the gunfighters hired to protect them.? The dastardly bandit Calvera (Eli Wallach) and his gang keeps raiding a small Mexican village, and the townsfolk are finally fed up with it.? They go to buy weapons in an American border town, where gunslinger Chris (Yul Brynner) tells them that it would be cheaper to hire more gunslingers.? Chris ends up gathering six other gunmen (including Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Coburn and Robert Vaughn), who set out to protect the village from Calvera and his gang. Soon the 'seven' realize that they might have taken on more than they bargained for, causing tensions that threaten their goal of ridding the village of Calvera.?

The film might not be the deepest, nor the most original (gunmen protect a village under siege), but where The Magnificent Seven succeeds is in the dynamic within the all-star cast.? Brynner is clearly the leader (at one point he thought he might direct the film himself), but everyone gets more-or-less equal screen time.? Directed by veteran Western filmmaker John Sturges, the movie runs at a fun pace, before getting a little bogged down at last act. The film only got one Oscar nomination, for Elmer Bernstein's original score, which is now considered a classic.?

Released as a single-disc Blu-ray, this is basically a way to get the original Magnificent Seven without buying the box set containing the four films.? This is the same transfer done for the 50th Anniversary in 2010, and while it might not be as impressive as it would be if they had done a true film restoration, it's still a very solid transfer for the film. It suffers from a few minor blemishes and specs on the film print, and the opening titles indicate a bit of wobble on the transfer, but overall the film grain is nicely retained, with no evident DNR or edge enhancement.? Colors are not deeply saturated, but they never were meant to be bold and popping. Black levels are deep but don't crush, and fine detail seems to be accurately reproduced.? All in all, it's a very good transfer.

Audio for the film is presented primarily in an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix, but it's primarily a front-heavy track, save for the occasional bullet ricochet, and Elmer Bernstein's score probably benefits the most from the spatial re-mix. Purists need not fret, as a Dolby Digital English mono is also included, and a Dolby Digital 5.1 Spanish track rounds out the audio options.

Billed as a "50th Anniversary Edition", this Blu-ray contains most of the extras from previous DVD releases, but is still missing a few things.? First up is the rather informative, albeit sparse at times, commentary track featuring actors James Coburn and Eli Wallach, as well as producer Walter Mirisch and assistant director Robert Relyea.

Carried over from the original 2001 Special Edition DVD release is the documentary on the making of the film, "Guns for Hire: The Making of The Magnificent Seven" (SD 16x9, 47-minutes).? This is a very solid and candid making-of piece, with interviews and behind-the-scenes photos helping flesh out the story of how the film got made. From the 2006 Collector's Edition DVD, we get "Elmer Bernstein and The Magnificent Seven" (SD 16x9, 15-minutes) is a very nice piece hosted by film music historian Jon Burlingame about the importance of Bernstein's score, and its place within the western genre. "The Linen Book: Lost Images from The Magnificent Seven" (SD 16x9, 15-minutes) looks at the rare linen book for the film that was found in the salt mine vault in Kansas, which has a lot of great behind-the-scenes photos, but because some of the same stories heard in the making-of documentary and the commentary are told again, it feels a tad repetitive.

A "Still Gallery" (HD) is included, as well as two "Theatrical Trailers" (HD), but we're missing the commentary track by film historian Sir Christopher Frayling, and his accompanying featurette which was on the Collector's Edition.? No idea what happened there, but they surely could have found the room on the disc for them, so I surmise that it might have been a rights issue.? So, don't get rid of your DVD just yet!

It might not be considered a true cinema classic, but you can't go wrong with The Magnificent Seven.? A solid remake with a star-studded cast, great musical score, soaring vistas and solid direction by John Sturges, the film is worth the upgrade on Blu-ray, but won't give you any new extras beyond what you probably already had.

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MOVIE REVIEW: Lion King (Diamond Edition Blu-ray), The

In 1994, Walt Disney Feature Animation was in the middle of its second renaissance, one proudly led by Jeffrey Katzenberg. There had already been three major hits - The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin, and the studio was ramping up on another film, Pocahontas, another surefire hit.? But there was another feature film that had been in the works at the studio, an animal-only film that had some seriously dark plot points, Biblical and Shakespearian in nature.? Originally called King of the Jungle, this 32nd feature animated film from Walt Disney Studios would go on to become one of the studio's highest-grossing pictures, win a slew of Academy Awards, and was known as The Lion King.

Young lion cub Simba is presented to all the animals of the pride land by mandrill shaman Rafiki (Robert Guillaume), as the new heir to the kingdom.? His father Mufasa (James Earl Jones) is understandably proud, but not so thrilled is Mufasa's brother Scar (Jeremy Irons), who is now no longer in line for the throne. When Scar's plan to goad Simba into exploring the forbidden elephant graveyard (where he would be killed by hyenas) is thwarted by Mufasa, Scar comes up with a new plan to help the hyenas take of the pride lands.? He lures Simba into a dried riverbed, and has the hyenas instigate a wildebeest stampede.? Mufasa rescues Simba, but is killed when Scar refuses to save him.? Simba is convinced by Scar that Mufasa's death was his fault, and Simba runs away, ashamed of what he'd done. Nearly dead, Simba is rescued by a dramatic meerkat named Timon (Nathan Lane) and a flatulent warthog named Pumbaa (Ernie Sabella).? They take him in, nurse him back to health and they live a carefree lifestyle, their motto being "Hakuna Matata" ("No Worries").?

Years later, adult Simba (Matthew Broderick) rescues Pumbaa from a lioness attack only to discover that the lion is his childhood friend Nala (Moira Kelly), and learns that not only did everything think he was dead, but Scar and the hyenas have devastated the pride land and they're nearly out of food and water.? Though Nala begs, Simba refuses to come back and take his place as rightful king.? But when Rafiki ends up finding Simba, he forces the reluctant prince to look into himself and discover what his father had intended for him to be.

Co-directors Rob Minkoff and Roger Allers deftly guide us through this tale of family, betrayal, banishment, acceptance and revenge. There's a lot of deep stuff going on in the film - the father/son dynamic is excellent, and when Mufasa is killed, it's about as emotionally moving as when Bambi's mother died. The lighthearted moments are there, in thanks to Timon and Pumbaa and (to a degree) Rafiki's crazy-old-man schtick.? But it's the scheming ruthlessness of Scar and the always laughing-but-deadly hyenas that bring us back to a serious note.? All of this is heightened through Hans Zimmer's Oscar-winning score, full of emotion and energy, and the arrangements he did of Elton John and Tim Rice's songs are phenomenal.? The Lion King is Disney animated masterpiece that was not only a box-office smash when it first came out, but also managed to top the box office once again when recently released in 3D.?

Originally released as a 2-disc Platinum Edition DVD in 2003, The Lion King makes its high definition debut as a Diamond Edition Blu-ray release.? To say that The Lion King on Blu-ray sports a perfect transfer is an understatement. Not is the image so sharp and clear as to accurately render out every drawn inked line with amazing detail, but the colors are so pure and vibrant that I found myself pausing the film at times just to marvel in the glory of the image. Combine that with the fact that, at least on my screen, I didn't notice any banding in the fine gradients (and there are a lot of color gradients in this film!), and I applaud Disney for being consistent in delivering nearly flawless-looking Blu-rays.

The audio, on the other hand, left me with mixed feelings.? The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 mix is certainly well done, with aggressive use of the surrounds, deep bass and immersive soundscapes, but I found myself turning up the volume to hear the dialogue.? For some reason it just felt lower - even comparing it to the Dolby Digital 5.1 French and Spanish tracks seemed to confirm that the levels sounded lower.? The result of this, naturally, is that when the volume is raised to compensate for the dialogue, the Hans Zimmer's excellent score and Elton John's music and the sound effects are much louder, making it a somewhat uneven experience. ?It's too bad they didn't include the original theatrical mix on here, like they did with the DVD release, for 'purists'.

Unlike other "Diamond Edition" Blu-rays from Disney, almost all of the old archival DVD supplements are included only as a BD-Live streaming choice. More on that later. But we are given a few new extras, in addition to the old ones. First up is the well done commentary by directors Rob Minkoff and Roger Allers, and producer Don Hahn, which was not only on the original DVD release, but also the laserdisc release of the film.? "Bloopers and Outtakes" (HD, 4-minutes) is a bit of an audio gag reel that was animated. Cute, but unnecessary.? Going into "Backstage Disney: Diamond Edition", we get the first major chunk of new material, starting with a great new look back at the film with the cast and crew in "Pride of The Lion King" (HD, 38-minutes). This retrospective features directors Minkoff and Allers, producer Hahn, executie producer Thomas Schumacher, former Walt Disney Studios chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg, former president of Walt Disney Feature Animation Peter Schneider, former Disney chairman and CEO Michael Eisner, composer Hans Zimmer, lyricist Tim Rice, Broadway adaptation director Julie Taymor, actors Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, and so many more. Suffice it to say, the nearly 40-minute long extra is a great look back, with the insight that only the passage of time (nearly two decades) can afford. The natural follow-up to this is "The Lion King: A Memoir - Don Hahn" (HD, 19.5-minutes), a continuing look back, but instead of a look-back, we get actual behind-the-scenes footage and discussions about the project. Again, very well done.? Watch both back-to-back, and you have an excellent hour that will really take you into the whole making-of the film. "Deleted and Alternate Scenes" (HD, 14.5-minutes) gives us a look at five early storyboard versions of scenes from the film, some that were dropped, and some that were just shortened in the final version of the film.? Of interesting note is the deleted song "King of the Wild".

In the "Music and More" section, we are given two options: "Play movie with Sing-Along Mode" (basically the movie with subtitles that show up on the songs only), and "The Morning Report: Extended Scene" (HD, 3-minutes), a new song from the Broadway show that was animated and put into the Platinum Edition DVD release of the film, but now included just as an extra.? "Interactive Art Gallery" (HD) contains hundreds of beautiful HD imagery, completely searchable and browseable, categorized by "Character Design", "Visual Development", "Storyboards" and "Layout and Backgrounds".

My favorite new supplement is the "Disney Second Screen". If you don't have an iPad, don't fret, since you can use your laptop and view the material online. This method of syncing up your device with the movie as you watch it allows you to watch relevant video clips, browse production artwork, animation sketches, flipbooks, games, puzzles, and more. It's basically most of (if not all of) the artwork from the "Interactive Art Gallery", presented in an excellent way that supplements the movie as you watch it. They did it with Bambi and Tron Legacy, and I hope they keep doing it - it adds so much value to the product.

Probably the most disappointing feature is "Disney's Virtual Vault". Like the Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 Blu-ray release, all of the excellent archival DVD supplements have been relegated to a streaming BD-Live format, with an unfortunately slow and cumbersome interface.? While nearly two hours of supplemental material is included, not everything from the DVD release is here - and we still don't get the original trailers. So if you have the original DVD release, don't get rid of it if you want to keep the supplements easily accessible.

The Lion King has definitely been given the royal treatment for Blu-ray. It's got a phenomenal visual transfer, a good - but not perfect - sound mix, and some solid new extras (as well as the ability to access the old DVD extras). It's worth holding on to your original DVDs, but this release is also well worth the double-dip.

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MOVIE REVIEW: Lady and the Tramp (Blu-ray, Diamond Edition)

Walt Disney's 1955 animated feature Lady and the Tramp was in development at the studio for nearly twenty years before finally being released. The idea was conceived by Disney story man Joe Grant in 1937, based on his own experience of his dog–a springer spaniel named Lady–who got pushed aside when Joe's new baby arrived. Combining Grant's material with elements from a book by Ward Greene, the result was a two-stage story about a well-to-do-dog, Lady (voiced by Barbara Luddy) and her unlikely relationship with a mutt from the wrong side of the tracks, Tramp (voiced by Larry Roberts). The idea was that Lady's life was perfect and structured, whereas Tramp's life was spur-of-the-moment. Lady's owners soon have a baby, and Lady starts to feel a bit left out - a feeling made even worse when the owners go off on vacation, leaving the baby–and Lady–under the care of Aunt Sarah, who hates dogs and owns a pair of devious Siamese cats.

The cats frame Lady for some in-home destruction, and Aunt Sarah takes Lady to get a muzzle–but she escapes, and with the help of Tramp, gets the muzzle removed. She learns a bit about Tramp's fancy-free lifestyle, and the dangers of being out in the "real world," with the risk of being caught and sent to the pound an ever-present danger. This is a pretty basic (and yet touching) story, and know that it's entertaining, heartwarming, and (in typical Disney fashion) has a happy ending.

Now, 57-years after it was released (and 75 years after development started), Lady and the Tramp comes to home video as a "Diamond Edition" Blu-ray–and once more, the wizards at Disney Home Video have taken every effort to present Lady and the Tramp in a way that looks better than anything audiences in 1955 likely witnessed in theaters. The first Cinemascope animated feature film, this is a rock-solid, pixel-perfect restoration from start to finish. From the gorgeous painted backgrounds to the delightful hand-drawn characters, the film looks simply amazing. Colors are solid, blacks are deep, and the artist's brushstrokes and textures are clearly visible.

Audio, similarly, is given a wonderful and immersive DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track, with plenty of atmospherics and Oliver Wallace's excellent music surrounding you throughout the film, but without seeming out of place for a film of its age. An unexpected but welcome inclusion is a DTS-HD Master Audio 3.0 track of the original Cinemascope film mix, and while it might not feel as engrossing as the 7.1 track, it is really nice to have, simply out of respect. We're also provided French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks (which makes it fun to hear the songs in foreign languages).

The release contains all the extras from the old DVD, as well as some new goodies. An "Introduction by Diane Disney Miller" (HD, 2-minutes), Walt Disney's daughter, kicks off the extras. There is no scene-specific commentary track, but rather a re-creation of the story meetings (from the original meeting transcripts) is presented with voice actors in "Inside Walt's Story Meetings." It's a glimpse at the creative process from the Walt Disney Studios in the 1950s, and truly fascinating to hear how things evolved.

"Diane Disney Miller: Remembering Dad" (HD, 8-minutes) is a nice and touching trip down memory lane by Disney's daughter, as she reminisces about the legacy that he wrought, as well as his love of the simpler things in life, including his cherished time in the Victorian-styled apartment above the firehouse at Disneyland. Three new "Deleted Scenes" (HD, 19-minutes) are presented via storyboards, and a short never-recorded song for Tramp, "I'm Free as the Breeze" (HD, 2-minutes), is presented as well. This song was ditched halfway through the nearly twenty-year development/production of the film.

Over 2.5 hours of "Classic DVD Bonus Features" from the 2006 "50th Anniversary" special edition DVD are presented on the Blu-ray as well. "Lady's Pedigree: The Making of Lady and the Tramp" (SD, 53-minutes) is a seven-part documentary looking at the making of the feature, with tons of archival footage and material. "Finding Lady: The Art of the Storyboard" explores how storyboards were used while the story of the film changed, and how it influenced future filmmakers. "Original 1943 Storyboard Version of the Film" (SD, 12-minutes) is a short presentation reel that was made 12 years prior to the completed film. "The Siamese Cat Song: Finding a Voice for the Cats" (SD, 4.5-minutes) is a look at how the voices of the cats evolved; "Puppypedia: Going to the Dogs" (SD, 9.5-minutes) is a very kid-oriented look at the evolution of different dog breeds hosted by Fred Willard. A "Bella Note" music video (SD, 3-minutes) featuring Steve Tyrell is included, as well as three "Theatrical Trailers" (SD, 6-minutes). Three different "Excerpts from 'Disneyland' TV Shows" (SD, 42-minutes) are also included, and absolutely well worth watching. Finally , three more "Deleted Scenes" (SD, 13-minutes) are also included, again presented in storyboard form.

Missing from this release are the art galleries that were on the original DVDs–but that's redundant when you use the "Disney Second Screen" app on your iPad or computer. Synched with the film, we get hundreds of pieces of artwork, sketches, behind-the-scenes photos, trivia, and so much more. It's a great way to explore the film further, and there are even puzzle games included for the kids.

Lady and the Tramp is a Disney classic, a short but sweet story about love from opposite walks of life, told through our canine companions. With a (now expected) stunning transfer, solid audio presentation and impressive wealth of extras, Lady and the Tramp is easily yet another must-have Blu-ray from the Disney archives.

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MOVIE REVIEW: Dumbo (70th Anniversary Blu-ray)

A few times in the 20th Century, the Walt Disney Studios faced near financial ruin, only to be rescued by one of its feature animated films.? In 1940, the studio faced financial trouble again, due to the lackluster response to Fantasia, and they banked on a small elephant with big ears to save the studio once more.? Dumbo was a return to the Silly Symphony style of animation that helped give Disney his initial success, and the simple storyline and brief running time helped the studio recoup the losses on Fantasia, just in time for the USA's entrance into World War II.

Based on the novel by Helen Aberson and Harold Pearl, Dumbo tells the story about circus elephant Jumbo, who is hoping for a baby elephant. When the stork finally delivers her little one, she is shocked to discover that he has enormous ears - a now constant source of ridicule by her fellow elephants, as well as the circus clowns.? But she loves Jumbo Jr. with all her heart, even though the other elephants now call him Dumbo.? When the clowns get a little abusive with Dumbo, the overly-protective Jumbo goes on a rampage and is locked away, deemed a "mad elephant".? Now alone, Dumbo soon forges an unlikely friendship in the form of Timothy Q. Mouse, who serves as Dumbo's pep leader.? With good intentions, Timothy convinces (subconsciously) the circus-master to put Dumbo at the top of an elephant pyramid, but the stunt goes horribly awry due to Dumbo's giant ears.?

Now a clown, Dumbo is shunned by the other elephants and more miserable than ever.? Timothy arranges a visit to his jailed mother, which helps cheer him up a bit (aided by the heart-wrenching Oscar-nominated song "Baby Mine").? After Timothy and Dumbo drink water from a bucket that alcohol had spilled into, they have a bit of a psychedelic surrealistic trip (the infamous "Pink Elephants on Parade" sequence) - and awake to find themselves high up in a tree.? A group of crows helps them figure out that it was Dumbo's large ears that got them up there, and that Dumbo can fly.? Fooling Dumbo into using a "magical" feather from one of the crows, he does indeed take to the air - and with his newfound confidence, returns to the circus where his new skills are revealed, propelling him into fame.

Dumbo is a fairly simple story, as evidenced by the synopsis above. The animation style is more caricaturist and "cartoony" than Pinocchio, and the animals are much more anthropomorphic, especially when compared to 1942's Bambi.? With the exception of the circus-master, all the humans are portrayed in costume, or in silhouette, a rather interesting choice. Unlike most Disney features, the songs don't do anything to further the storyline, and the surrealistic pink elephants sequence feels so out-of-place that it can actually be a turn-off from the otherwise engaging storyline.? The best moment of the film is the emotionally charged "Baby Mine" sequence, a tear-jerking moment every time you watch it.? It might be simple, and it might have some odd moments, but Dumbo is a straight-forward story about confidence that - 70 years later - still remains a timeless story.

Released as a 70th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray, Dumbo burst into the 21st Century looking better than it probably did in the fall of 1941 when it was in theaters.? As has been par for the course for Walt Disney Home Entertainment, they have done a spectacular frame-by-frame restoration of Dumbo, and it looks dead-on perfect.? The watercolor backgrounds are gorgeous, and the colors are deep and vibrant.? ??The opening sequence with the circus tent being raised is an exceptional example of the way Walt Disney's animators were able to evoke tactile feelings - you can almost feel the rain, sweat and mud, all in gorgeous HD.?

Audio is presented in a new DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 English track, but you'd probably not really notice - most of the audio (music included) is front heavy, and with the exception of some sound effects, I barely noticed anything from the rear speakers.? Dialogue is clear, and the Oscar-winning music by Frank Churchill and Oliver Wallace is great, albeit all the audio seems to be stuck within the slightly limited frequency range that was common for a film recorded in the 1940s.? That's not a bad thing, just a reflection of the technology at the time. For purists, a lossy Dolby Digital 1.0 mono track is included, as well as French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks.

For this 70th Anniversary Edition, Disney went into the vault to pull out some old featurettes, as well as some delightful new extras.? Like the other early Disney features, the film was not widescreen, and you can opt to view the film in "DisneyView" mode, which puts custom artwork by Disney background artist James Coleman on the sides, changing depending on the scenes.? Watching the movie with "Cine-Explore" turned on gives us a great picture-in-picture version of the film, hosted by Pixar director Pete Docter, Disney historian Paula Sigman and Disney animator Andreas Deja.? With a wealth of behind-the-scenes footage, production photos and artwork and more, the whole history of Dumbo is laid out in real-time as the film plays out, making it essentially an excellent 64-minute "making-of" documentary.? But that's not all, there's still another making-of featurette, "Taking Flight: The Making of Dumbo" (HD, 28-min), which fills in more of the gaps, while rehashing some of the information from the Cine-Explore.

Two "Deleted Scenes" are included, newly discovered in the Disney vault.? "The Mouse's Tale" (HD, 5.5-minutes) gives us a little more back-story on Timothy Q. Mouse and the history of the conflict between mice and elephants; "Are You a Man or a Mouse" (HD, 4-minutes) is a deleted song that would have been placed after Dumbo becomes a clown.? "The Magic of Dumbo: A Ride of Passage" (HD, 3-min) is a brief reminiscence about the creation and response that people have had to the Dumbo ride in Disneyland.?

From the original DVD release, we have a few archival extras, some of which have been upgraded to HD.? "Sound Design Excerpt from The Reluctant Dragon" (SD, 6-minutes) is a short sequence about sound design from the 1941 Disney film that went behind-the-scenes at the studio.? "Celebrating Dumbo" (SD, 15-minutes) is an older featurette that has a slew of film historians and artists talking about the film and its legacy.? "Original Walt Disney TV Introduction" (SD, 1-minute) is the original intro that Walt Disney gave when the film made its television debut.? Two "Theatrical Trailers" (SD) are included, from the 1941 release and subsequent 1949 re-issue.

Two Silly Symphony shorts are also included, upgraded to HD. "Elmer Elephant" (HD, 8.5-min) is a 1936 short about a timid elephant who is In love with Tillie Tiger; "The Flying Mouse" (HD, 9.5-min) is a 1934 short about a mouse who saves a butterfly and is granted a wish - but not everything is all that he bargained for.? Finally, we have "Art Galleries" (HD) which provide tons of storyboards, concept art, and much more.

Dumbo might not be the most complicated film from the Walt Disney Studio, but it has a ton of heart and a great moral to the story.? With some A+ extras, and the now typically expected mind-blowing transfer, Dumbo has every right to appear in the center ring of your home video three ring circus.

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MOVIE REVIEW: Dumbo (70th Anniversary Blu-ray)

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MOVIE REVIEW: Chernobyl Diaries: Blu-ray

Oren Peli burst onto the scene with his "found footage" horror film Paranormal Activity, spawning a whole new slew of "found footage" films–typically low budget films that are relatively fast to produce and are easy money-makers for the studios. After producing the highly successful Insidious, Peli turned his attention to a new idea: what if there was some kind of conspiracy surrounding the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in the Ukraine involving radiated survivors? The result was Chernobyl Diaries and while it has a great premise and promising start, the end result is just another cheap horror flick.

Chris (Jesse McCartney), his girlfriend Natalie (Olivia Taylor Dudley) and their friend Amanda (Devin Kelley) are in the middle of a European trip, working their way towards Moscow. They make it to Kiev, where they meet up with Chris' brother Paul (Jonathan Sadowski), where Chris reveals that he intends to propose to Natalie when they get to Moscow. Wanting to provide his brother and his friends with some excitement, Paul signs them all up for an "extreme tour" of the abandoned worker town of Prypiat adjacent to Chernobyl. Led by local "extreme" tour guide Yuri (Dimitri Diatchenko), the group is joined by another backpacking couple (Zoe (Ingrid Bolso Berdal) and Michael (Nathan Phillips)) and they all head out on the hours-long drive to Prypiat. They get to a checkpoint at the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, only to be turned away by the military–but Yuri knows a back way in.

They make it inside the abandoned city and begin to explore, dismissing the occasional hints that some kind of radiated mutation has been taking hold of the city. When night begins to fall and they discover that the wires in the van have been chewed through, their situation becomes dire. Things go from bad to worse when a pack of aggressive dogs attack Chris–and Yuri goes missing. Now the group begins to play a game of cat-and-mouse as they try to survive the night, find a way to fix the van, and get out of Prypiat–but there is something worse than dogs out there in the dark.

Until the attacks begin, the way Chernobyl Diaries is presented is relatively solid. Director Bradley Parker does a decent job of giving us sympathetic characters to associate with and cheer for and the back story of the Chernobyl plant disaster and abandoned town of Prypiat is certainly ripe with potential. But as soon as night descends and things start to go bad for our band of unsuspecting travelers, the film begins to devolve into a typical horror film with lots of dark imagery that makes you question what you're looking at, lots of moments of silence before something bursts onto the screen, and a few chase segments that, while well executed, don't bring anything new to the genre. There is creative use of "found footage" (in this case, an iPhone video) to show us what happens to some of the characters and the ambient music score by Diego Stocco really helps with the tension of the film. It's a shame that the film ultimately didn't build a compelling and memorable mythology to the Chernobyl disaster, especially since it certainly had the ability to do so. In the end, Chernobyl Diaries will stand as another example of a very low budget film (reportedly only $1 million to make) doing well–justifying more just like it.

Shot digitally, Chernobyl Diaries comes to Blu-ray sporting a solid presentation that mirrors the original look of the movie in theaters. During the first act of the film, things are bright and crisp with the color saturation set at a nice medium and good detail present in the image. Things change a bit when the action moves to Pripyat; the palette loses its punch, things appear more drab and, when nightfall comes, the image gets even darker and murkier. It never felt like anything was blown out or punched up and the overall impression is that it's a good looking film, for what it is.

Audio is presented in an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that focuses much more on front-and-center dialogue than I would have expected. The "tension" (and rare "action") scenes pack more of a punch with the subwoofer and surround sounds kicking in and Diego Stocco's ambient music is subtle and effective in adding an extra layer of dread and anxiety to the film, especially in the low end.

Four meagre supplements are included on the Blu-ray. An "Additional Scene" (HD, 1-minute) is just a brief moment where the leads make a "toast" to their trip and an "Alternate Ending" (HD, 2-minutes) shows a silly (and thankfully unused) alternate fate to one of the characters. A fake commercial, "Uri's Extreme Tours Infomercial," (HD, 1.5-minutes) shows everyone's favorite tour guide making his sales pitch for his extreme adventures, and "Chernobyl Conspiracy Viral Video" (HD, 2.5-minutes) gives us a little bit of back story into the actual disaster, as well as a taste of the 'conspiracy theory' that inspired the premise of the film.

No trailer or behind-the-scenes material is presented, although this version of the Blu-ray comes with a DVD version of the film, as well as an Ultraviolet Digital Copy.

Chernobyl Diaries has a really cool premise, but ends up a missed opportunity. The Chernobyl reactor meltdown disaster and the ghost-town of Pripyat can certainly inspire any number of different conspiracy theories, but, in the end, the film devolves into a standard "creepy things in the shadows attacking our cast" monster movie. It looks and sounds nice on Blu-ray, but the lack of any substantial extras and weak second half of the film, make Chernobyl Diaries a rental, at best.