Collection Updates (March 2015)

Their was another 20% of sale and thus I picked up a number of blu-rays. I will also take this moment to note I am hoping to post Sunday every week, which I have stumbled in doing so recently. I however should be back on track for a review most Sundays with the occasional collection update or other movie related post.

 Lucy is a film that whilst a gigantic box office success seems to have received a rather mixed response which after viewing some trailers and promotional materials I can understand why. The film itself has an exceedingly fast pace yet contains very little action which is what the film advertising material promised. It likewise is a film that I imagine will be divisive, I myself found it to be a stylish, brisk and silly ride that was a joy to view. The blu-ray itself is absolutely stunning with reference audio and video.

The Young and Prodigious T.S Spivet is a film that few will have seen as it has struggled to even have a release in numerous markets. It is a fantastic film with absolutely stunning 3d that I can't recommend highly enough. The 3d is amongst the best available which is certainly a nice bonus for those who are enthusiasts of the format and those who are 3d ready. As is the cost of the 3d and 2d release being the same price that a 2d only blu-ray release usually is.

Life of Pi is another film that features reference 3d and along with The Young and Prodigious T.S Spivet and Hugo are amongst the format has to offer. None of which are action films which despite the common view that 3d is only beneficial for sci-fi and action films the 3d here adds far more then 3d has for any action film.

Not much has to be said about Game of Thrones as their is little to nothing I could say about season 4 that hasn't already been repeated ad nauseum. I will note that if you like me don't often veiw any television shows, I would strongly recommend considering giving it a chance.. I must also note though that whilst the Australians rating logo is always horrid, it is particularly bad with simplistic designs as it is in the above. I have only viewed one episode thus far on blu-ray but the transfer is as stunning as the previous seasons. Which brings me to the end of this rather small collection update.

Collection Update (February 2015)

The Double whilst a terrific film is also a blu-ray release that has cause me numerous issues. Having replaced the first copy I have yet to check if this disc works (though I really must ensure it works properly soon). The first disc I had continuously had audio pops and some scenes simply refused to play. I hope this isn't a wide spread issue with the Australian release, which sadly wouldn't be unheard of for a smaller film released here. Thankfully both Awakening and Frances Ha have very nice transfers with no issues to speak of from a technical stand point.

Whilst I don't wish to concentrate on negative aspects of the release I have purchased I fell obligated to mention Transcendence. Regardless of what you think of the film, to say Transcendence was seen in cinemas was quite a beautiful film would be a dramatic understatement. Which given the director is not at all surprising. Sadly the blu-ray release is plagued with unforgivable amounts of dnr, edge enhancement and black crush that was not present in the theatrical release. Whilst it is likely you have already bought Transcendence if you are a fan, if you have not, do not expect to not be thrilled by what you see regarding the transfer and ensure you get it on a nice, big sale. It is sad to see such a gorgeous film, that was released so recently with a large budget get such poor treatment.

On a more positive note The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy has an extremely competent transfer for what I believe was a very early release for the blu-ray format. It was also available for a ludicrously low price and whilst I don't enjoy it as much as the books or radio show it is based on, it is still an enjoyable film that whilst it falters in some aspects, mostly retains the tone and humour of its source material (though some of the changes still feel entirely unnecessary).

Likewise Thirst is a film that all horror fans should check out. I myself picked up the South Korean release as it contains the directors cut and doesn't have the overly bright and saturated colours that unfortunately plague the other releases that I have looked into. It was more costly then I would have liked but for fans of the film this does seem to be the release to purchase and it is a gorgeous blu-ray.

With all the above said I hope we can look forward to less problematic release in Australia as the cost of importing is becoming less feasible whilst also becoming less worthwhile. Sadly many smaller release still struggle to get a release at all, and when they do they often have problematic releases (going as far as not having features that are claimed to be present on the disc case) which leaves importing the only option, which as stated above is less attractive then it has been in a very long time. I hope we get more consistent releases of high quality, which given that currently smaller films releasing on blu-ray is seemingly not worthwhile and I must wonder how uhd (4k) will far in smaller markets. I do hope it isn't simply relegated to some blockbuster releases. Likewise, I hope that the prices and selection will be reasonable compared to that in the UK, America and similar. I however am not holding my breath.

Collection Update (December 2014 part 2)

The final part for this two part collection update contains both the 3d and Disney blu-rays I have purchased this year.

It may come top a surprise to many that their are numerous 3d films are available from the 1950's. These are not films that have been converted into 3d in recent times, rather they where shoot in 3d. Not only that but they where also presented in 3d using polarized glasses (as most cinemas currently show theatrical 3d films). The results are stunning as the film makers don't have the fear of depth that modern 3d has suffered through in recent times (though that trend thankfully seems to be mostly over with most 3d films pushing higher levels of depth). If it is indeed a surprise that 3d films in the past where not simply the territory of anaglyph 3d (most commonly using red and blue filters in the glasses) it may also surprise many that Alfred Hitchcock directed a 3d film (Dial M for Murder).

How to Train Your Dragon is a film that I would strongly urge people pick up in 3d, even if they are not 3d compatible currently. Not only is the film an exciting funny breath of fresh air in an industry with a low number of quality recent animated titles, but it features amongst the most stunning 3d I have seen. On the other side I had seen the extended cut of Hansel and Gretel and thought I would pick up the 3d release. Whilst it isn't an entirely lost cause I don't think I will ever watch the 3d release again as the extended edition (which is only available in 2d) is by far the superior version of the film.

Lastly for this two part update are the Disney release from the last year. I could write extensively about the poor practices Disney have been undertaking with their recent blu-ray releases but that would be best left for a latter time. 

In what is somewhat of a sweeping statement I would recommend all of these release in 3d except for Captain America. Whilst it is true that not all of these films where originally intended for 3d, it's presence certainly enhances the films. In particular Frozen and Oz The Great and Powerful are stunning examples of intended and native 3d. Likewise Guardians of the Galaxy has stunning 3d that whilst it is a 2d to 3d conversion was made as a 3d film with the director overseeing the 3d conversion of "every shoot".

So the above (along with the prior post) finishes my home film purchases over the last year. I intend for future collection updates to be far more regular but that will of course depend on when I pick up films. Of note is that I bought zero dvd's in the last year. This is simply as their where no films released that I wanted that where only available on dvd.

Thoughts on the UHD (4k) Blu-ray Announcement

The long overdue announcement for UHD blu-ray (often incorrectly refereed to as 4k) has been made and it is meant to launch late next year. Whilst the standards still have yet to be released beyond resolution (making this announcement of sorts more of an announcement for an announcement) it does seem as if higher frame rates will be supported along with a larger color gamut and HDR.

I am very glad to see the likely inclusion of a higher color gamut and higher frame rate support (like the recent and upcoming Hobbit films have been shoot at) though currently the content of which is very limited. The same of which can be said about UHD in general, with most films still being made using a 2k digital intermediate and only a select few using a 4k digital intermediate (and even fewer getting an actual 4k release in cinemas). Thus whilst I am excited for a UHD disc format I can't help but fell television manufacturers may be looking to release sooner then the content and market is ready for (as I felt about 3d at home).

Likewise the benefits of the resolution increase is severely limited by the content currently available and we are far from seeing a surge of films using a 4k digital intermediate. Though this may of course change. If and in all likelihood as it does change, I expect it will be a rather slow gradual change. Likewise given how far many sit away from there tv screen, and the size of the average tv screen (last I heard it was still less then 50" from around 10 foot) is is likely few will get any benefit from a higher resolution alone. Thus for many it really comes down only to everything else this new UHD disc format will bring (the higher frame rate, color gamut increase etc) which puts this discussion in an odd situation as all we know is the resolution that will be used and a general estimated release date.

I do have some reservations about HDR (especially as films are made for cinemas first and foremost which as I understand is unable to support HDR and thus I can't see films embracing HDR), but my larger reservation is the general interest for an even higher fidelity video format. I absolutely can see videophiles clamoring for this format. But in a world where blu-ray still only makes up for around thirty per cent of physical movie sales I question whether there will be interest in an even higher fidelity format. This is even moreso the case when convenience seems to be a far larger concern for an increasing number of people. Even when this convenience comes with what I view as a substantial drop in both video and audio fidelity when compared with what is available on a blu-ray disc (though of course streaming isn't of interest or even possible for everyone).

I currently find myself conflicted as to whether the market is one soon to be ready for a new higher fidelity video format. There does seem to be many factors working against it and I can see UHD being little more then a niche product much like LaserDisc was depending on what standards are decided upon and how well it is utilized by content providers. However as nothing beyond resolution and now an estimated release date has thus far been confirmed all we can do is speculate and hope that the changes to the color gamut, support of higher frame rate allows for a substantial upgrade. Color me interested, but not entirely excited.

Collection Update (December 2013)

It has been that time of year, and Christmas combined with the inevitable (yet disappointing) sales has lead me to once again buying (possible) more blu-rays and dvd's then I probably should have. None the less I am happy with the purchases I have made and the gifts I have received.

The below is what I have recently picked up:

Of the above the only blind buy was The Debt (which I had previously seen parts of when travelling and been quite absorbed in the little I had been able to see) and Before Midnight. Before Midnight was a must buy for myself as the two before films that proceed it are among my favorite films. The Artist I had not seen but was a gift for Christmas that whilst good was not able to live up to the hype that has surrounded it. The rest are films that I had been meaning to pickup for quite some time and I would highly recommend.

 Oblivion and The Muppets where blind buys that I am very happy with. The rest I had seen before many times and I had just been waiting for them to be available at a reasonable price. I would in particular strongly recommend Never Let Me Go which is at times a very hard film to watch (especially towards the end) but is a very absorbing watch all the same.

 The top three blu-rays where blind buys and I have thus far only managed to see Silver Linings Playbook, which was a very strong film (although its ending was on the weaker and cliched side). I have of course seen The Wizard of Oz many times and can report that this is most certainly a 3d conversion done right. Tintin I saw once in cinemas and whilst I wasn't blown away be the film as a whole their are several scenes that are not only pure spectacle, but where able to be shoot in such a way that had the film been a live action film would simply have not been possible (which I fell far to few animations take advantage of). I am both happy to see a sequel is planned, though after the thus far disappointing Hobbit films I am far from ecstatic that Peter Jackson is set to direct instead of Stephen Spielberg.

As I am unable to find my dvd copies, and as the release of Before Midnight has not lead to Before Sunset and Before Sunrise being released on blu-ray, I picked up the Before Sunrise/Before Sunset double pack which was available rather cheaply. Likewise I finally picked up Stop-Loss from director Kimberly Pierce, only to find that it is scheduled for a blu-ray release in February (which I will likely purchase). In any case the dvd was extremely cheap and I had been wanting to watch it again for quite some time so it was of little to no loss.

I myself love music scores, and the scores of movies is what I overwhelmingly tend to gravitate towards as my choice of music. Above is my recent modest additions to my slow but ever growing score collection. The Kick-Ass 2 score was particularly impressive albeit unable to live up to the dizzying highs the first set. Likewise when I first watched Byzantium I knew the score was a must buy early on for myself when the character Elenaor plays one of the themes of the film on the piano.

As always I am pleased with my pickups, though I do wish someone would pick up the rights to Before Sunset and Before Sunrise and release them on blu-ray with a new well done transfer (my fingers are crossed that Criteron may do this).