Mick "Crocodile" Dundee returns for a second time to America, this time heading to the city of fame and fortune in Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles. Paramount has done a fine job on this 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. The colors and black levels in this picture all look very even and well-rendered. While there is a slight amount of edge enhancement present during a few key scenes, overall this is a very clean and well-done transfer. The audio is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and sounds excellent, if a bit underwhelming. Rear and front speakers were utilized mostly during the beginning Australia sequences, as well as when the music score kicks in during the film. Also included on this disc is a Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack in English, as well as English subtitles. Much like the first two films, Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles sports very few extra features. Included on this disc is an anamorphic theatrical trailer as well as a brief featurette on the making of the film which includes interviews with the cast and crew. Fans of this series will most likely want to take a bite out of this disc, though they will be shedding crocodile tears due to the lack of extra materials.
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Widely considered to be the definitive of the many film versions of Charles Dickens' classic novel is this 1951 British adaptation, starring Alastair Sim (entitled "Scrooge" in its U.K. release). Sim plays Ebenezer Scrooge, a London miser who, despite his wealth, refuses to make charitable contributions and treats his sole employee, Bob Cratchit, as an indentured servant. On Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his late business partner, Jacob Marley, who was as selfish as Scrooge in life and has been condemned to an eternity of wandering the Earth in shackles. Marley informs Scrooge that he's to receive a trio of spirits that night who will take him on a journey through Christmases Past, Present, and Yet to Come. As Scrooge encounters each apparition, he is taken on a tour of his life and realizes what a wretch he is, transformed by greed from an idealistic youth into an embittered ogre. Infused with a new, cheery outlook, Scrooge sets about earning his redemption.
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It's most people's worst fears realized in the eight-legged horror-comedy Arachnophobia. Featured in a 1.85:1 non-anamorphic widescreen transfer, this picture looks fairly well-produced, though sports a softness that sometimes hurts the image. While it's frustrating that this movie wasn't given an anamorphic transfer, at least there is a minimal amount of grain, edge enhancement, and shimmer in the picture. Overall, the colors are very vibrant and the black levels solid and even. The audio is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 in English. This is a well-mixed 5.1 soundtrack that utilizes directional effects on many occasions, though the bulk of the soundtrack usually comes from the front and center speakers. All aspects of the dialogue, effects, and music are clear of any excessive distortion or hiss. Also included on this disc are English captions. The only extra features to be found on this disc include a very short production featurette with a few scant interviews by the cast and crew, a theatrical trailer for the film, and some recommendations for other movie titles the viewer might enjoy.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
Hollow Man makes its second debut on DVD care of Columbia's Superbit Deluxe line of movies on two discs. The film is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen and looks absolutely fantastic. With solid black levels and slick color schemes, this is a stunningly well-produced transfer that includes nary an imperfection or defect. Fans will be very pleased with how crisp this image looks. The soundtrack is floating in the same boat as the video transfer. Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround as well as DTS 5.1 Surround, both in English, each of these soundtracks feature a multitude of directional effects and surround sounds throughout the entire length of the film. Enveloping the viewer in the world of invisibility, both the video and audio portions of this disc should make anyone with a home theater system very happy. Also included on this disc are English, Chinese, French, Thai, Portuguese, and Spanish subtitles. This deluxe version of the film features a second disc that is full of extra materials (though the commentary track by the director has been excluded from this release). Starting off the supplements is an interesting HBO making of featurette titled "Anatomy of a Thriller." The feature is a short, fluffy look at the making of the film that includes interviews with that cast and crew. Some picture-in-picture comparisons allow the viewer to look at some footage before post-production effects were added in. Some deleted scenes are included that allow a glimpse at what was left on the cutting room floor. A few of these alternate/deleted scenes are interesting, though most were deservedly cut from the final film. No less than 15 featurettes are on this disc (including "The Underground Lab," "Digital Body Parts Montage," "Reversion Progressions," and more), each running anywhere from less than two minutes to nearly six minutes long. These short clips allow the viewer yet another peek behind the special effects department's curtain. Finally there are a few director and actor filmographies, plus a teaser trailer and theatrical trailer for the film.
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Robert Townsend's superhero comedy Meteor Man comes to DVD with a pair of transfers. The widescreen anamorphic transfer preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1, and is preferable to the standard full-frame image. A closed-captioned English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital Surround, while a Spanish soundtrack has been recorded in Dolby Digital Mono. English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese subtitles are accessible. Supplemental materials include the original theatrical trailer. This is a fine release from MGM/UA.
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Live-action comedy and exciting animated adventure come together for a wild ride through the human anatomy in the outrageous Osmosis Jones. Warner has done an excellent job on this disc beginning with a very well-rendered 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. All aspects of this disc, including color patterns, fleshtones, and black levels, look very even and natural. No imperfections or edge enhancement are spotted anywhere during the film. Audio is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround in English and French, as well as Dolby Digital 2.0 in Spanish. The 5.1 soundtrack utilizes surround effects generously throughout the film. Bodily sounds such as gastric juices and flowing snot surround the viewer during the entire film. Also included on this disc are English and French subtitles. Osmosis Jones is filled to the brim with some icky special features, starting off with a commentary track by animation directors Piet Kroon and Tom Sito, writer Marc Hyman, and producer Zak Penn. This is a very chatty audio track that gives much information about the production and design of the film. Two documentaries ("HBO First Look Special" and "Investigating the Vocal Chords") provide a detailed look into the voice-over talent needed for the film, as well as interviews with some of the cast and crew. Finally there are a few unfinished "deleted scenes," a theatrical trailer for the film, and a section titled "Frank's Anatomy" that allows the viewer to jump to certain scenes (located in certain parts of the body). Fans of the gross and weird should have a ball with this edition of Osmosis Jones.
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Elliott Hong directs Johnny Yune in the martial arts comedy They Call Me Bruce? Yune plays an immigrant who everyone refers to as "Bruce," because he reminds everyone of Bruce Lee. Bruce unknowingly works for a gangster making cocaine drop-offs. The film shows Bruce interacting with a variety of American stereotypes, and then figuring out how his bosses are using him.
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The brief but eventful life of actor and martial arts trailblazer Bruce Lee is portrayed in this drama, based on a biography written by his widow Linda Lee Caldwell. Lee is introduced to the study of martial arts as a child living in Hong Kong by his father (Ric Young); the father dreamed that a demonic armored dragon would take his son from him, and wanted young Bruce to be able to protect himself. Bruce continues his training as he grows to adulthood, and after the cocky teenaged Lee (Jason Scott Lee, no relation to Bruce) seriously injures a prominent British citizen while fighting a gang of troublemakers at a dance, he's sent to San Francisco. While working as a dishwasher, Bruce begins to study philosophy, and in time develops a personal martial arts discipline, Jeet Kune-Do, which blends Kung Fu fighting techniques with lessons gained from his philosophical research. Bruce decides to open a martial arts academy on the advice of his fiancée Linda (Lauren Holly); Linda and Bruce encounter resistance as a mixed-race couple, especially from Linda's mother Vivian (Michael Learned), and Bruce earns the enmity of traditional Chinese martial arts experts for his new style. But after a strong showing in several public tournaments, Bruce's fighting skill and charisma attracts the attention of TV producer Bill Krieger (Robert Wagner). Bruce is cast as Kato, the karate-trained sidekick on the series The Green Hornet, and while the show is short-lived in America, it's a huge success in Asia, leading to a series of films based around Bruce's remarkable fighting skills. Sadly, shortly before the release of the film that would make him a major screen star in the United States, Enter The Dragon, a mysterious brain disorder sends Lee into a coma that soon kills him. In a tragedy with eerie timing, Bruce Lee's real-life son Brandon Lee died shortly before this film was released, the result of an accidental shooting while completing the picture The Crow.
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Clint Eastwood directs Kevin Costner in the moody crime drama A Perfect World, which comes to DVD with a widescreen anamorphic transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1. A closed-captioned English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital 5.1, while a French soundtrack has been recorded in Dolby Digital Stereo. English, French, and Spanish subtitles are accessible. Supplemental materials include the theatrical trailer. This is a fine release from Warner Brothers.
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Those mischievous green terrors are back for seconds in Gremlins 2: The New Batch. Warner has done a very presentable job at making sure this 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen print looks very crisp and clean. Aside of just a smidgen of edge enhancement, this picture appears to boast sharp, detailed colors and well defined black levels. The soundtrack is presented in a newly remastered Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround mix in English, along with a Dolby 2.0 Surround track in English, French and Spanish. The 5.1 mix does a fine job of making sure the soundtrack is crystal clear, though directional effects are rather slim and spotty. All aspects of the soundtrack are free of any hiss or distortion. Also included on this disc are English, French and Spanish subtitles. Warner has gone the extra mile to throw a few extra features on this disc, starting with a commentary track by director Joe Dante and producer Mike Finnell. This is mildly funny track that features multiple stories about the cast, effects and difficulties working with little green puppets. A gag reel of funny flubs is included, as well as an entertaining behind-the-scenes featurette which is a parody of other boring featurettes found on most discs. An ample amount of deleted footage running over 20 minutes is included with optional commentary and allows viewers to see what ended up on the cutting room floor. Finally there is a goofy game called "The Gremlins Files," a theatrical trailer for the film, and a list of the cast and crew members.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
Yes!! It is very much worth it. They make your tv look the very best that it can in your setting. I would recommend anyone doing this with a tv 42" or larger.