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this full-screen dvd version alters the original theatrical aspect ratios of the movies from 2.35:1 to 1.33:1, giving a picture in which you lose almost 50% of the image on each side. Buy the widescreen version instead!
Daniel Petrie Jr.'s tale of a military school, Toy Soldiers, comes to DVD with a standard full-frame transfer that fails to preserve the original theatrical aspect ratio of the film. The closed-captioned English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital Stereo. English and French subtitles are accessible. Supplemental materials include trailers for other films. This is a subpar release from Columbia/TriStar that may interest some because of the young actors involved.
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.
MGM offers a solid if disappointingly no-frills version of Stone Cold with this DVD. The best thing about this disc is the widescreen, anamorphically enhanced video transfer: it gives the film a crisp, well-defined look that shows off the film's colorful photography and eye-popping stuntwork in high style. A fullscreen version is also included for viewers who prefer watching films in that format. The audio sticks to the film's original stereo mix: it won't blow the speakers out but it gets the job done. In terms of extras, the viewer gets nothing -- not even a trailer. Given the film's cult fanbase, it would have been nice to include interviews or a commentary with Brian Bosworth, director Craig Baxley or the stuntmen who put the film's impressive stunts together. That said, Stone Cold is entertaining enough to be worthwhile on its own and fans will be glad to have it in such a nice-looking edition.
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.
While not a top-notch action flick in any sense of the word, 'Stone Cold' features Brian Bosworth doing a pretty good acting job here in his motion picture debut. The fans of this film know who they are, and I would only recommend purchasing this dvd, which is decent, to them alone.
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.
Since its release in 1984, Rob Reiner's "mockumentary" about a failed rock group's comeback tour has become one of the most oft-referenced and oft-imitated comedies in history. Its release on DVD from MGM is a great reminder of why. Loaded with extras, including a hilarious commentary from stars Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, and Harry Shearer as their screen incarnations, this is easily one of the best DVDs available. The picture is crystal clear, presented in a beautiful 1.85:1 widescreen transfer. The only drawback is the subtitles. Originally missing from the DVD, MGM hastily added them in, and they have a rushed, public access look that is rather distracting. Thankfully, they only show up occasionally. The sound is in Dolby 5.1, allowing the group's crunching guitar anthems ample space to roam. Extras abound here, and all are worth a look. As previously mentioned, the commentary track by Spinal Tap is a riot, peppered with in-jokes and odd asides, perfectly dovetailing with the film itself. There is also over an hour's worth of deleted scenes. While it's easy to see why most of them were excised, they still provide a laugh here and there and are great fun for the true Spinal Tap enthusiast. Director Rob Reiner shows up as Marty DeBergi, his character from the film, in a documentary about what he has been doing since the film. Also featured are a boatload of commercials and trailers, as well as Spinal Tap's appearance on the Joe Franklin Show, the long-running TV talk show. While missing some of the bonuses of the Criterion edition, this is still a fitting package for a comedy classic.
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.
Rob Reiner directed this clever teen-centric comedy, which has been given a solid presentation for this Special Edition DVD release. The Sure Thing has been given two transfers for this disc: a letterboxed version in the widescreen aspect ratio of 1.85:1, which has been enhanced for anamorphic playback on 16 x 9 monitors, and a pan-and-scan version in the full-screen ratio of 1.33:1. The English-language soundtrack appears in its original mix in Dolby Digital Mono, as well as in a version remixed for Dolby Digital 5.1, while this edition also features optional subtitles in English, French, and Spanish. Bonus materials include a commentary track featuring Rob Reiner, three short documentaries on the making of the picture, and an optional trivia track which features fun facts about the movie.
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.
I was very enthusiastic upon this viewing this film, thinking it would be good. Well, it wasn't, but the dvd presentation is, and the nice bonus features will most likely be enjoyed and appreciated by those who liked the film.
Director Ang Lee brings passion, action, and romance together in the foreign hit Crouching Dragon, Hidden Tiger: Superbit. This "Superbit" edition DVD features a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer that looks absolutely beautiful. Columbia has put forth a considerable amount of effort into making sure this transfer looks crisp, clean, and exceptionally clear. All aspects of the colors, black levels, and flesh tones are very evenly rendered without the slightest amount of edge enhancement, digital artifacting, or shimmer present. This is, by all means, a great-looking picture. Equally as impressive are the Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS Surround soundtracks presented in Mandarin. Each of these soundtracks boasts a full range of surround sounds through both the front and rear speakers. The dialogue, effects, and music are bombastic and clear of any distortion whatsoever. Both the DTS and Dolby 5.1 are welcome additions to this disc. Also included on this disc are English, Chinese, French, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, and Thai subtitles. On par with the rest of the "Superbit" discs, this Crouching Dragon, Hidden Tiger: Superbit DVD includes no extra features.
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.
I was very enthusiastic upon this film's initial release, thinking that it would be quite good. Instead, it was kind of cheesy, not even remotely living up to the hype it generated in my opinion. Dvd presentation is especially good though on this Superbit release, and will be enjoyed and appreciated by those who liked the film. This release lacks bonus features.
Winner of four Academy Awards, including Best Foreign Film, Ang Lee's sumptuous and romantic martial arts epic Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon has been given an excellent DVD release from Sony Pictures Classics. The colors are always vibrant and alive (just check out the lush greens during chapter 25, "Li vs. Jen") and there is much depth to the many nighttime scenes as well. Picture and colors are stable throughout, though there are a few scenes in which background colors tend to slightly pulsate. Overall, the disc's transfer is superb. The film is offered in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and has been enhanced for 16 x 9 TVs. The soundtrack has been digitally mastered and there are multiple listening options, including the original Mandarin language (Dolby Digital 5.1), an English-dubbed track (Dolby Digital 5.1), and a two-channel French track, as well as optional subtitles in English and French. The DVD also contains a commentary track with director Lee and co-executive producer and co-screenwriter James Schamus. Unfortunately, the commentary track is a major letdown, due mostly to Schamus' annoying and constant sarcasm and his uncanny knack for continually interrupting Lee and turning the attention back to himself. What could have been a great extra is sadly almost ruined by Schamus' input. Included on the disc is a 20-minute Bravo making-of special called Unleashing the Dragon, which gives a nice overview of the film, with plenty of interviews of cast and crew members. There is also a conversation with actress and martial arts icon Michelle Yeoh, a photo montage (accompanied by Tan Dun's haunting score), and a short interview with cellist Yo-Yo Ma. This is a great release, though one that could be improved upon.
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.
I was very enthusiastic upon this film's initial release, thinking that it would be quite good. Instead, it was kind of cheesy, not even remotely living up to the hype it generated. Dvd presentation is good though, and will be enjoyed and appreciated by those who liked the film.
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.
'Temple of Doom' is a terribly pathetic film, especially compared to the first Indiana Jones movie. This dvd contains the same widescreen transfer as released in 2003, plus some new, but minor bonus material that don't make this one worth buying if you already own the 2003 box set.
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.
'Raiders of the Lost Ark' is good action-adventure entertainment that will most likely please fans of the genre. This is the only good film of the series in my opinion and is worth the buy for big fans of the film. Considering this new release has a few new extras, but nothing big, it's probably not worth a double-dip for those who already own the box set, especially considering this is the exact same transfer that was on the previous dvd version.