I opined when it came to Up that it’s hard to judge the Pixar canon because there are so few missteps, but when it comes to favorites, everyone’s got to have one. You have to at some point think of which one you love the most. It’s not like they’re your children. Though a case can be made for almost every single one of their films, the one that gets me the hardest, and the one that always works me over like a sap is Monsters Inc. My review of it after the jump.

In the city of Monstropolis, their power supply comes from the screams of children, and no one is better at getting young children to freak out than James P. Sullivan (voiced by John Goodman). His best friend is Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal), who he lives with and also handles his prep. The boss Henry J. Watermoose (James Coburn) is concerned that they keep losing kids younger and younger, and that there will soon be a scream shortage. They have access to children’s bedrooms through their warehouse of bedroom doors, but when a kid goes cold, the door is destroyed. But for the monsters, children and their world are considered toxic.

Sullivan is the lead power earner, but he’s got competition in Randall Boggs (Steve Buscemi), and when James discovers that Randall’s working after hours, he accidentally brings a human back to his world. This bugs mike while he’s on his date with Celia (Jennifer Tilly). Mike freaks out, and they don’t know how to deal with humans, but then James names the kid Boo and falls for her. He then gets protective and tries to get her back home, but he then finds out a conspiracy of how his business plans to deal with the power shortage.

Besides being one of the most inventive of the Pixar films in terms of the narrative and the world, the film is about the terror of becoming a parent. It’s easy to feel like a big threat to a small thing, and when parents reveal their tempers, it’s a terrifying thing to a child, but this is a leitmotif to the film. It’s also interesting how the film suggests that terrorism is seen as a limited tool, and that working together is ultimately more beneficial (though the film was done pre-9/11)., and with energy seen at the root cause of the terrorism, the film does have some strange political commentary that must have been partly accidental. But it’s also about the bond between a child and a monster, and as someone who’s always had a great affection for the Universal monster films, this also hits home.

This was a big breakthrough technologically speaking, as the film does hair (which used to be problematic) brilliantly for Goodman’s Sullivan, and while the humans in the film still aren’t as perfect as they got with Up, they look solid if not perfect. And one of the great things about the movie is how quickly it does so much, there’s an entire world here in 92 minutes, and the sequence with Mike and Sullivan jumps through doors is still one of the high points of computer animation. Also, who would think that Billy Crystal could be so funny and charming again? It’s another one of the film’s small miracles.

The Blu ray edition comes with a standard def copy and Digital copy. The film comes in widescreen (1.78:1) and in 5.1 DTS-HD. Extras on disc one includes an introductory by director Pete Doctor (2 min.), along with the DVD commentary track with directors Pete Docter and Lee Unkrich, co-writer Andrew Stanton, and producer John Lasseter. The film comes with the short film that accompanied it in theaters “For the Birds” (3 min.) with optional commentary by director Ralph Eggleston, and the short film for the DVD “Mike’s New Car” (4 min.). New to the film is a filmmaker’s roundtable (22 min.) with Peter Doctor, Lee Unkrich, producer Darla Anderson and story editor Bob Peterson, and a preview of the Monsters Inc. ride in Japan (12 min.). There are also bonus trailers, including one for Toy Story 3.

Disc two features the rest of the supplements, the majority of which come straight from the previous DVD edition. There’s four Easter egg still galleries accessible by going left, and a game where you have to answer 100 questions correctly called “Roz’s 100 Door Challenge.” There’s a tour of the Pixar facility (4 min.) that features a monkey and does give a good presentation of much of the facility. In the section “Story,” there’s featurettes “Story is King” (2 min.) “Monsters are Real,” “Original Treatment” (14 min.), and “Story Pitch: Back to Work” (5 min.) which covers how the film is first conceived, and how it mutates through development. This is complimented by “Banished Concepts” with intro by co-director Lee Unkrich (1 min.) and five deleted sequences (10 min.) presented in storyboards, which means they were deleted early on, and never meant to reach the final cut - except the last, which is fully animated.

There’s also a storyboard to film comparison for the “Boo’s Bedtime” scene (5 min.) available in storyreel version, final version or a split screen comparison. There’s an still art gallery for the characters, the color script, concept art and posters, a featurette on designing the world (5 min.), and then a set Dressing piece (3 min.), which is complimented by a location flyaround (7 min.) “Monster File” covers the evolution of the characters (1 min.) and the performers (6 min.) “Animation” goes through the process (3 min.) early tests (8 min.) the title sequence design (2 min.), the artistic challenges (5 min.), and how “simulation” came into play (2 min.) Then there’s a production demonstration with Lee Unkrich introducing (1 min.), which covers the storyreel, layout, animation, and final color (8 min.) In Music and Sound” there’s a music video for “If I didn’t Have You,” and a piece on Gary Rydstrom and how he created the sounds for the film (3 min.) “Release” covers the premiere (1 min.)  and has two trailers, four TV spots, an appreciation of the changes made for international releases (1 min.) along with a foreign language demonstration (4 min.), a showcase of the movie’s toys (2 min.), and the outtakes and company play from the original credits (7 min.). Then there’s a filmmakers wrap up (1 min.)

That’s all in the “Humans Only” section, in “Monsters Only” There are TV vignettes (1 min.) A game designed for Japanese audiences, and another “If I Didn’t Have You” (1 min.) song piece. There’s an interview with Mike and Sully (3 min.), a “Welcome to Monsters Inc.” primer (1 min.) overview of the company (4 min.) and history of the divide between man and monster (2 min.) These supplements were well crafted, and everyone does a good job at showing the process of making a film like this, so it’s a good course on how they go about making these movies so special. This is a keeper.

Criterion makes the best DVDs and Blu-rays.  Their transfers are impeccable and their special features are fascinating.  When you pay the $35-$40 for a Criterion Collection movie, you’re paying a premium but you’re getting your money’s worth.  But wouldn’t it be great if you could just pay half that?

You can do that right now.  Barnes & Noble is having a special sale where ALL Criterion Collection movies that are currently in print are 50% off their list price (which is what they normally sell for).  You probably won’t find another sale like this for probably at least a year so if you’ve been waiting to buy a particular Criterion DVD or Blu-ray, now’s the time.  Click here and get yours (but preferably do it after I get mine; I don’t need you taking the last copy of The Seventh Seal on Blu-ray).

Lloyd Dobler. This name resonates for those who love Say Anything because if you make a list of great cinematic romantic characters, Lloyd Dobler is one of the few truly resonant male characters in the genre. Soulful, but not weak, Dobler is an outsider smart enough to know what he doesn’t want. Cementing the appeal of John Cusack for generations, even with some classic characters in Better off Dead and the series of comedies that followed, Cusack was a light comic actor. Here he takes it to the next level. My review of Say Anything after the jump.

Cusack’s Lloyd is a drifter, the son of a military family who decides that what he really wants in life is to go out with Diane Court (Ione Skye). They sat next to each other at a mall, and he’s in. Diane is graduating at seventeen. She’s never really connected with her peers, and is a daddy’s girl. Her father James (John Mahoney) runs a nursing home, and dotes on his daughter. Lloyd asks Diane out and takes her to the big end-of-school party. She goes, and the two bond by both being outsiders, him by knowing everyone, her by being the one everyone knows. She’s charmed, and he’s smitten. The two begin dating, but she’s heading to London at the end of summer. And after they have sex, and Diane tells her dad, they break up. But James has some demons and he is being investigated by the feds for scamming his patients.

Cameron Crowe has made his rep on writing romantic comedies, but this is the one film that seems to have the right amount of darkness to it. Like Ernst Lubitsch’s The Shop around the Corner, there’s desperation, and sadness right under the surface of these two people. Will they make it? It doesn’t matter, they’re kids. Even if Crowe puts an optimistic spin on the end of The Graduate, there’s still that lingering sense of youth in action, and that the film is not presupposing their life together. The film is also filled with great supporting characters, with Lily Taylor killing it as Corey, the musician best friend of Lloyd, and Joan Cusack playing Lloyd’s sister.

There’s a world here, and Cameron creates it completely, with Lloyd’s friends all the girls he hangs with, and how they mother but love him. Lloyd’s the guy who has a harem, but no interest in them. And James Brooks must have been good about keeping Cameron on point, as the cutaways in the film are comic excellence (though there were so many great hands on the film, including DP Lazlo Kovacs and producer Polly Platt). If there’s a false step, it’s James’s legal problems, but it also fits perfectly with Diane replacing that role in her life, as her father must be put aside to have romantic interests. This is still one of my favorite romantic comedies, and it hasn’t aged badly at all. The earnestness works here, and Cameron hits all the right notes. In many ways, this is still his zenith.

Twentieth Century Fox’s Blu-ray updates the previous DVD with some new features, and the film is presented in a gorgeous widescreen (1.85:1) transfer and in DTS-HD 5.1. This never was one of the best looking films, but the transfer is excellent, and the film also comes with a trivia track. The film comes with the old DVD commentary, which comes with an introductory ramble (21 min.) with commentators John Cusack, Ione Skye and Cameron Crowe. The commentary is breezy fun, with everyone enjoying revisiting the film. “An Iconic Film Revisited: Say Anything… 20 Years Later” (22 min.) gets Crowe, Skye, John Mahoney and Cusack talking about the film, while “A Conversation with Cameron Crowe” (10 min.) lets the director wax on about the film some more. “I Love Say Anything…” (8 min.) gets comics (like Thomas Lennon and Weird Al Yankovich) to talk about the movie. All these supplements are new. From the DVD there’s the five alternate scenes (11 min.) with three featuring commentary by Crowe, ten deleted scenes (13 min.), and thirteen extended sequences (25 min.). There’s also a vintage featurette (7 min.) with on set interviews with Skye, Crowe and Cusack, two trailers, eight TV spots, and a still gallery.

Chris Columbus used to have a magic touch. Sure, you might not have liked the movies, but he was the hand behind the first two Home Alone movies and the first two Harry Potter films. He’s had misfires, for sure, but his first major script was Gremlins. Gremlins. But when you look at his filmography he goes from highs to lows, but there’s something of a chance-taker in him too. He was the guy who wanted to direct Rent, for god’s sake. And though his plastic hands have released such odious affairs as Stepmom and Bicentennial Man, he’s not a filmmaker to write off. My review of his latest - I Love You Beth Cooper - after the jump.

For his latest, he worked with Fox, got a midsummer release date, and when the film came out it was dumped like hot garbage. Perhaps it was having an unknown lead, and Hayden Panettiere, not so hot off her run in Heroes. Paul Rust stars as Paul Cooverman, the valedictorian who in his speech to the graduating class tells everyone he loves Beth Cooper (Panettiere), and others that they might be anorexic, or violent because of childhood traumas, or bitchy because they’re vacuous. It’s an inciting speech, and even his best friend Rick Munsch (Jack T. Carpenter) is called out as a homosexual. Post-speech Beth comes to Paul to give him some crap, but he also invites him over to his house for a party.

As Paul sets up, it’s apparent that Rick is the only guest, but Paul’s parents (Alan Ruck, Cynthia Stevenson) leave him the house and his father ups the ante by giving him champagne and condoms. Beth comes over and the party is more pathetic than imaginable, but then Beth’s boyfriend Kevin (Shawn Roberts) shows up ready to beat ass. And he’s supposedly on some upper, so he storms into the house and starts breaking everything he can. Such leads Paul and Rick into Beth’s arms, along with Beth’s friends Cammy (Lauren London) and Treece (Lauren Storm). And thus begins their night together, where the two realize things about each other they didn’t learn in high school.

Starting from the place of Say Anything, I Love You Beth Cooper has a great hook, but Columbus often lets the comedy get in the way of the heart. Whether this was inherent in the material by Larry Doyle is unknown from what’s on screen, but Paul Cooverman remains a putzer on screen throughout, and at few points does he ever come across as a male character. In this way ILYBC is much like many romantic comedies where the male character is fundamentally playing the female part of past romances, as he has no aggressive drive, and Cooper leads their romance. At no point does Columbus turn this into a coming of age story, as deep into the third act Paul like a wussy when confronted with a raccoon or anything halfway threatening. If this was somehow a commentary on romantic comedies, this might work, but because we are meant to empathize with the character, at no point does he achieve a level of relatability. He never pulls a trigger until the very end. This is why the supporting cast fares much better, with Carpenter and the Laurens London and Storm stealing the movie out from under the leads. When Carpenter’s Rick - who obnoxiously is “the movie guy” - ends up in a towel snapping competition the film briefly comes alive, as the tone seems about right.

But the film is filled with rampant destruction, the sorts of things that it would be easy to arrest people for, and the film treats them like no big deal. When stuff like this happens, it makes me think that the director has no sense of the comic dimensions of what they’re doing, or have been too rich to understand how devastating something that might cause $500 worth of damage might be. That said, the film ends horribly well, and if you enjoy watching this sort of movie, there are moments here and there that suggest the material could have been beaten into shape. But the film is a misfire from Mr. Columbus, and one hopes he finds a stronger voice in his next project.

Twentieth Century Fox’s Blu-ray presents the film in widescreen (1.78:1) and in DTS-HD 5.1 surround. The transfer is as to be expected: perfect for what it is. Extras kick off with an alternate ending that gives closure to Paul’s toughness (7 min.), and four deleted scenes (8 min.) that slightly alter the film in no great memorable way. “I love You Larry Doyle” (6 min.) gives the writer his due, while “We are all different, but that’s a Good Thing” (9 min.) puts a spotlight on the cast, and everyone thinks everyone else is great. “Peanut Butter Toast” (3 min.) is Paul Rust’s goofy audition, while “In Character with Paul Rust” (3 min.) lets the actor talk about coming up with the character (self explanatory? Yes) as does “IN Character with Hayden Panettiere” (3 min.). The disc wraps up with bonus trailers.

We’re done with Sacha Baron Cohen’s most famous creations, cinematically speaking. When Da Ali G show hit it was a sensation in England, and a cult hit in America, and ignitied some stateside interest in this great prankster. On the show he played the daft Ali G (which was turned into the film Ali G Indahouse, released DTV stateside), the foreigner Borat (which was turned into runaway hit Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan) and the gay German fashionista Bruno (turned into Bruno). With the huge success of Borat, the possibility of Cohen being able to prank people got smaller and smaller, and so Bruno is the last shot until Cohen turns himself into something new, or hides for a while. My review of Bruno after the jump.

It was easier to laugh at Borat. As an outsider, his comic role allowed one to laugh at him for his inappropriateness, laugh at his victims for going along with him, and laugh with him for being an outsider. Bruno, on the other hand, is a homosexual. That doesn’t endear as much empathy for many, and the discomfort he often raises is in both his victims and the audience. As such Bruno is a way more political movie than Borat, which definitely showcased how certain American (mostly) Southerners react to a person like Borat and either play along or agree with his racism towards Jewish people. Bruno is just as obnoxious, but he gets in your face with his homosexuality. He’s equally not very talented.

The film follows him as he moves to Los Angeles to become a star after his fashion TV show is cancelled. One of the biggest problems with the film is that the structure of the movie is very similar to that of Borat’s. There’s some great humiliation of Paula Abdul, but then the film finds Bruno going to the Middle East, where you swear to God Cohen is about to be killed. He finds his groove though when he decides to go straight and hang out in the south. These jokes are the most familiar of the bunch (he’s done this before), but they’re the ones that hit it out of the park as well.

With Bruno, the pleasures not just with the comedy of the film - which is excellent - but also the added element that Cohen obviously took things to the next level, and when he tells a member of Al-Qaeda that Osama Bin Laden looks like a dirty wizard, and the terrorist then tells Cohen he should leave immediately, you know that it’s a dangerous situation. There’s also the campers that Cohen surprises naked, who obviously have guns, and then there’s a wrestling stunt where a metal chair is hurled on stage and seems to miss Cohen’s head by mere inches. Say what you will for the comedy, but the bravery on display is peerless, and Cohen takes the danger much further than he did in Borat.

Unfortunately, this also  can’t have the kick of Borat, that shock of surprise, and though the bits are excellent, they mostly revel in some audience’s discomfort with homosexuals. Since this is still a politicized issue, heavily in some states, it’s an honest-to-god comedy with some teeth. And if you feel discomfort at seeing male genitalia, then there’s a joke in the film that might have you turning off the film in the first thirty minutes. None of this fazed me all that much, though the audacity on display is breathtaking. As a comic stunt, here it’s fair to say the stunt aspects may overshadow the comedy, but Cohen creates a bold critical work, and perhaps - as Michael O’Donoghue liked to say “laughter is the lowest form of comedy.”

Universal presents the film on Blu-ray in widescreen (1.78:1) and in DTS- HD 5.1. As a recent film it was shot on HD video, and the quality is perfect. The film also comes with a digital copy. The film is 82 minutes long, but there’s an enhanced commentary track where director Larry Charles and Cohen stop the film in some instances to expand on their process, so it runs 108 minutes. There are two alternate scenes (6 min.), with Pete Rose doing the same bit as Abdul, and different famous politicians getting the Bruno treatment. There are eleven deleted scenes (41 min.) including the missing Latoya Jackson sequence that was removed from the film prior to release due to Michael Jackson’s passing. There are also eight extended sequences (23 min.), and the set wraps up with an interview with Lloyd Robinson (6 min.) who is Bruno’s agent in the film, albeit without knowing it was Cohen. There’s also some on-line content.

It’s A Wonderful Life is a wonderful film.  Does that sound cliché? Well, too bad, because it has been voted the number one most inspiring film of all time by the American Film Institute (AFI).  Frank Capra’s film holds up to the hype, and that’s a very difficult thing to live up to after so many years and years of fanfare.  Broadcast every holiday season, this film is considered a “Christmas movie” though it’s not really about Christmas at all.  It was continually shown during the holiday season, as the rights had fallen into public domain, so TV stations ran it endlessly during the holidays without having to pay a royalty.  The aggressive broadcasts assaulted the public, happily creating several generations to take notice.  Though it may have always been regarded among only film buffs as a great film, television is responsible for it its rediscovery, and for crowning it one of the royal classics, along with Gone with the Wind and the Wizard of Oz. My full review after the jump:

It’s A Wonderful Life should be viewed any time of the year.  It is a masterpiece of filmmaking and should not be saved only for the holidays. In the film, George Bailey (James Stewart) questions his self worth late in life. He was once someone with big dreams, ambitions and ready to leave his small hometown Bedford Falls to make his mark on the world, but fate forces him to take on his father’s Building and Loan Company, which provides the lower income residents of Bedford Falls a chance to better their lives.  He stays in Bedford Falls, though he knows that his decision to stay and run the his father’s loan company will guarantee him a financially moderate life like his father’s and prevent him from fulfilling his ambitions. Also, he is the only chance the community has against the wicked Mr. Potter (Lionel Barrymore) who owns everything in town except the Building and Loan.  Foiling Potter’s continual attempts to put the Building and Loan out of business George is eventually found a victim to Potter’s evil schemes, and, in a desperate frame of mind, questions his own self worth. He is shown, with some heavenly help, that his life has been an adventure, indeed - and his impact on everyone around him has been profound.  “No one is a failure who has friends,” was filmmaker Frank Capra’s ultimate message.

Released in 1946 by RKO It’s A Wonderful Life was filmed at the Culver Studios.  The studio has had different names before and since the filming of this film, such as Tom Ince Studios, Desilu Culver, David O’Selznick Studios and recently, simply The Culver Studios. The film’s interiors were shot on the same stages where Gone With the Wind, King Kong, Star Trek and Batman were filmed.  The exterior set for Bedford Falls was filmed on the little celebrated RKO Ranch, located in Encino, California.  The ranch is all but forgotten today, and I believe that a golf course is now located where cameras once captured lighting in a bottle or onto celluloid rather.

This disc offers the film in original glorious black and white, looking absolutely pristine as presented in its standard 4:3 format.  It definitely looks better than previous releases, but not noticeable enough to freak out over. Also offered is the colorized version, which looks not as crisp as you would think.  This version suffers from the “colorized look,” where the pigments are just “off” enough to annoy, and constantly remind you that something doesn’t look right. The gem of the set is a vintage television documentary hosted by Tom Bosley, who looks as plump as a Christmas goose in his blue holiday sweater, stoking and poking his fireplace while he reminisces about the film.  Ah, the production values of television.  Surprisingly, Tom will go on to grace other film docs again, lending his syrupy and throaty voice to explore the sci-fi train-wreck all-time crap-tacular waste of sci-fi celluloid called Krull. Thankfully interviews with James Stewart and Frank Capra make this doc worthwhile.

I predict that the future of It’s A Wonderful Life will be prolific: there must be even more versions of the film released, as the movie needs a better in-depth look into its history.  It is perhaps the greatest time-travel films of all time, next to Back to the Future. It is no surprise that this is one of Robert Zemeckis’ favorite films, and that It’s a Wonderful Life contains moments that obviously inspired Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale in writing their time-travel trilogy.  I am sure that the film inspired even Rod Serling, as some of the creepier moments could be right out of the Twilight Zone.   How many vintage family films combine such evocative story telling, drama, and gut-wrenching emotion? Very few, which is perhaps why fickle audiences of today except It’s A Wonderful Life in so many ways.

David Fincher’s masterpiece Fight Club got released on Blu-ray today.  And in the spirit of Fight Club, Fincher created a special gag for the 10th Anniversary Blu-ray edition.  Since many of you are going to buy the Blu-ray and experience the gag for yourself, I’m going to post what it is and how it came together after the jump so I don’t ruin the experience.  But for those that want to know about it now, hit the jump:

When you Blu-ray starts up, instead of getting a Fight Club menu, it’s a menu for Drew Barrymore’s Never Been Kissed!  For about 5 seconds or so it’s on screen and I’m sure there are going to be people who get very angry when it happens.  But almost as soon as you start to wonder what the hell is going on, all of a sudden the screen starts to shake and the menu for Fight Club begins.

So you may wonder how this came together.  Here’s what I was provided:

Fincher was heavily involved in the 10th Anniversary BD and as you may know, is a bit of a prankster. As a fun gag for the Fight Club fans, Fincher wanted the Fight Club Blu-ray Disc to begin with “a fake menu” of a romantic comedy from the same year as Fight Club, as a trick on the audience. Never Been Kissed was his top choice and he eventually went to Drew Barrymore for her approval. When users insert the disc into their BD player, the menu for Never Been Kissed will pop up for a few seconds prior to the real Fight Club menu.

It’s a great gag and perfect for this Blu-ray.  If you’re a fan of the movie, the Blu-ray is amazing.  Look for a full review soon.

Warner Bros. has announced a DVD to Blu-ray upgrade program.  While the list doesn’t include all their titles, it’s at least a start.  According to WB, the process to upgrade is simple.  Consumers select the titles they want to upgrade on DVD2Blu.com, mail in their standard DVDs with pre-paid postage and a short time later receive copies of the same film on Blu-ray Disc.  If you mail in one DVD, it’s $7.95 plus shipping.  If you order more than $25, you’ll receive free shipping.

While some people haven’t been converted to Blu-ray, I’m all in.  I think the picture quality is amazing on Blu-ray and I definitely see a difference between DVD and the HD format.  All I can say is, if you have an 1080p TV, the format is absolutely worth the investment.  For a complete list of what WB is willing to upgrade and the full press release, hit the jump:

Here’s the press release and further down is the full list of what you can upgrade.

GET BLU THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!  WARNER BROS. HOME ENTERTAINMENT GROUP LAUNCHES DVD TO BLU-RAY UPGRADE PROGRAM

Consumers Can Exchange Their Standard Definition DVDs and See Their Favorite Films

the Way They Were Meant To Be Seen with the Absolute Best Picture and Sound

Over 50 of Warner Home Video’s Most Sought-After Titles Available to Upgrade Including “10,000 B.C.” “Wedding Crashers” and “A Christmas Story”

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group today launched “DVD2Blu.com,” a site that allows consumers to upgrade the movies they already own on DVD to Blu-Ray Disc, the absolute best way to watch movies at home.  Consumers can select from over 50 of Warner Home Video’s most sought-after titles to upgrade including “Body of Lies,” “A Christmas Story” and “Michael Clayton.”

“DVD2Blu is a great way for consumers to start or expand their Blu-ray Disc collection,” said Dorinda Marticorena, senior vice president, Worldwide Marketing and High Definition, Warner Home Video.  “We’re launching the program with a wide range of titles that will appeal to a broad audience.  In the coming months, we’re looking to expand the program and make additional titles available.”

The DVD2Blu program debuts at a time when consumers are rapidly adopting Blu-ray Disc.  According to figures compiled by the Digital Entertainment Group through the first three quarters of 2009, Blu-ray Disc set-top player sales grew 112 percent over the same period last year.  This holiday season, consumers can expect to see Blu-ray player prices starting around $100, making it much easier for home audiences to see films the way they were meant to be seen on their HDTV.

Through DVD2Blu, consumers can now experience their favorite movies again for the very first time in stunning 1080p picture quality and crisp, superior sound that only comes from a Blu-ray Disc.  Titles such as “Training Day,” “Deliverance” and “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” can be upgraded for as little as $7.95 plus shipping.  Consumers who place orders over $25 will receive free shipping.

The process to upgrade is simple.  Consumers select the titles they want to upgrade on DVD2Blu.com, mail in their standard DVDs with pre-paid postage and a short time later receive copies of the same film on Blu-ray Disc.  For a complete list of titles visit DVD2Blu.com.

I remember when Clerks was announced. It was a Sundance favorite and trailered along with Pulp Fiction. Having had some counter experience, and being a Star Wars nerd, Clerks looked like sweet elixir. And I went to see it opening weekend (in a double feature with Stargate), and was in the Kevin Smith. Revisiting his films Clerks, Chasing Amy and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back on Blu-ray in the Kevin Smith collection is a chance to wrestle with what makes Kevin Smith great and somewhat terrible. My review after the jump.

Clerks is one of those films that - at the time - you wanted to root for. It was a small film from a filmmaker who scrapped together his pocket change and made a film, and the history of films like that which received a theatrical release were always encouraging. Spike Lee, Richard Linklater, etc. Now, now that Kevin has milked this for all it was worth, and Smith’s direction has not gotten that much better, it’s not as easy to forgive its sins. But funny is funny.

Dante (Jeff O’Halloran) gets called in to work at the Quick Stop Groceries on his day off. Supposedly he’s filling in for the morning, but gets sucked into spending the day there. Next door Randal (Jeff Anderson) works at the video store. Dante is passive aggressive with his clientele, Randal is aggressive-aggressive. Outside there’s a pair of drug dealers in Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith). Dante’s got a girlfriend named Veronica (Marilyn Ghigliotti) who makes him lasagna and wants to be near him, but Dante’s been pining for his high school girlfriend Caitlin Bree (Lisa Spoonhauer), who is supposedly engaged to an Asian Design Major, even though she and Dante have been talking again.

Set in one location with camera work that could be mistake for a security camera, cinematically, there’s not much going on in the film, but in terms of comic flair, Smith has it in spades. There’s some good set-up/pay-offs, and funny jokes throughout. And if one can no longer forgive some of the film’s terrible line readings and less than amateur performances by much of the cast, Smith has something of an ear for nerd talk and people bullshitting that isn’t as honed as Quentin Tarantino’s, but is still rather impressive. As much as I’d like to bag the film for being shittily made (and it is, when you compare to Lee’s She’s Gotta Have It or Jim Jarmusch’s Stranger than Paradise, those guys have a visual sense, and get much better performances out of their leads), now the film plays like a period piece as it was one of those Miramax films that came along, and may have been rough around the edges but have heart. Though not even close to being Kevin Smith’s best work, it definitely is amusing. And it’s probably the most successful film of such poor quality. You can hear the line readings, and see people reading off their dialog. If you can develop some affection for that it goes a long way, but the film has that endearing quality of a three legged dog. As long as you don’t expect it to run fast, it’s charming.

In 2004, for the 10^th anniversary a three-disc DVD set came out. For the Blu-ray edition, all of that material is gathered here, along with the documentary on the making of Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, which is not included with that film because it was such an early Blu-ray release. Included is the film in widescreen (1.85:1) and in DTS-HD 5.1 surround. Of course this track is only of so much use with a film like this, but it’s the thought that counts. And for a no-budget production, the film looks as good as it’s ever going to get. Extras include the original 91 minute cut with a trivia track, and the laserdisc commentary with Walt Flanagan, Jason Mewes, Smith, producer Scott Mosier, O’Halloran, and Vincent Pereira, and Film Threat’s Malcolm Ingram. This track has been around since the film hit laserdisc. There’s also the original extended cut of the film (105 min.) with the robbery ending. This comes with an introduction by Smith and Mosier (9 min.), and a PIP video commentary by Anderson, Mewes, O’Halloran, Mosier and Smith.

“Oh What a Lovely Tea Party” (87 min.) is the making of Jay and Silent Bob, and it comes with an introduction by Kevin Smith (3 min.) - the only new supplement for this disc - and it gets most of the cast of that film to talk about the making of it. This probably should have been on the J&SBSB disc, but - as I said - that was done at the beginning of the Blu-ray revolution, and that disc has no main menu, and only the film’s commentary as a supplement. Since a lot of people are going to buy the three disc collection, it’s all here, I guess. There’s a lost scene (10 min.) with introduction by Smith and Mosier for what should have happened in the funeral sequence of the movie. This can also be watched as part of the feature, though the animation is in color (of course) and is 1.33:1. There’s a short film with Randal and Dante that Smith did for The Tonight Show called “The Flying Car” (8 min.) that comes with a Smith intro, and then MTV spots with Jay and Silent Bob and Matt Damon (with an intro by Mosier and Smith, 18 min.), then there’s the film’s theatrical trailer and the Soul Asylum music video for the movie. Then there’s three pieces on the restoration, with Producer Scott Mosier (5 min.), DP Dave Klein (1 min.) and an intro by Smith (7 min.), all done for the tenth anniversary edition, while there are also four audition tapes with intro by Smith and Mosier (15 min.). Think I’m done, not even close. There’s a feature length doc on the film called “Snowball Effect” (90 min.) which goes into Smith’s high school years, and how the film got found by John Pierson and Miramax. “Mae Day” is Kevin Smith’s student film (12 min.), and 35 minutes of additional interviews from “Snowball Effect” are also included. If that wasn’t enough, there’s a 10^th anniversary Q&A (42 min.) with Smith, Mewes, Anderson, O’Halloran, Mosier and Ghigliotti.

Some felt, at least in the critical community, that Smith ran aground with Mallrats. I’ve always disagreed with that reading. It was a small teen comedy that came about five years too early, and was probably a little too R rated for the core audience. Smith took the failure in no stride at all. It hurt him a great deal, though the film eventually found an audience with home video. Chasing Amy was Smith soul searching, whilst also dealing with dating actress Joey Lauren Adams. Smith’s sexual insecurities may have been a leitmotif in Clerks, but in Chasing Amy that joke about 37 dicks is much of what the film is about.

Ben Affleck stars as Holden McNeil, who along with Banky Edwards (Jason Lee) has created Bluntman and Chronic, which MTV wants to pick up for a network show. They’re friends with Hooper X (Dwight Ewell), who introduces them to Alyssa Jones (Adams). Holden is smitten, but it turns out that Alyssa’s a lesbian. This makes him bashful, but the two become friends until Holden can’t take it anymore, which leads to a heartfelt proposal, but - as Alyssa knows - this is a life changing event for her, and not so much for him. But complications ensue when Holden’s assumption about Alyssa having never slept with a guy before is proved demonstrably false.

There are two texts going on in Chasing Amy, one the narrative of the film, and the second Smith’s commentary on himself. Holden and Banky are obvious surrogates, with Smith showing some attraction/disgust with the scene he would make his own (the Con circuit). Holden is the artist who wants to be more than dick and fart jokes, and when Silent Bob finally talks at great length he basically is giving himself advice. The film traffics in a meta commentary on Smith’s career up to that point, and who he is as a person.

This isn’t a bad thing, by any stretch, and what Smith gets right about this film he gets so right. The scene where Alyssa’s friends call her on dating a man is easily one of the best things he’s ever staged or written, as the weight of someone being ostracized from their community becomes clear. There may be one earnest speech too many, but you can’t say it isn’t heartfelt, and Jason Lee is great comic relief in the first half. Unfortunately, the film has some third act problems as Smith has his character make a bonehead play. I can’t say it’s out of character all that much to destroy the narrative, but it’s a solution to a writer’s problem. It works, but it’s a minor caveat to an otherwise strong film, that is fairly well directed and strongly acted throughout. Joey Lauren Adams gives a great performance and though people hate her voice, it’s a fully lived in performance. Time has shown not everyone can deliver Smith’s dialog, but she and Affleck and Lee all play like their dialog was written for them (it was, true that). This is the high point of Smith’s career.

The Blu-ray comes in widescreen (1.85:1) and in 5.1 DTS-HD. Excellent transfer all around, this disc is solid. Extras include a Smodcast commentary by Smith and Mosier done for the internet, though not the track from the Criterion DVD, which began (infamously) with Smith saying (at the end of the laserdisc era) “fuck DVD.” That sentiment has new meaning now. There’s a feature length making of called “Tracing Amy” (81 min.) which covers the production, why it was made, and the fallout when Smith and Mosier agreed to make Dogma sans Joey Lauren Adams and DP Dave Klein (which in some ways ended Adams and Smith’s relationship). And here everyone involved gets their moment to talk about the film. “Was it Something I Said” reunites Adams and Smith to talk about the film (18 min.), and there’s also a ten years later Q&A with Affleck, Mewes, Lee, Dwight Ewell, Adams, and Scott Mosier (28 min.) Also included are ten deleted scenes (25 min.), and outtakes (5 min.), rounding out with the theatrical trailer.

After Chasing Amy, Kevin Smith tried to do something bigger, something that challenged him and his talents. A large scale epic about religion. Dogma. Though the film was not a failure, it showed his limitations, as the film showcases both Alan Rickman and Chris Rock’s worst performances. It was the moment that suggested Smith had a very real ceiling and either he couldn’t or wouldn’t break through it. If Dogma tried too hard, then Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back was Smith coasting, and the very things he is critical of Mallrats for are more than apparent here.

The main characters are Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith), who have a restraining order put against them by Dante (O’Halloran) and Randal (Anderson) at the Quick Stop. But when they meet up with Brodie (Lee) from Mallrats, they’re told that Bluntman and Chronic is being turned into a feature film. They bug Holden (Affleck) about it, but he says he sold all the rights to Banky (Lee). And so they head off to Los Angeles to stop the movie from being made as the internet insults their comic.

On the road they meet a group of hot chicks (Ali Larter, Smith’s wife Jennifer Schwallbach, Eliza Dushku) with Justice (Shannon Elizabeth) striking an attraction for Jay. The women are actually diamond thieves, but Jay and Silent Bob get suckered into breaking into an animal lab where they steal Suzanne the monkey (reference to Mallrats and its ending) and end up being pursued by Federal Wildlife Marshall Willenholly (Will Ferrell), who is just as dumb as they are. This leads to a lot of bad slapstick. Mewes is given the majority of the dialog as Smith tries to keep his character as quiet as possible.

Once in Hollywood there are a number of parodies of Miramax, with Scream 4 and Good Will Hunting 2 being filmed. Here Smith shows zero teeth, and though it’s funny to see Damon and Affleck revive their roles from Good Will Hunting, the film they are making is unbelievable in the scheme of things. It’s not really satire at that point, it’s just a goof. It is fair to say that both are good sports, but nothing’s at stake besides making fun of their misfires in the interim (though as they reference all their misses, it’s mostly a roll call), but Affleck gets more points for copping to killing hookers.

Smith is at his best when his films are personal, usually, but Clerks 2 is one of his worst films, if only because he doesn’t seem to know what to do, how to move the ball forward. He knows he has an audience that responds to the dick and fart jokes, but he also seems somewhat contemptuous of that. J&SBSB was a wallow. And though jokes hit here and there, it’s not much of a movie.

The Blu-ray is in widescreen (2.35:1) and in 5.1 PCM or a downmixed 5.1 Dolby Surround track. Extras are limited to a commentary by Smith Mewes and Mosier from the DVD.

Hollywood has figured something out, which is that even if you spend a shit-ton of money on a film, that in and of itself can attract an audience. It’s hard to look at the relative success of Waterworld at the box office as anything more than rubbernecking on the freeway, and it was worthwhile for many who had grown tired of Kevin Costner. My review of Waterworld after the jump.

Though somewhat stiff at times, Costner was the leading man of the late 80’s, even more so than Tom Cruise, with his sexual charisma and aw-shucks charm. No Way Out, The Untouchables, Bull Durham, and Field of Dreams said “hey world, check me out.” Then came Dances with Wolves, which won him a couple of Oscars, defeating the (now seen as obviously superior) Goodfellas. Some resentment sets in with success and the oddball A Perfect World, and the terrible Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves did him no favors. Then came Waterworld, one of the most expensive films ever made. As it turns out (as Steven Spielberg would attest), shooting on water is a demanding process, and the film had the bad fortune to be made during hurricane season, mean sets were lost and construction had to begin again. The film was called Fishtar by the meanest of the press, but people went anyway (it was also a less-than summer).

Kevin Costner stars as The Mariner, who is introduced in a sequence where he drinks his own (purified) urine. He’s a loner, and doesn’t like people, only does business with them by trading. But he has a reason for keeping away because he’s a mutant (he has gills), and people don’t truck with that. There are bad guys in “the smokers” which are headed up by Dennis Hopper’s Deacon, a nasty guy who likes to smoke and uses oil. In the mid-90’s environmentalism wasn’t in full swing but it would make appearances in films like this. It turns out that regular humans Helen (Jeanne Tripplehorn) and her not-daughter Enola (Tina Majorino) may have a map to dry land. The Smokers catch wind of this, and the chase is on.

Shooting on water surely limits one’s choices for filmmaking, and it’s fair to say occasionally you get the sense of the rousing swashbuckling adventure Waterworld is meant to be, but as Nathan Rabin noted in his entry on this in My Year of the Flops, Costner’s sullen character drains way too much fun out of what is meant to be a fun adventure yarn. Costner fairs better in The Postman, the film that Waterworld should have been. But here he’s a lead weight, and the comic flair of such moments where Costner sells off Tripplehorn’s body for stuff is not redeemed by her not actually being raped. Director Kevin Reynolds had a hell of a time on the picture, and Costner - the Academy award winning director - was surely a nuisance.

This is Costner in the bad time, but I like who Costner has become in the interim. He’s mellowed and likeable now; even if Swing Vote was a misfire from word go. But watching this, that sense of Costner’s hubris comes back like a sense memory.

Universal presents the film on Blu-ray in widescreen (1.78:1) and in DTS 5.1 HD. The transfer is excellent, as to be expected. The film looks its age, but there’s nothing wrong with the transfer, and the surround track could be described as aggressive. Extras are limited to the film’s theatrical trailer.

Talk about Fight Club.  Without people talking about the 1999 film, it would’ve fallen into obscurity instead of being one of the most celebrated films of the last twenty years.  People still talk about it, people still misunderstand it (if you tried to start a real fight club, you’re one of those people), people quote it, and if you live in New York or Los Angeles, you can celebrate the film’s 10^th anniversary and its debut on Blu-ray by seeing it Tuesday at midnight for free.  Space Monkeys of New York, click here.  Space Monkeys of Los Angeles, click here.  And this time, try not to talk about Fight Club because you don’t want other people to get tickets before you do.

Fight Club: 10^th Anniversary Blu-ray Edition hits stores this Tuesday, November 17^th.

Wings of Desire is one of those films that I’ve always wanted to see, but been weary of getting around to watching. Sure, it’s a well-respected classic of its time, often cited as one of the great films of the  1980’s, and held the cache of “the foreign film people who don’t watch foreign films love” much like films like Amelie or Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. But when the film came out Pauline Kael decimated it in her review. And I hate being the movie guy who doesn’t like films that everyone else likes, which is often the case. My review after the jump.

Kael was wrong; it’s a touching fable about two angels hovering over Germany. They are Damiel (Bruno Ganz) and Cassiel (Otto Dumont), and they listen in on a number of different people as they observe humanity from a ablack and white distance. There’s an old storyteller named Homer (Curt Bois), a trapeze artist named Marion (Solveig Dommartin), and Peter Falk as himself appearing in a German movie about the Nazis. As they watch, as they’ve been watching, Damiel decides he wants to be a part of the real world, and so eventually he shakes off his wings to be human, and perhaps pursue love with Marion.

Watching the film I was struck how Wings of Desire is the best student film ever made. That’s not a diss, just that all of the elements of amateur productions by pretentious would-be’s are here. You’ve got a lot of black and white photography mixed with color, some concert footage, poor child acting, a small role featuring an elder actor, stock footage and a loose, ethereal theme about mortality and spirituality. Heck, if the film had male nudity, it wouldn’t be too far removed from countless other experimental attempts at profundity sought year after year at places like UCLA. But Wim Wenders, at the peak of his game, makes these things insightful. Though there is some element of what Pauline Kael described as mopey, post-war German seriousness, perhaps now the film seems somewhat removed from that overwhelming post-war grief. Wenders talks about returning to Germany, and trying to reconnect with his own language after spending nearly eight years in America. I think the isolation and disconnect comes from that, but also the great human truth that it is nearly impossible to truly understand other people.

And the film conveys a sense of isolation, and that desire to reconnect with humanity and with others in a very lyrical way. The film is a tone poem, as much of the film floats around Germany, going from person to person and listening in on their thoughts. Hearing people as they contemplate their own loneliness, their existence, and the mundane aspects of their lives. The film tries to capture a great number of facets of life (though never anything all that sexual beyond touching. It also gets great mileage out of Peter Falk’s cranky but endearing persona. It’s a film to fall into, and benefits from repeat viewings, and has great cinematography. This is one case where I erred on caution, and was proved wrong.

The Criterion collection presents the film on Blu-ray in widescreen (1.66:1) and in DTS-HD 5.1 surround. The film comes with a conversation between Wim Wenders and Peter Falk. It was recorded in 1996 and 1997, and this conversation has been edited into a commentary exclusively for the Criterion edition. It’s also great to hear the two talk. Supplements from the previous special edition have been included, such as the documentary “The Angels are Among Us” (43 min.) with Wenders, Peter Falk, Otto Dumont, Bruno Ganz, co-writer Peter Handke, composer Jurgen Knieper, and Brad Silberling, director of City of Angels. “Cinema Cinemas” (9 min.) is an interview with Wenders from 1987. It consists of behind the scenes footage with a voice over from Wenders. There are deleted scenes (32 min.) with commentary by Wenders (there’s no real production audio), and outtakes (6 min.). There’s a still gallery, then a conversation with cinematographer Henri Alekan (10 min.) from 1985, then from the documentary on Alekan “Alekan La Lumiere” (27 min.) “Rememberence” (29 in.) gives Curt Bius and interview conducted by Bruno Ganz and Otto Sandler. Also, two trailers for the film are included.

Catalog titles FTW. I am one of those rare people who enjoy being “double dipped.” I like upgrading to Blu-ray if I love a film, because you only get to watch a movie for the first time once, and so a different and better transfer is a reason (at least for me) to get excited about a film you’ve seen a number of times. When I would go see something in the theater on multiple occasions, I’d often go to different theaters (or failing that, different seats). My reviews of the Blu-rays of Heat and Logan’s Run after the jump.

Heat is one of the great American films. It took me a while to come to that, and I still think that Michael Mann’s finest film is The Insider, but there’s no denying Heat. Robert De Niro stars as Neal McCauley, a high line criminal who knows how to rob. He works with a good crew (Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore, Danny Trejo), but with the score that starts the film, he  takes on Waingro (Kevin Gage) who turns a robbery beef into murder one by killing people. His crew wants to wack him, but Waingro escapes. On the other side of the law is Lt. Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) and his crew (Wes Studi, Mykelti Williamson, Ted Levine) who come on to the McCauley’s crew, and it becomes about how Neal must square off against Vincent once Hanna’s on his scent.

Neal has very little home life, but meets a girl (Amy Brenneman) and begins to fall in love, while Vincent’s third wife (Diane Venora) is on the verge of leaving him, and her teenage daughter (Natalie Portman) is an emotional wreck. Kilmer’s character Chris Shiheris is married, loves his wife, but Charlene Shiheris (Ashley Judd) has been cheating on him, and is ready to leave because Chris is a degenerate gambler.

Heat is an epic, and Mann began drawing it in 1987, with his TV show/movie LA Takedown. The characters are there, but over the course of a decade, Mann fleshed the story out to this grand scale. And yet for a three hour movie, it never slows down, nor feels long. It’s perfectly paced because it’s about professionals doing their jobs, and few things are as engaging in cinema as watching people who know how to do their jobs do their jobs. All the performances are lived in, and with a cast that also includes performers like Bud Court, Tom Noonan, John Voight, William Fichtner, Hank Azaria, Tone Loc, and the list goes on - you’re dealing with a murderer’s row of talent. You mix that with Mann’s immaculate eye, and one of the single greatest set pieces in the history of cinema (the midtown bank heist and shoot-out), there’s no denying that this is a masterpiece. If I had any hesitations, it’s that the ending is very much of the cowboy world with two men trying to get the drop on each other, but in watching it again, it could end no other way, and Mann stages it beautifully.

The Blu-ray features everything from the previous two disc set, and the only reason to get this disc is for the 1080p picture upgrade for the widescreen film (2.35:1), and the 5.1 TrueHD surround. But as this is a demo disc to begin with, it’s a small price to pay. The transfer is breathtaking, and Mann always has a great eye, so I think it’s definitely worth the upgrade. The film comes with a thoughtful commentary by Michael Mann where he talks about the real life influences on the film, as most of the characters were culled from people he knew in Chicago. There’s a making of (59 min.) that talks to much of the cast - including Pacino but not De Niro - and gets advisor Eddie Bunker and Michael Mann to talk about the film. “Pacino and De Niro: The Conversation” (10 min.) talks to the film’s centerpiece scene, and some of the controversy around it while Mann talks about the specific take used, and how the actors bounce off each other. There’s no wide shot, but I’ve always felt this is Mann understanding cinema: if both actors are in frame, there is no focus point. They’re too strong. “Return to the Scene of the Crime” (12 min.) is a location tour with the production designer. There are also eleven deleted scenes/snippets (10 min.) Three trailers round out the disc.

Logan’s Run is amusing junk. Michael York stars as Logan, a Sandman in the 23^rd century, where in this society you’re not allowed to age above 30. Instead you go to the carnival to die, or you become a runner, and the Sandman hunt you down and kill you. Logan is asked by the powers that be to become a runner and find sanctuary, so he teams up with ankh wearing Jessica 6 (Jenny Agutter) to leave their hood and see what’s outside. But there’s numerous obstacle, including Logan’s best friend/fellow Sandman Francis (Richard Jordan), and an evil robot who likes to freeze people.

The view of the future in Logan’s Run could not be anything but from 1976. It’s right before Star Wars and you can feel it in the film’s bones. And the film is great for the weird retro-futurism that doesn’t seem as mechanical as Star Wars would make such visions. But they’re obviously running through a mall at many points, and the model work is very noticeable. It’s a more crystal-based world of the future, and looking at it for that is why the film still holds some fascination. Well, that and the gratuitous nudity, to which the film features more skin than you would ever expect from a PG film. There’s also Farrah Fawcett adding to the camp appeal.

Warner Brothers presents the film in widescreen (2.35:1) and in Dolby Digital 5.1 TrueHD. It’s a solid track, and the transfer is so good you can see the seams at times. Extras include a commentary with Michael York, director Michael Anderson, and costume designer Bill Thomas. There’s a featurette called “A Look into the 23^rd Century” and the film’s theatrical trailer. These supplements were produced and included with both the laserdisc and DVD, so there hasn’t been much upgrading in the interim.

When talking about the latest Pixar, it’s easy to fall into superlatives. Really, there’s only one modestly bad apple, and that’s Cars. The other film singled out as less than is A Bug’s Life, but that’s a solid film in its own right, and probably their most underrated. So is it fair to call Up a masterpiece? Yes. Yes it is. My review of Up after the jump.

Carl Frederickson (voiced by Ed Asner) has led a great life. He and his wife Ellie were together for a very long time, but there were two minor problems in their marriage. One, she couldn’t get pregnant, and two their plans to go adventuring were always cut a little short by life.  After she passes away, Carl is one of the few holdouts in his neighborhood that hasn’t sold his house, and so contractors are looking for any way to get rid of him. And Carl gives them that chance when he acts inappropriately. But instead of going to an old folk’s home, Carl decides to turn his house into a dirigible. He unintentionally takes boy scout Russell (Jordan Nagai) with him on a trip to the Himalayas, so Carl can finally take Ellie on the trip she always wanted (as it were). They end up near the location, but in doing so run into a strange bird that Russell names Kevin (even though he is a she).

Carl was inspired as a boy by Charles Muntz (Christopher Plummer) and it turns out that Muntz and his dogs have been looking for that bird for the past seventy years or so. Carl makes friends with Dug (Bob Peterson), who doesn’t like the rest of the pack so much, and is constantly challenged by Alpha (Peterson). Muntz’s time alone has left him a bit daft, but more importantly violent, so Carl and Russell decide to protect the bird, and get Carl’s house to its final resting place.

As has been written about at great length, the film opens with a montage that shows Carl and Ellie’s life together, its pleasures and misfortunes in a silent montage of a lived life. From there the movie has you in its grasp, and if it doesn’t then there may be something wrong with you. There’s been talk that this might be a best picture nominee, and it’s fair to say it’d be deserved, this is a heartfelt and joyous work. The Pixar team is well established, and they are a well-oiled machine that pumps out a film a year, and they also do such great work that there’s no reason to question their process. But it’s also how they take chances. This is a movie that’s geared towards kids that stars an old man, and begins with watching his wife die. But Pixar has become like a secret handshake among adults, and in Los Angeles, and on my twitter feed, this summer you could see lots of people who don’t have kids lining up to watch this film. Such is the power of Pixar.

It’s strange that this is a kid’s movie, but such may be why I have only one quibble with the film. As it’s about the passage of time, and Carl is old, I don’t know why the character couldn’t pass on in the credits. It strikes me that that would be the completion of his journey, but this supposedly for children, and the darker edges have been removed for most modern children’s entertainment. And yet Up is not a kid’s film. It’s an everyone film, filled to the brim with great comedy and action. There’s a set piece where Carl and Russell have to jump from rock to rock while being chased that reminds of the great work Hayao Miyazaki did with Castle of Cagliostro. The character of Dug is comic gold, and has a number of great silly lines throughout. It may be boring to suggest this is Pixar’s latest masterpiece, but there you are.

Disney’s Blu-ray edition is a four disc set, with one a DVD version of the film, and another a digital copy. The first disc offers the feature in DTS-HD Master audio 5.1 ES. The soundtrack on this is stellar to say the least, and the picture quality of the widescreen (1.78:1) presentation is also reference quality. It’s like Blu-ray was made specifically for Pixar films. Extras on the first disc include a commentary by directors Pete Doctor and Bob Peterson in an enhanced viewing mode called “Cine-explore” that offers stills, photos, storyboards, early drawings along with the commentary, and it’s excellent. Doctor and Peterson are good guides for the movie, and understand how to deliver commentary. Also on the first disc is the short film “Partly Cloudy” (6 min.) which is a touching silent narrative about a cloud and a stork, and a new short film called “Dug’s Special Mission” (5 min.) which tells a parallel narrative about Dug on how he came to meet Carl and Russell. “Adventure is Out There” (23 min.) shows the Pixar crew venturing out to the Himalayas to get ideas for the movie, and “The Many Endings of Muntz” (5 min.) goes through all the permutations of how the villain was to leave the movie. There’s also a promo for how to use a digital copy, and bonus trailers.

Disc two is all extras, There’s documentaries “Geriatric Hero” (6 min.), Canine Comparisons (8 min.), “Russell: Wilderness Explorer” (9 min.), “Our Giant Flightless Friend, Kevin” (5 min.) “Homemakers of Pixar” (5 min.), “Balloons and Flight” (6 min.), and “Composing for Character” (8 min.). This walks you through the main characters, including Carl’s house, and Michael Giacchino’s score. “Alternate Scene: Married Life” (9 min.) shows how they worked out the opening of the film, with a different version of the opening montage, with Carl and Ellie punching each other. There’s a promo montage with Up interstitials (6 min.), and there’s a game called “Global Guardian Badge Game” where you answer trivia questions for badges, then there’s two of the film’s trailers. And that’s it. The second disc feels light, all things, but at this point there’s not much point in getting too elaborate with the behind the scenes stuff. There’s enough nuggets here to make this worthwhile.

The journey of Sam Mendes is an awkward one. A talented stage director, his first film came to win best picture, and fueled a (not undeserved) backlash against him. His second film was coolly received, while his next two pictured showed a lessening presence. Revolutionary Road was delayed for a year and was not the academy bait that was hoped for. For the summer of 2009 his most personal, and most satisfying film was released, Away We Go, and it shows a mellowed director dealing with personal issue is a way more satisfying way. My review after the jump.

Away We Go follows Burt Farlander (John Kransinski) and Verona De Tessant (Maya Rudolph). The two are together, not married it seems, but committed. They make their way around America trying to find a place to live. Along the way they meet old friends, some of whom have settled into marriage and become boring (Jim Gaffigan and Alison Tenney), others who’ve gone a less traditional approach (Maggie Gyllenhaal), all of whom are struggling with normal living (Melanie Lynskey and Chris Messina) and family (Catherine O’Hara, Jeff Daniels, Samantha Pryor, Paul Schnieder).

Episodic, the film is about coming to some kind of peace with growing up, and looking at options of futures/exploring the possibilities of the future. For people of the modern generations, getting married and having a kid is not necessarily all that is expected of them, and the idea of settling down has weird expectations/complications. The film captures that, though from the perspective of the upper middle class. This works in some ways as it eliminates money as a main concern of the narrative, but it’s also the film’s limitation, as the film is very much about the problems of the Bourgeois. This can be very off-putting for many, and I found myself slightly swayed by how these problems are those of people with the time and money to worry about them.

That said, I found myself lightly liking the film, mostly because Sam Mendes seems to have finally found a soul to his material. Everything else seemed liked a gimmick, well chosen, this feels heartfelt. It doesn’t feel overly stylized because there’s nothing at the center, it is a modest but character based drama that mostly succeeds in creating characters not caricatures. Some of the supporting players come off a little weaker than others, with Gyllenhaal’s hippie a little bit over the top. But the cumulative effect is worthwhile, if you can invest in the characters. Even if they don’t speak to you, it does come from someplace honest, which is a step in the right direction.

Universal’s Blu-ray presents the film in widescreen (2.35:1) and in DTS-HD 5.1. The transfer is perfect, though the audio has a very limited effect in the scheme of things. There’s a commentary by Mendes and screenwriters Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida, which is a nice, loose chat track. There’s two featurettes, a making of (17 min.) which talks to the cast and crew in an extended EPK, and “Green Filmmaking” (7 min.) which highlights how the film was done with a conservationist touch, trying to be carbon neutral and all that.

As I said last week, with the holiday’s approaching and everyone trying to save money, we’re keeping our eyes open for “geek gifts”.  And thanks to Amazon, if you haven’t already pre-ordered Up on Blu-ray, they have a great deal that ends tomorrow.  If you buy Up for $19.99, you can get a second Disney Blu-ray for an additional $10 dollars.  Since the retail price for the four disc Blu-ray of Up is over $40 dollars, this is a great deal as you get two Blu-ray movies for $30 dollars with free shipping and no sales tax (depending where you live).  While the list of choices is limited, they do have the Blu-ray’s of Bolt, Snow White, and Cars. Click here to check it out.

However, the best part of the deal for the Pixar fanatics out there is getting Up and Monsters, Inc. (both directed by Pete Docter) together for $32.98.  That’s basically getting the 4-Disc Blu-ray of Up AND the 4-Disc Blu-ray of Monsters, Inc. for $16.49 each.  You’re not going to beat that deal.  Either way, this is one of the must-own movies of the year so head over to buy Up with whichever deal you prefer.  Remember, Up will be available to own starting tomorrow so pre-order today because these deals ain’t gonna last.

Going back to the old masters, going back to the classics is always illuminating. Someone like Alfred Hitchcock knew how to frame a film. He knew where he was putting his camera, and why it was there. As in North by Northwest he achieved one of the great visual representations of sex. Cary Grant lifts Eva Marie Saint up to bed, and then a train enters a tunnel. Not exactly subtle, but undeniably brilliant. My review after the jump.

North by Northwest is one of Hitchcock’s most pleasurable films. In his cycle of “wrong man on the run” films, which includes The 39 Steps and Foreign Correspondent, North by Northwest has one advantage over those others films: It stars Cary Grant. And Grant’s dapper persona adds a level of debonair to whatever he did. Here he stars as Roger Thornhill, who’s mistaken for secret agent George Kaplan. He’s picked up by some thugs, questioned, and then has alcohol forcibly poured down his throat in hopes of him having a fatal accident. He escapes, but no one believes him - including his mom.

He tracks down the man he thinks kidnapped him, but when he shows up the man is murdered, and Thornhill is implicated. The man who might be able to clear him is Kaplan, but there’s one problem: Kaplan doesn’t exist. When escaping by train, Thornhill meets Eve Kendell (Eva Marie Saint), who seems easy, but is working for Roger Vandamm (James Mason), and extends his chase of Kaplan into a cornfield.

Well, if you haven’t seen the film, it’s not fair to spoil any more, but if you haven’t you’re either young or don’t love movies. North by Northwest is a masterpiece by one of the great filmmakers of all time, and it’s a fun film, with set piece after set piece that have defined suspense and action filmmaking since Hitch made them. But where films like Vertigo and Rear Window chew on some interesting concepts of voyeurism and obsession, NbNW is Hitch at his lightest, and the master could have a delicate touch. There are no missteps, and when the film comes to its conclusion, it wraps up perfectly.

The main reason to write about the film is Warner Brother’s new 4K 1080p transfer, and to call it a revelation is unfair. The film has been well looked after, but the new level of detail available at home is undeniably impressive. As Glenn Kenny and Jeffery Wells noted, there is details here that were probably there before, but now pop off the screen. The film is fifty years old, but has never looked better at home (though the film is a perennial revival house favorite. As my friend Tom Raneri called it, it is the single most rewatchable film ever made). If you like HD because of the difference in quality, this is one of the best older films to use as a touchstone.

The film comes widescreen (1.78:1) and in 5.1 Dolby TrueHD. The film also comes with a music only track in 5.1, which highlights Bernard Hermann’s excellent score (rousing). The film also comes with a commentary by the late screenwriter Ernest Lehman, and though it was recorded not too long ago, and Lehman was an older gent, it’s pretty riveting once the man picks up steam. “Cary Grant: A Class Apart” (87 min.) is a biography of the film’s leading man, and while going point by point through a lot of his career, it does get some good talking heads. “Destination Hitchcock: The Making of North by Northwest” (39 min) gets Saint to host a making of with comments from Lehman and Martin Landau. This is TV background stuff, but the film is great enough that it deserves some puffery.

New for this release are two documentaries: “The Master’s Touch: Hitchcock’s Signature Style” (57 min) and “North by Northwest: One for the Ages” (25 mi) These documentaries give such filmmakers as Curtis Hanson, William Friedkin, Christopher McQuarrie, John Carpenter, and Martin Scorsese a chance to wax about how Hitchcock made films, and why North by Northwest is one of the best films ever made. There’s enough content here to forgive the somewhat scattershot method of what’s accomplished. I don’t know how much Francis Lawrence took from Hitchcock, nor even know if he’s professed a great interest in him, which makes some interviews better than others, but most everyone has something interesting to say about the master.

Also included is a Still Gallery. A TV spot, re-release trailer, and the theatrical preview, which offers Hitchcock as a tour guide.

Part of what makes Criterion Collection films so valuable, aside from the company’s commitment to the best transfers and special features, is that some times a title will go out of print which makes the film more valuable, both in price and in lording your copy over people that didn’t get one.

“The Third Man” was one of the first Blu-ray titles released when Criterion began their foray into the format on December 18, 2008.  Now “The Third Man” is the first title of the Blu-ray line to go out of print which means the only ones left are those that have already been shipped to retailers.  If you want to get one, now’s the time as the price will most likely rise among eBay and Amazon sellers in the coming months.  I just picked up my copy online from Barnes & Noble for $34.55 (including shipping) which, after searching online, was the best deal I could find.  [Thanks to Blu-ray.com for the heads-up]

“Star Trek” should have a very nice Tuesday, November 17^th when the DVD and Blu-ray of the film hit stores.  But which store will get your space bucks?  With such a major release, a variety of retailers are offering extra incentives to get you to buy your copy of “Star Trek” at their store.  So not only do you have the choice between the 1-Disc, 2-Disc Digital Copy Edition, or the 3-Disc Blu-ray + Digital Copy edition,  you have the choice of which retailer will give you the best bonus.  Which path will you choose?  Hit the jump for your options.

Special offers from non-Amazon retailers may not apply for online purchases.

UNITED STATES

Hollywood Video: Rent/Buy any Star Trek DVD and be entered to win the poster of Uhura above, autographed by Zoe Saldana.

Transworld (FYE/Coconuts/Suncoast): Collectible Steelbook packaging.

Target: You can watch the video above (turn down your speakers), but here’s what it is: exclusive packaging which keeps the discs (both the 2-Disc DVD and 3-Disc Blu-ray Special Editions) inside the saucer section of a plastic Enterprise model.  However, if you’d like a shinier and more expensive Enterprise model with your DVD/Blu-ray…

Amazon: Limited Edition Replica Gift Set (3-Disc Blu-ray Special Edition)

Best Buy: Collectible Gift Set with four pack of badge pins.

CVS: Consumer Offer. Buy $15 (or more) in itunes gift cards and get the DVD (single disc) for only $9.99 (First week only).

CANADA

Best Buy Canada: 3-Disc Special Edition Blu-Ray Collectible packaging - Easily assembles to become a Star Trek U.S.S. Enterprise DVD Package!  (same as Target in the US).

FUTURE SHOP: Exclusive 2 Disc Steelbook Edition and 3-Disc Blu-Ray Steelbook Edition.

HMV: Limited Edition Blu-Ray Gift Set - includes Star Trek 3-Disc Blu-Ray set with Digital copy and Four Replica Starfleet Division Badges.

Wal-Mart Canada: Exclusive Lenticular o-sleeve package on the Star Trek 2 disc DVD.

When you walk into Natural Born Killers, you wonder what drugs the makers were taking. And maybe for a little bit you might want to partake as well, but it’s probably best to not. Regardless of one’s sobriety whilst watching Natural Born Killers, there is no denying that is both a trip and a ride, which is fair enough as much of it is a road picture. My review after the jump.

The film follows Mickey and Mallory Knox (Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis); two kids in love with a taste for murder. The film starts with them running havoc over a diner, and from the get go, Stone gets a great comic sensibility, with the deaths exaggerated to Looney Tunes sensibilities, but like someone who has experienced death up close, he seems unable to romanticize what they’re doing, his director’s eye makes you also feel queasy in partaking. It’s a great sequence for that, and in it you can hear a line or two that seems leftover from Quentin Tarantino’s original script (which was completely rewritten by David Veloz, Stone and Richard Rutkowski).

From there the credits kick in, and Oliver Stone unleashes a montage that suggests the ride you’re in for. Back projection, strange images, discordant soundtrack, blood. He then gives us the back-story of how these characters met, fell in love and decided to kill her parents (Rodney Dangerfield, Edie McClurg). They continue their road trip, chased in some capacity by Detective Jack Scagnetti (Tom Sizemore) but when they kill an Indian, they end up bitten by snakes and arrested at a drug store. They end up in jail and media darlings, where Wayne Gale (Robert Downey Jr.) plans to interview them. The warden (Tommy Lee Jones, looking like a cartoon character) is a touch nervous, but also loves publicity so he lets it happen, and that’s when the murderous duo plan for their escape.

With Wayne Gale, Stone gets to target the bad media at the time, and in its way it feels dated. Though tabloid journalism is still not exactly awesome, it’s mostly moved to the internet in a lot of ways, and it’s become normalized. Either you care about The Apprentice, American Idol (all of which seems mostly harmless), nip slips or not at all. You have to care about Amy Winehouse or Paris Hilton even a little to be involved with that, and they’re so easy to ignore. While the pundit class is now the bane of media’s existence. It’s arguable that television has gotten stupider, but only if you watch it, and there’s so much media, it’s not like there’s the singular voice there once might be felt. Stone’s attack on the place of celebrity killers, and the vaunting of such stories into the mainstream seems a solid enough target, but it too seems dated. Yes, people romanticize killers like John Wayne Gacy and Charles Manson, but that fascination is not much a part of pop culture, so much as certain events do end up becoming the focus of the media’s attention for terrible reasons (we recently went through it with Balloon Boy, but those reading this review in a year might not even remember such events). People are fascinated with scandalous and remarkable stories, and it’s bad journalism, but it also speaks where America was in the early 90’s, with the fall of communism and no real great enemy on the horizon. It may have been the machine to rage against at the time, but now complaining about it seems a bit trivial. To that, there’s a certain relief.

But Natural Born Killers survives because Oliver Stone’s craft is so amazing here. He’s throwing everything at the screen, and it doesn’t all jell, but how the film blends video with 8mm and 16mm to 35mm, the aforementioned back projection, with Robert Richardson’s immaculate lighting, this film is just hard to turn away from. And the switch in stocks makes certain sequences come so very alive. Watching it, you can trace the cinematographer’s fingerprints to a later film he shot, like Kill Bill. There’s a strong visual signature here, and Stone’s work with Richardson has proved to be his most endearing. The film ends up sending mixed messages, but as a visual piece it’s impossible to deny.

Warner Brothers presents the film in widescreen (1.78:1) for a second time on Blu-ray, this time in the director’s cut. That means it’s a little more violent. The film comes in 5.1 Dolby TrueHD, and the soundtrack is as involving as the picture. And as for the transfer, the visuals are rendered perfectly. Extras include material that’s been around since the laserdisc box set, including Stone’s commentary, which is solid stuff. He also provides a newly recorded introduction (4 min.). There’s a modern set of interviews with Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, Oliver Stone, and Tila Tequila among others called “NBK Evolution: How Would It All Go Down Now?” that reflects on the new digital age. “Chaos Rising: The Storm Around Natural Born Killers” (27 min.) is from the laserdisc, and is a more direct making of, with producer Jane Hamsher telling an amazing story about driving in the middle of the desert while on shrooms, and Robert Downey Jr. looking unfortunately gaunt. It gets most of the primary cast and Robert Richardson to talk about the film, and everyone is a little surprised with the end result. There’s also a period Charlie Rose interview (12 min.). Also on the disc are seven deleted scenes with commentary by Stone and an alternate ending (27 min.). Everything was wisely trimmed. Wrapping up the disc is the film’s theatrical trailer.