Posts Tagged ‘DVD’
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I am remiss to admit that I did not feature a review for Pixar’s 9th wonderful feature film Wall·E when it came to theaters in June of this year. Not only do I find it one of the company’s most heartwarming pictures but I also consider it to be one of the best films of the year.
Fortunately, we have the DVD release to reflect on and take the time to fully absorb the brilliance that is Wall·E.
For the uninitiated, Wall·E is a small, boxy robot left on Earth to clean up the mess left behind by humanity as they have shuttled themselves off-world on the dime of the global corporation Buy N Large. Our Wall·E is one of many, but the only one left still functioning. Day in and day out he performs the tasks he was programed to do – scoop trash into his tiny frame, compact it into cubes and stack them into spirling skyscrapers. He does his work efficiently, with no complaints… and totally alone.
Centuries in isolation have caused Wall·E to develop a personality. Like a beachcomber, he collects odd trinkets in an attempt to understand the history of a society that has long since abandoned him. He collects spoons and forks, hubcaps and adoringly watches an old videotape of Hello, Dolly – longingly looking for companionship.
Companionship comes in the form of a sleek and elegant probe droid named EVE, sent to Earth to search for signs of plant life. What follows is an adventure that takes Wall·E off Earth and reconnecting with the remnants of humanity living on-board a luxury star cruiser before leading them home.
The commentary track from director Andrew Stanton reveals a lot. While he admit that the movie hits on themes of environmentalism, consumerism and some of the more slothful tendencies of humans coddled by technology, he never set out to make a “message” movie. Stanton identifies himself as the type of person who likes to keep his politics to himself and was not interested in preaching to the audience. The themes established in the film developed out of the “reverse engineering” of the film’s core concept – a robot left on Earth all by himself and what would that feel like?
Stanton’s commentary reveals a lot about Pixar’s film making process. They establish a simple premise and start asking questions.
“Okay, he’s a robot alone on Earth? What is he doing there? He’s cleaning up. He’s a janitor. Why? Because that seems like a lonely job to do. Why is he alone? Because humanity left Earth. Why? Rampant consumerism ruined the planet. Oh, so he’s cleaning up what they left behind? Yeah! Are there other robots helping him? There were, but the broke down. So then he must have been working for a very long time? Let’s say 700 years. But he doesn’t spend the entire movie by himself? How do we introduce conflict? A probe robot visits Earth. What’s it doing? Looking for plant life. Why? Because then humanity can come back to Earth.”
And so on and so on. I reveals a simple extrapolation process in the writing and gives you the impression that the film’s “message” was a lot less deliberate and serious than some people took it.
In addition to the movie, the three disc special edition contains bountiful extras well worth your time. Most stunning is a deleted scene introduced by Stanton that was pulled from the film in the 11th hour. It’s the trash compactor scene right before the third act where, instead of Wall·E being damaged, it’s EVE who is nearly beyond repair. As Stanton explains, the scene was in the movie all the way up until test screenings. Meaning it had cleared the years of script revisions, storyboards, animatics and made it’s way to full render. This NEVER happens in animated movies, much less computer animated movies that require hundreds of hours of rendering time. It wasn’t until the test screening that Stanton realized his mistake and completely reconfigured the last act of the film. For the rarity of this alone, the scene is fascinating.
The extras also include an hour and a half long documentary called The Pixar Story, which reveals the history and inner workings of the company, excellent featurettes on sound design, visual design, set design, character development and score and – as advertised – a hilarious new short called Burn·E featuring the trials and tribulations of a service robot trapped outside the hull of the ship as seen in the movie.
I strongly believe that Wall·E is a film we’ll still be talking about 50 years from now. Not just from it’s timely message (accidental or not), but for the risks taken by Stanton and Pixar to deliver an emotional and engaging story that makes you care about robots in a way you never thought possible. It’s economical and engaging story will be something families and film buffs will be returning to year after year.
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Pretty much all weekend long I’ve been talking about Star Trek. So much so, that Cami feels she’s missing out a little bit.
Over dinner I expressed that it was too bad that she never got into Star Trek: The Next Generation because it was a really good show.
Much to my surprise, she said, “I’d be open to watching some of those shows if we can rent them using Netflix.”
I just about fell out of my chair.
So now I’m thinking that I have an incredible opportunity to expose my wife to a cultural touchstone, but I’m not sure where to start.
Logically, you would think “Start at the beginning.” But here’s the thing… as much as I love The Next Generation, I don’t think the first three seasons are very good. My rule of thumb is, if Ryker doesn’t have a beard, it’s a bad episode. If Tasha Yar is in it, it’s a bad episode. If Worf doesn’t have his ponytail, bad episode. If Wesley Crusher is in it… Well, you get the idea.
I have it in my head to start Cami out on Season 4, but I’m worried she might miss out on some important character development. Admittedly, it’s been years since I’ve sat down to watch a complete episode. I would catch them from time to time on Spike or G4, but I was never patient enough to sit through the whole thing. Renting the past seasons on DVD would be a way for me to get caught up as well.
So I guess the question is this: For someone who has never watched Star Trek before – let alone The Next Generation – where is a good place to start? Would you suggest starting from the beginning, or do you think there are better episodes to be found in later seasons?
Leave your comments below!
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Uh oh, guys. Look what’s being released on October 20!
As much as I ragged on the theatrical release of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, I’m actually kind of excited to see it on DVD. I think there’s a better chance of me kind of understanding the action on a smaller screen. At least, that was my experience with the original Transformers. I hated it in the theater, but it’s fun to watch at home. I just skip chapters to the scenes with all the robots. Takes about 15 minutes.
Here’s a list of all the bonus features available on the two-disc special edition, plus features exclusive to the Blu-ray edition:
Disc 1:
- Commentary by Michael Bay, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman
Disc 2:
- The Human Factor: Exacting Revenge of the Fallen—This multi-chapter documentary chronicles the entire creation of the film and includes interviews with the cast and crew:
- Seeds of Vengeance – Development and Design—After the overwhelming success of 2007’s Transformers how do the filmmakers top themselves for the sequel?
- Domestic Destruction – Production: United States—Michael Bay believes in going big: Big action and big explosions. Cast and crew are pushed to the limit as they traverse the U.S. from New Mexico to Pennsylvania.
- Joint Operations – Production: Military—No other filmmaker in the world enjoys the kind of military access and cooperation Michael Bay has. Here we see just how efficient our armed forces are and the awe and respect shown by the cast.
- Wonders of the World – Production: Middle East—You can’t really reproduce Egypt anywhere but Egypt so off we go to Giza and Luxor.
- Start Making Sense – Editing—In order to turn over the massive amount of film as quickly as possible to VFX, four editors work tirelessly in a unique tag-team approach to shape the film.
- Under the Gun – Visual Effects—Revenge of the Fallen features the most complicated VFX in film history. So complicated in fact that the filmmakers were unsure they would make the deadline. The DEVASTATOR VFX alone required 83% of ILM’s total render farm capacity.
- Running the Gauntlet – Post-Production and Release—Working seven days a week, Michael Bay and company usher the film through sound design, Digital Intermediate color-timin and a globe-trotting whirlwind of premieres.
- A Day with Bay: Tokyo—An intimate and fun all-access journey with Michael Bay as he travels to Tokyo, Japan tor the world premiere of the biggest film of the year.
- 25 Years of TRANSFORMERS—Access an all-new featurette celebrating a monumental milestone for one of Hasbro’s most successful and popular franchises.
- NEST: Transformer Data-Hub—Explore conceptual artwork created by the production for 12 of the most popular AUTOBOTS and DECEPTICONS from the film.
- Deconstructing Visual Bayhem with Commentary by Pre-Vis Supervisor Steve Yamamoto—A series of multi-angle pre-visualization sequences allowing viewers to learn how some of the film’s most spectacular scenes were created with an introduction by Michael Bay.
- Extended Scenes
- Music Video: Linkin Park’s “New Divide”
BLU-RAY EXCLUSIVE:
- The ALLSPARK Experiment—Viewers get their chance to unleash the power of the recently recovered ALLSPARK shard on Earth vehicles. Begin by selecting and customizing a vehicle with a selection of parts and accessories. Then apply the ALLSPARK to this creation and watch what happens. Applying the ALLSPARK to certain custom combinations enables four new robot characters with special powers. If viewers discover all four, they unlock a fifth vehicle, which reveals a top secret message about the future of the TRANSFORMERS movie franchise.
- NEST: Transformer Data-Hub—A database of some of the TRANSFORMERS characters that appear in the new film, offering users access to each robot’s confidential file including:
- Innovative 3D spin galleries of each robot
- A timeline for each TRANSFORMERS character charting its origins, back story and design evolution from toys to animated series to comics and finally feature films
- Giant Effing Movie—A very personal look at the making of the movie.
- The Matrix of Marketing—An archive of the film’s promotional media including trailers, posters and television spots.
Despite my problems with the movie, I’m looking forward to the Blu-ray release. No matter what your opinion might be about the story, characterization or editing – the technical aspect of this film was a Herculian effort and I’m very interested in learning more about the behind-the-scenes details.
So mark your calendars for October 20!
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I remember being bummed that I wasn’t able to catch the coming-of-age comedy film Adventureland when it was in theaters last April, so it was a real treat to finally catch up with it when it was released on Blu-ray last Tuesday.
Writer / director Greg Mottola’s semi-autobiographical tale about a recent college grad languishing away at the “worst job on Earth” at Adventureland Amusement Park in 1987 doesn’t exactly benefit visually from the Blu-ray format. But the movie has an intentional, gritty feel – as if it’s been filtered through someone’s memory.
The movie does a good job setting itself within the time period without pushing too many “Hey, it’s the 80’s!” cultural touchstones. Yuppies and Madonna are mentioned here and there, but the protagonists in this movie are far, far away from the mainstream. For the most part, they’re grossly over-educated, analytical and sarcastic shoe-gazing romantics with a Lou Reed obsession. I guess the comedy is supposed to come from the contrast of otherwise smart people doing what Martin Starr’s supporting character called “the work of pathetic, lazy morons.”
Falling somewhere between Shia LaBeouf and Michael Cera on the Geeky/Sensitive Leading Man Scale, Jesse Eisenberg plays James Brennan – a recent college grad whose plans to travel Europe with a friend are dashed when his Father loses his job. As things get worse for James’s family and his future in grad school at Columbia University is threatened, he’s forced to take a summer job. Overqualified for every job he applies for, James is forced to take a job at the local, run-down amusement park Adventureland.
The movie serves James a romantic interest in the form of Kristen Stewart’s Em Lewin. I have to admit that I was prepared to hate Stewart going into the movie by virtue of her preening, posturing, sneering performance in Twilight. But in Adventureland, she’s fascinating to watch. Em has a lot of problems at home and despite her cool and friendly exterior, she doesn’t really want to be known by anyone. Her performance really made me reconsider my previous negative attitude toward her as an actress.
James’s confidant at Adventureland is Joel, played by Martin Starr. A sarcastic and somewhat lonely intellectual who shows James the ropes at the park. Mottola gives Joel the pretentious habit of smoking a pipe, but makes him self-aware enough to know that it’s obnoxious. “It’s a revolting affection,” he acknowledges. “But it relaxes me.”
The rest of the cast is rounded out by Ryan Reynolds as the park’s mechanic and Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig as the park’s managers.
Reynolds finally does something very interesting with his innate charm and makes his character a little sleazy for once. Hader and Wiig aren’t in the movie as much as the advertising for the film would have led you to believe. But they are used effectively throughout the movie to add comedic punch between scenes.
There really isn’t anything in Adventureland that hasn’t been done by a thousand other coming-of-age movies. But the film is very relaxed and sure about itself. More than anything, it seems to be about hanging out, getting high and letting relationships unfold. Watching it, I was actually reminded of Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused – another period piece about hanging out, getting high and letting relationships unfold. The only difference here is that the jocks and popular kids have been completely replaced by the intellectuals and misfits.
Similar to Dazed and Confused, however, is the film’s excellent soundtrack. David Bowie, Big Star, The Cure, Crowded House, The New York Dolls, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Replacements, The Velvet Underground and, of course, Lou Reed wrap the film in a perfect period time capsule.
Inventively, in addition to skipping ahead to specific scenes, one of the menu features on the Blu-ray lets you skip to scenes using specific songs from the soundtrack. Falco’s “Rock Me Amadeus” appears as a menu option no less than 4 times – a funny callback to a running joke throughout the film.
Additional bonus features include audio commentary with Greg Mottola and actor Jesse Eisenberg and the requisite deleted scenes. There’s a 17-minute making-of documentary and a few interesting behind-the-scenes featurettes utilizing some of the supporting cast members. “Lisa P’s Guide To Style” instructs you on all the “latest” 80’s fashion. “Welcome to Adventureland” gathers a couple of commercials promoting the park, the employee orientation kit and a peek at the official drug policy. “Frigo’s Ball Tap” instructs you on the proper technique and variety that is the art of tapping your friends in the balls.
Adventureland didn’t set the world on fire at the box office last April, pulling in $16 million domestically during its theatrical run. That’s a shame. The movie is confidently told and competently performed. It deserves a bigger audience and hopefully it will find it on DVD.
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I don’t know that I have anything specific to say about Monday’s comic except that there is a genuine level of excitement for Pixar releases that is mutual between Cami and I in our household. We look forward to them every year – both in the theaters and on DVD. We were fortunate enough to get an extra helping of Pixar a couple of weeks ago when Toy Story was back in theaters. It was kind of like Christmas in July at our house.
Up comes out on DVD and Blu-ray tomorrow and I’m excited to talk about it. I have to hold back, however, because I’m reviewing a copy sent to me last week that will be posted to the site on Tuesday.
Without getting too specific, the Blu-ray looks phenomenal and the bonus material is very insightful. I always felt like co-writers/directors Pete Docter and Bob Peterson had built layers into Up – some that were obvious and some that were not. So it’s very interesting to watch the behind-the-scenes documentaries and the character development that occurred.
There is an excellent alternate scene/animatic called “Married Life” that plays out in great conceptual detail an altogether different montage events in the marriage between Carl Fredricksen and his beloved wife Ellie. That montage delivers an emotional sucker punch in the finished movie and I am pleased to report that even the alternate montage still packs a wallop.
I think it’s a testament to the storytelling going on her that allows you to become so invested in these characters early on, without a word of dialogue spoken. Even when the details are changed, it’s still fantastic.
We might talk a little bit about Up on tonight’s The Triple Feature – I don’t know.
I know Joe saw both A Christmas Carol and The Box, so hopefully he has some insights on those two movies that he’d like to share. Otherwise, it’s a bit of a crapshoot!
I hope you’ll join us as we record the show live, tonight at 9:00 PM over at Talkshoe. Fell free to submit any questions or suggestions for topics of discussion to group@thetriplefeature.com. You can also communicate with us through our Facebook page.
See you later!
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In 2001, the proposition of Monsters, Inc. must have been a scary one for Disney / Pixar.
Coming fresh off the success of Toy Story 2, A Bug’s Life and the original Toy Story (all directed by Pixar King John Lasseter)Pixar put an unproven director in the driver’s seat for Monsters, Inc. – Pete Docter.
Of course, time would prove that Docter’s madcap vision of a world inhabited by monsters who collect the screams of human children to power their communities proved to be a smash hit. But it’s interesting to learn about the behind-the-scenes hand wringing that occurred at Pixar before the release of the film.
One of the bonus features of the movie is a film makers round table with Docter, co-director Lee Unkrich, producer Darla Anderson, and script supervisor Bob Peterson (who also lent his voice to the surly clerical worker Roz in the movie). In their round table, they discuss not only their uncertainty over the somewhat complex idea of a world powered by screams, but also the real-life intrusions that threatened the success of the film.
For example, I had completely forgotten how Monsters, Inc. had come out one short month after the terrible events of 9/11. An even that lead Pixar to wonder if they should push the film back. Ultimately, according to the feedback they received, the film became a refuge for families looking to steer themselves away from the unending and horrible coverage of that day. The insight that the round table provides certainly adds a layer of enjoyment to hard-core fans of the film.
Eight years after its theatrical release Monsters, Inc. holds up incredibly well and the Blu-ray transfer gives the film a candy-coated shot in the arm. Colors are richer, details are more pronounced. Even the hair on Sully’s arms looks more refined. A more perfect version of the film I can’t imagine unless you were sitting in Pixar’s offices, watching it over the shoulder of one of the animators.
In terms of extras, the Blu-ray doesn’t bring much that’s new to the table. A short documentary about a Monsters, Inc. ride at Disneyland Toyko made me want to hop a flight to Japan immediately and an interactive game featuring over 100 doors intimidates more than it inspires gameplay.
Additional features include those already packaged on the Collector’s Edition that was released in 2002. The animated shorts “Mike’s New Car” and “For the Birds”, storyboards, a database of monsters featured in the film, and multiple gag reels.
However, the Blu-ray package gives you a bevy of formats including a digital copy of the film as well as a DVD copy of the film, which are nice bonuses.
As a Pixar fan, I have no problem replacing all of my DVD copies with Blu-ray editions of the film. I believe they are the most authentic reproductions of the movies possible and a visual treat. However, it would have been nice to see a few more extras with the film and I probably wouldn’t have minded waiting another 2 years for a 10th anniversary edition if it meant getting additional content.
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Since I’m in a Disney mood lately, I thought I would pass along a press release I received about Disney’s 50th animated feature Tangled, announcing plans to release the film on 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray and DVD on March 29.
Grossing over 400 million dollars in global theatrical sales to date, TANGLED, The Walt Disney Studios blockbuster animated feature that takes a modern twist on the famous hair-raising fable Rapunzel, debuts as the ultimate 4-Disc Disney Blu-ray Combo Pack (3D Blu-ray + Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy in a single package) on March 29, 2011. As the 50th full-length animated feature in The Walt Disney Studios’ celebrated library and the first animated feature film to ever debut day-and-date on Disney Blu-ray 3D, TANGLED’s uniquely packaged home entertainment release ensures that viewers of all ages can enjoy this film on a variety of superior, hi-def media platforms while diving further into the history and quirky details behind the making of this film via amusing and informative bonus features.
BONUS FEATURES
Blu-ray
Untangled: The Making of a Fairy Tale – Exactly how long is Rapunzel’s hair? How many lanterns were used? Where did Pascal’s name come from? Which Disney animated feature first utilized CG animation? These and more will be answered when Mandy Moore and Zach Levi take viewers on a kooky behind-the-scenes tour to learn how the filmmakers styled this film’s ―Golden Tresses.‖
Deleted Scenes – Co-directors Byron Howard and Nathan Greno introduce three scenes and illuminate why they were ultimately cut.
- The Jaunty Moose
- Chemistry Develops
- Vigor The Visionary
Extended Songs – The complete versions of two great songs are shared in a unique feature that explains the co-directors decision to scale them down.
- When Will My Life Begin
- Mother Knows Best
Two Original Storybook Openings – Two alternate versions of the film’s opening sequence described by co-directors Nathan Greno and Byron Howard.
50th Animated Feature Countdown – A video montage celebrating Tangled as the 50th film to join The Walt Disney Studios’ prestigious lineup of classic animated features.
9 Tangled Teasers – A collection of the most unique and quirky commercials made for the theatrical release of ―Tangled.‖ Some are spoofs based off of infomercials and/or breaking news, some are teasers and others are simply just funny filmstrips.
DVD & Movie Download
Two Original Storybook Openings – Versions 1 & 2
50th Animated Feature Countdown
AAAAAND, for your enjoyment, a YouTube clip announcing the release.
Tangled was a movie that I thoroughly enjoyed and, despite its success, didn’t get the recognition it deserved in theaters. Everyone I talked to who saw it loved it. But I think Disney mucked up the marketing a little by making it appear to be a boy-centric action-adventure flick.
Tangled is actually much smarter than that. Lots of humor, a female lead worth looking up to and a painterly style unseen from the House of Mouse since The Lion King or Sleeping Beauty.
If you missed Tangled in theaters, do yourself a favor and pick it up on Blu-ray. It’s a very worthy addition to your collection. If you’re thinking about pre-ordering it, here are a few links on Amazon:
- Tangled – 3D Blu-Ray, Blu-ray, DVD
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Fans of MTV’s seminal sketch comedy series The State might remember the name David Wain. He was one of the cast’s 11 members who has since gone on to write and produce films like Wet, Hot American Summer, Role Models and the forthcoming Wanderlust.
What you might not know about Wain is that he’s been producing a series of short films for My Damn Channel since 2007 called Wainy Days. The series chronicles a highly fictionalized version of Wain and his romantic pursuits. Seasons 1 – 4 have recently been collected and released as a DVD.
Its hard to rationalize the appeal of Wainy Days. If you’re a fan of offbeat humor, you’ll find a lot to enjoy here. Quite often, things happen for no rhyme or reason. For example, David has an odd habit of pushing people down in the street at random. No reason is given and no repercussions are ever felt but the assaults are frequent (I assume) because it’s funny to watch people fall down.
David also discusses his relationship problems with his friends at the sweatshop where he works. Why does David work at a sweatshop? Again, no reason is given except perhaps to play on the juxtaposition of having a bunch of educated white people working in a sweatshop.
Probably the better reason to watch Wainy Days is because it’s practically an alt-comedy smorgasbord that is sure to delight the most entrenched comedy nerd.
Guest stars of the series include Elizabeth Banks, Lake Bell, Julie Bowen, Saffron Burrows, Rob Corddry, Rashida Jones, Megan Mullally, Nick Offerman, Amanda Peet, Elizabeth Reaser, Paul Rudd and Jason Sudeikis. You’d be hard pressed not to find at least ONE episode featuring a comedy star acting beyond ridiculous just for the hell of it.
The early episodes are a little rough. The transfer looks somewhat pixelated, kind of like the uploaded it the DVD straight from 2007. Also, there’s a good chance that the xylophone-infused theme song for the series will drive you insane before you make it though the second season. So a marathon session is not advised.
However, the films are short – about five minutes a piece – easily digestible and very enjoyable. You don’t really have to keep track of what happens from a narrative stand point between episodes. It’s pretty much small, concentrated doses of silliness. A welcome reprieve from an otherwise hectic life. Watching the different episodes, you begin to understand very quickly why the series did so well online.
Smartly, Wain interrupts episodes with snippets from a Hefner-esque “Pajama Party” that features several of the guest stars featured in the series. Extras include outtakes from each episode, a live script reading, never-before-scene shorts and audio commentaries.
Wainy Days might be niche entertainment, but it’s light and easily accessible. If you’re looking for in-roads to the “comedy nerd” scene, Wainy Days is a good place to start.
Wainy Days is available now and can be purchased through Amazon.
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