Film/Feature: C+
Mike Judge is one of those few creators who understands what makes people laugh in both animation, and live action. A good comedic mind would tell you that it doesn’t matter what the format is, and they’re right, but it’s rare to be able to toe that line and do it as successfully as Judge. He’s given us Beavis and Butthead, King of the Hill, and to many of you out there, he’s simply known as the man behind Office Space. It the latter’s more of your taste, then perhaps you might want to see how Judge’s cubicle dynamics go from the corporate buzzkill to the assembly line at Reynold’s Almond Extract.

Joel (Jason Bateman) is sexually frustrated CEO of a small extract company piddling about his routine life until he runs into the worst month of his life. A freak accident threatens to destroy the company and a two-bit scam artist (Mila Kunis) is pulling the strings. If only he could make it home before 8pm. After the clock strikes eight, his wife (Kristin Wiig) puts on the sweat pants and the chance of him getting lucky goes out the door. His best friend Dean (Ben Affleck), a bartender and Xanax pusher, comes up with a wild and elaborate plan to rid him of all of his troubles; except that Dean and plan should never be used in the same sentence.

Extract is a nice, bite-sized distraction that’s character-driven and doesn’t try so hard to be so outrageous that it becomes just another mind-numbing forgettable comedy. Unfortunately there’s not enough there to guarantee a spot amongst a must-see pile of films out there. It has its share of laughs that jab at workplace logic that never gets old–this time with a blue collar spin–but just because there’s nothing wrong with it, doesn’t make Extract a film you have to rush out and see. Think of a vineyard with a great wine that you love, and then you try one of the other wines in their lineup. It’s got a different direction to it, it’s not as robust, and it has similar notes, but it falls well-short of being a memorable wine. Well, Extract has plenty of positive things going for it, but it just falls short of being a memorable comedy.

What it does have going for it is that you know these people, you know this place and you know the characters that can aggravate you to no end. It’s not specific to one city or region of the country. It’s everywhere and Judge’s Extract has a way of taking what you know and feeding off of that familiarity in an enjoyable enough film. Just temper your expectations.

Video:C+
Miramax put Extract on blu-ray with a 1080p AVC-encoded transfer in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. Colors aren’t as terrific as you’d hope and most notably, the skin tones push towards a pink-orange area that needs some color correction. Blacks and contrast could have been stronger, deeper and more pronounced. Details and clarity sort of phase in and out at times, and the most discernible eyes will catch the spots where this happens. I’d hope for a better looking film and understand this is a small independent film we’re looking at, but the bottom line is that I’m not walking away too impressed by the video.

Audio:C+
Much like the film, there’s nothing really fancy about Extract’s 5.1 English DTS-HD audio track. It’s a mainly a dialogue-driven film, with music pushed to the front and surrounding channels. Suburban neighborhood and some factory noise also gets sent to the rear channels but the volume is turned down so low that you’d have to pump up the volume to really hear it from where you’ll likely be seated, so I was disappointed with the effort here although I expected Extract to be a low-key title to begin with. Other audio selections include: a French 5.1 Dolby Digital track and subtitles are available in English SDH, French, and Spanish.

Extras:D+
There’s not much to the extras of Extract, and no blu-ray exclusives. In fact, you’ll probably learn more about the film in this Mike Judge Q/A session.

Mike Judge’s Secret Recipe HD (11:00) A brief making-of EPK extra the interviews Judge and some cast members about the story of Extract.

Extended Scenes HD (4:00) are five scenes that do run long and were wisely edited.

Deleted Scene HD (0:37) One deleted scene was taken out involving a conversation between Dead and Joel on the “day after.”

Trailers HD previews for When in Rome, Surrogates, and the Boys are Back

Overall Shock Value:C+
I didn’t think much of Office Space after my first viewing but the more I saw it the more I enjoyed it. I never took my affection to the extreme that I’ve heard others share, but Extract is something different; it’s smaller and more intimate, which I found to be one of Extract’s more endearing qualities. Will I think rabid Office Space fans will see this on par with this fabled film? Probably not, but there are some good fresh moments in this film that many viewers should connect with. Extract is devoid of any substantial extras and this is not a blu-ray of high technical achievement. I’d still recommend Extract as a rental.

ON EXTRACT’S STORY AND CHARACTERS

While so many other comedies tend to shoot for these big company stories, you tend to reside in settings with small town folks as the main characters (King of the Hill, Office Space and now Extract) what draws you to these small town stories?

Mike Judge: I would say my stuff resides in suburbs of big towns also, or small towns that are near big towns. I guess that’s because I’ve mostly lived in places like that — Albuquerque NM, Richardson TX, etc. I think that a lot of writers in film and TV in the past have tended to come from NY or big east-coast cities, and there have also been great stuff written about really small hick towns, and so I feel like I can maybe bring a different perspective on things with a suburban setting.

Did you always have Jason Bateman in mind for the lead role?

MJ: I started writing this a long time ago – I think it was shortly after Office Space came out. I originally wasn’t thinking of any actor in particular, just writing it. Jason had done King of the Hill and I always liked him, but when I saw him in Arrested Development, I thought he would be perfect for this, and when I rewrote it and finished it, I was imagining him as the lead. It’s a similar character to what he did in AD, but I think Joel is a little less slick or something. Jason was the first actor I gave the script to and he said he liked it and wanted to do it, so it was him from the get go.

Even with all of the pressures Joel faces at home and at work what is it that makes him a successful boss?

MJ: I think what ultimately makes Joel a successful boss is that he genuinely likes making extract. For me, I enjoy directing movies, making animated TV shows, and in order to do that, you sometimes have to tell people to do things they don’t want to do, or make choices that people don’t agree with. And I really don’t enjoy telling people to do things they don’t want to do, but it goes with the territory. I think there are some bosses out there – and these would be bad bosses in my opinion – that are in it because they actually get off on telling people to do things they don’t want to do; they get some kind of weird pleasure out of making people do things for the sake of making them do things. They get off on the power of it all or something. I think Joel really likes making extract and seeing it get out there in stores and restaurants, and that informs all the decisions he makes, so it’s always coming from the right place. I think that’s how to be a good boss.

From the special features Jason and Ben talk about their long dialogue. How much did you let them improv or is it all from the page?

MJ: I like to let the actors feel like they can be loose with the script up to a point because I want them to feel comfortable and when they really get the character and what’s happening in the scene, then the improv wouldn’t drift too far anyway. I’m not really precious about my writing, but I usually find that in the editing room we end up pretty close to what was on the page. I think if you write good dialogue, it sounds like people spontaneously talking, so audiences think it’s improvised, which is a good thing I think. I would say in this movie, the most improv that would up in the movie came from Ben Affleck. He threw some stuff in there that I just loved and it wasn’t in the script.

Did Ben Afleck find it liberating to play a quirky supporting player for a change? He was great in the film–

MJ: You would have to ask him if he found it liberating, but it sure seemed like he did. I think he had a lot of fun doing it, and it was a blast for me to work with him on it. I really liked what he did. I had never met him before this and when I heard he wanted to do it, I was surprised at first – pleasantly so – and then when I met with him, he started telling me about a guy he knew growing up in Boston and he started imitating him and I just thought it was great. We did a read through of the script early on and I just loved watching him and Jason do these scenes and play off each other.

Was there instant chemistry when the actors began working together or did it take some time for them to gel?

MJ: For the most part it was instant. And most of them had already worked together or knew each other, so it all gelled nicely.

Was it your idea to cast rocker Gene Simmons as bench lawyer Joe Adler?

MJ: Yeah, I had originally described the character as looking like Gene Simmons with a pony tail and a suit and tie. I was kind of naive though, in that I thought no one would recognize him without the Kiss makeup on. I didn’t realize how huge the reality show was. The only time I had ever seen him without the makeup was on Politically Incorrect about 9 years ago and thought he would be great playing an agent or high-powered attorney.

One of the enjoyable performances was from Clifton Collins Jr. as Step. He’s been incredibly diverse this year, can you talk a little about him as an actor and what he brought to the film?

MJ: I love Clifton and have wanted to work with him for a while. I just never had a part that was right for him. I actually hadn’t thought of him for this part either. He usually plays a chicano gangster or a serial killer, so I hadn’t thought of him, but then he walked into the room with a trucker hat on, and suddenly he went from looking like a chicano gangster to Festus from Gunsmoke. I love him as a redneck. He also makes a great Romulan. He’s a true chameleon. And now he’s a big award-winning country music video director also, with Zack Brown Band.

Watching the special features on “Extract”, Mila Kunis mentioned that she may have been based on an actual person you know but curious, were the characters based off people you actually knew. And if so, how would you personally deal with a person so intrusive like Nathan?

MJ: No one is based specifically on one person, but I think most writers base characters on people they have known. The character of Nathan wasn’t any one specific person, but I did have a neighbor – a woman – who was a nightmare. It was in a gated community, so there was only one way out, and she would flag you down and just park herself in your window and just start talking. She would basically make it so you had a choice of either listening to her forever, or being rude and interrupting her, or even worse, pulling away while her arms were rested on your window.

There’s a dignity to the characters – and the work itself – in your film. Talk about establishing that element while at the same time finding the humor in the colorful characters.

MJ: That’s pretty important to me because I’ve worked these kinds of jobs, and I remember feeling like Hollywood was sometimes out of touch with us, and always appreciating it when it felt like a movie or TV show got something right – like there was someone out there in Hollywood who understood what most of us go through. I also used to feel like a lot of characters in movies and TV seemed to have endless cash and free time and you either didn’t know much about their job or they didn’t seem to have to have one. Finding the humor while still having some dignity to the characters is something that is also important to me. I don’t think about it that much; I’d like to think it comes naturally. To me it’s just like when I would sit around with my friends telling stories about people I work with and doing imitations of them and that sort of thing.

ON WRITING AND DIRECTING

In your previous films you’ve had a hand in directing, writing and producing. Which is your so-called labor of love out of the three?

MJ: I mostly like the writing and the editing, and I like when it’s over.

Animation or live action – which do you prefer, and why?

MJ: I think they’re more similar than you might think from the the point of a writer/director. I liked animation when I was just doing short films myself – doing everything myself. That was really satisfying work – making a film one frame at a time, getting it back from the lab and watching it for the first time. That was about as good as it gets I think.
Would you ever do a live action TV series or a another feature-length animated film?
Mike Judge: I would definitely like to do a live action TV series. I don’t know that I would do another feature-length animated film any time soon. Unless maybe it was a CG project.

How different in approach is your storytelling when it comes to animation and live action? Do you bank ideas that were too cinematic when you were working on HILL and GOODE FAMILY and save them for your feature work?

MJ: Actually they are pretty similar approaches. And you can actually get pretty cinematic in TV animation I think, as the Simpsons has done. I think I never got too cinematic with King of the Hill just because of the nature of the show and the characters, not really because it was animated.

Has the gradual embracing of your first two live-action movies made it easier to be patient for a film like “Extract” to find its audience and a fan following?

MJ: Yes. Also keeping the budget low on this has helped.

Did you shoot the film digitally? If so, how did you like/dislike the process of working in digital?

MJ: I shot it on all on film. In fact, we didn’t even do what’s called a “D.I.” which is how most films are finished nowadays. So if you saw it in the theater, you saw a print that was struck right off a negative. I actually like what happens to the look of film when you put it through that process.

What were the challenges of filming in a fully functional working factory?

MJ: Because we were on a tight budget, we had to shoot a lot of stuff while they were still working – they were really bottling. A lot of the background that you see in the movie is actually real people working – not extras. It was loud enough in there that they couldn’t hear us yelling “action” and “cut” and they just kind of got used to us being there, so I got some pretty natural acting in the background because they weren’t acting like they were working; they were really working.

I noticed in Extract that you were mostly able to stay away from pop culture references (outside of Dancing with the Stars), how difficult is it to write a story that doesn’t entail some of that dated material?

MJ: Well, when I first wrote the script, that reference was Will and Grace. That shows you how long ago I wrote it. I’m not big on pop culture references in general – probably because I’m pretty out of it lately, and I’m not great at doing that kind of comedy anyway. I also wrote it back when only a small percentage of the population had cell phones. That’s why there’s all this stuff in there with landlines, pay phones, busy signals, call waiting, etc. I was a little worried about that, but no one seems to have been bothered by it.

Have you enjoyed the resurgence of rated R comedies and has that opened up any other doors for you given that your material has a bit of an edge to it, or has it inspired you to go even edgier than what you’ve done previously?

MJ: I think there have been some great R comedies in the past couple years – The Hangover, Superbad, etc., but for me it’s not ever about edgy or not edgy. Something is either funny or interesting or it’s not, and sometimes something funny falls into the R rated territory, but not always. Some people are surprised to hear that Office Space is R rated, because it doesn’t seem that edgy I guess. I think anytime anyone has ever tried to be deliberately edgy, or to “push the envelope,” it’s usually sucked and lost money. I think there are a lot of movies that are hard-R rated that are really good and made money, but it’s because they are good, inspired movies.

Where does your fascination with groin jokes come from?

MJ: I do find it fascinating that a guy getting hit in the nuts always gets a laugh in movies – even from me – and I’m also not above using that for a cheap laugh myself. At some point, an evolutionary biologist should try to figure out why we laugh at that. I think if they figure out why a sense of humor and laughing even evolved in the first place – how that could possibly have contributed to survival of the species – then one of the first things they should figure out is why getting hit in the nuts always gets a laugh in movies and cartoons. I could go on about this for hours, but I won’t. I actually talked about this with Pulitzer Prize winning author Jared Diamond.

Would you ever consider doing a sequel to “Office Space”?

MJ: I kind of feel like this movie is sort of a follow up to Office Space. I based Office Space on my own experiences working in the cubicle world, and I based a lot of this on my experience being a boss and running what was basically an animation factory on Beavis and Butt-Head. I think when you go from complaining about the man keeping you down, to becoming the man, you realize that being the man is no picnic either. At one point a while back I considered doing a sequel to Office Space, but I wouldn’t do one now. Since that movie came out there have been two great TV shows – the British Office and the American one – and dozens of commercials set in cubicles, so I kind of feel like I wouldn’t want to go back to it at this point.

Thanks goes to Mike Judge, Miramax and Click Communications. Here is a full PCS review of the Extract Blu-Ray.

Year: 2009
Running Time: 105 Minutes
Rated: PG
SRP: $29.98
Studio(s): 20th Century Fox
Release Date: December 1, 2009

Film/Feature: C+
Ben Stiller steps back into his role as Larry Daley, a night guard who gets spooked when the exhibits in the New York Museum of Natural History come to life. Daley is now famous and bogged down with success because he pursued his dreams – the message of Night at the Museum – and is smote by the lure of filthy riches! As an unhappy infomercial pitch man, he suddenly gets sentimental when he finds out that his beloved posse of exhibits come-to-life, are being boxed up and sent to the Smithsonian archive.

Upon arriving in the nation’s capital, his old friends; Jedediah (Owen Wilson), Octavious (Steve Coogan), General Custer (John Hader) and Dexter the super capuchin, run into some rival “exhibits” who want to impose their superiority complexes all over the Smithsonian led by Egyptian Pharaoh Kahmunrah (Hank Azaria) with his henchmen Ivan the Terrible (Christopher Guest), Napoleon Bonaparte (Alain Chabat) and Al Capone (Jon Bernthal). Jedediah makes a distress call to Daley setting up for another “Night at the Museum.” This time it’s the Smithsonian–the mother of all museums. This of course opens up the realms of possibilities to the Air and Space Museum, pop culture exhibits like Star Wars and Sesame Street, the national monuments (giant Abe) and the National Art Museum. Yes, American Gothic and Degas can come to life.

Kahmunrah’s evil plot comes to light when he needs to get his hands on the tablet which brings everything to life, and tries to open a gate for his world to enter ours. He holds Jedediah captive in an hourglass and haphazardly everything becomes a panic. But it all feels like some cheap way to pit to the cast of the prequel against the new cast, not in any meaningful way; not in any way that makes the audience feel like something truly bad can happen if Kahmunrah is successful. Look, his biggest threat is to suffocate a tiny wooden figurine with sand. Just wait until morning, Larry, it’ll all work out. There are some other moments that will pull at the corners of your mouth, like an action nod to 300, or seeing Craig Robinson cast as one of the Tuskegee Airmen, but outside of being a big mosh pit for some of your favorite historical figures, Battle of the Smithsonian plays out like most blockbuster sequels. Good concept, but poor execution.

The most genuine and interesting figure Daley meets on this Night, is Amelia Earhart played Amy Adams who no doubt, steals every scene with her Vaudeville-esque dialogue and sharp wit. Unlike the prequel, Stiller has someone to play off of, and strangely, be a love interest. She’s a glorified doll, Larry! Seriously though, Earhart is by far the most fleshed out character in this film. Her sense of direction is as present as her pursuit of adventure and I won’t be surreptitious and just say that Adams does the best Amelia this year. In fact, it weren’t for Adams, I’d think far less of this film. We get dollops of character growth bridging over from the previous film like Octavius and Jedediah, once sworn enemies are now homies, and a regretful Custer who comes to grips with being most well-known for his great failure. The most significant, cringe-worthy progression of them all is Daley who realizes at the end of the film that true happiness is practically unattainable because he goes back to his night guard job, which made him unhappy in the first place. Huh?

Battle of the Smithsonian did two things for me. 1) it made me want to go to the Smithsonian and see everything for myself because reminded me that it’s one of our country’s best man-made wonders; and 2) inspired me to see the original Night of the Museum to recapture that unsuspecting magic that’s just not present here. It’s sure to play well with tight-knit families who are bound to be distracted for two hours. Director Shawn Levy’s sequel to his box office winner attempts to carry the honor of being the first feature film shot in the National Museums, but truthfully, the Smithsonian deserved much better.

Amelia Earhart (Amy Adams) and Larry Daley (Ben Stiller)

Video: A
Battle of the Smithsonian comes to high definition by way of 1080p AVC-encoded transfer in 2.35:1 aspect ratio, and it’s a great looking film. If you don’t believe me, take the DVD (Disc2) that accompanies the the film and pop that in for comparison. You’ll see that the colors are much more vibrant, details in like the capuchins’ hair is clear and easily definable. The scenes at night are particularly exceptional with deep dark blacks, and the lighting provides great the well-balanced contrast. When characters are shot in black and white (Al Capone and when Daley and Earhart jump into the photo) a dozen more shades of gray are seen than what’s seen on standard definition. The metallic luster of the tablet comes through on the screen and there’s enough grain to give the sense that you’re watching something cinematic instead of a documentary. My biggest problem comes from the inconsistencies of the digital effects. For instance, as seen in the extras, the black and white VJ-Day scene was almost all green screen but is really difficult to tell, even Lincon looks pretty good in several scenes. But other FX shots like the balloon dog (an actual work of modern art), the singing cherubs, and especially the Einstein bobbleheads, look SO fake that they almost take you out of the film. I’m not sure how much of that has to do with the way they put the film together or the transfer, but I’m going to assume it’s the former.

Audio: A–
To go with the high def picture, this film gets a 5.1 English DTS-HD Master Audio track that starts out well. There are lot of little spatial and environment sounds that travel to the rears along with music. The scene in particular of note is when Daley and Earhart are in the Air and Space Museum and planes are zipping by and rockets are whizzing and blasting off reminds one of how nice it is to hear a film in surround sound. The dinosaur roar has a nice rumble to your subwoofer, and when glass breaks you can hear the shards flying all around you. The big battle royale at the end is a bit underwhelming as most of that audio comes from the front and center channels, a bit anti-climactic as far as audio goes. Other audio selections include: French, Spanish, Portuguese; and subtitles are available in English SDH, Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, and Cantonese. Sorry to those who speak French and are hard of hearing, no soup for you.

Ivan the Terrible (Christopher Guest, left), Al Capone (Jon Bernthal) and Napoleon Bonaparte (Alain Chabat): Not their best moment in history.

Extras: B-
This is a mixed bag of nuts for me. In some instances it’s kind of like walking through the dinosaur fossil room; cavernous and impressive in size and inspires imagination, but at the end of the day, not a lot of meat on the bones. Probably the must-see supplement is the Secret Doors and Scientists special which couldn’t have been long enough for me. I love the inclusion of the DVD and yes, the digital copy disc. A major downer for me was the lack of subtitles for the extras; it’s one of those things that have become standard and if you’re playing to as broad as an audience as they hoped, these extras should be geared towards everyone. So that’s a big misstep.

Audio Commentary by Director Shawn Levy is a chatty scene-specific track that’s not very heavy with technical information nor is it full of stories that you’re dying to hear. A lot of it is what happened on that day of the shoot, what lines were improvised and what wasn’t, as well as, some discussion about Rhythm and Hues’ digital effects contributions. Two-thirds in though it seems like Levy’s coffee wears off because he takes longer breaks between thoughts.

Audio Commentary by writers Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon keep the energy up all the way through the end and that’s the benefit of having a team in the same room doing the commentary where you can hear each person bounce conversation, but again did not lean too much towards any one way of commentary style, so unless you REALLY love Night at the Museum films, this one isn’t a memorable track, but in relation to this disc, they’re a nice change from Levy.

Museum Scavenger Hunt Game HD is an elaborate variation of the trivia track where users must use the four colored buttons to navigate and seek out historical figures and artifacts while the film is playing. I’m always for different ways to see the film. I mean if you’re going to buy this blu-ray I would expect anyone who does to see it more than once or twice. And again, given the target audience, this is an extra that would play well to kids in a discovery mode.

Curators of Comedy: Behind the Scenes with Ben Stiller HD (27:52) that’s heavily centered around interviews with the cast, some publicity for director Shawn Levy (who you’ll get to know quite well), and set design and recreating parts of the Smithsonian where they couldn’t shoot. It’s solid work, more than an average EPK piece, but not to the diary level of some making of specials I’ve seen.

Secret Doors of the Smithsonian HD (15:58) takes a tour of the museum, the people who work in the museum and those who handle the exhibits, artifacts, and the research done at the famous Smithsonian. Many of the curators and scientists who conduct research on site are interviewed as well brief tours that go into the offices where most people don’t get to go. If you really have a thirst for history and knowledge, then 16 minutes is just too short. I could watch another two hours of Smithsonian tours.

Show Me the Monkey Featurettes HD (18:00) is actually three short featurettes about working with simian actors Crystal and Squirt, the capuchin monkeys who plays both Dexter and Able in the Night of the Museum series. What’s fascinating is the third special that shows the home these capuchins have and what their trainers do for their daily regiment. Crystal in particular has been in too many big movies to count, and is a testament to her and her trainers.

Museum Magic Entering the World of Photograph HD (5:41) reveals the process in recreating the 1945 Times Square VJ-Day moment where the famous picture of the sailor and nurse kissing was taken.

Deleted Scenes HD (26:44) with optional commentary by Levy shows 11 cut scenes including a different ending.

Directing 201 with Shawn Levy HD (19:19) A day in the life of Levy while on the set of shooting Battle of the Smithsonian. This particular day was Steve Coogan’s final day of principal shooting as they film his and Owen Wilson’s big green screen battle with the giant feet, and Levy bounces to shooting multiple scenes, to editing visual effects, and laying down audio. It also shows the other crew members who he communicates with like the costume designer, action choreographer, and assistant director.

Phindering Pharaoh With Hank Azaria HD (4:50) See how the great voice actor Hank Azaria honed the voice for his Egyptian Pharaoh.

The Jonas Brothers in Cherub Bootcamp HD (3:53) A fake doc about the Jonas Brothers rehearsing for their appearance in the film as the sing-songy cherubs in the film. Thankfully, it’s a short piece where the brothers have a pretty good sense of humor about themselves.

Gangster Levy HD (1:57) If you haven’t discovered by now, Shawn Levy is littered throughout this entire disc, almost to the point of nausea. He’s a great, energetic guy who comes off as a interesting and a bit snarky. But this is yet another Levy-centric special, starring in an black and white Al Capone clip.

Gag Reel HD (8:10) The obligatory gag reel full of line gaffs and goofs that’s sure to get a few snickers and giggles.

Historical Confessions: Famous Last Words HD (6:29) Several of the actors talk catty about each other’s characters while in remaining in character. It’s cute but probably not worth revisiting more than once.

Cavemen Conversations: Survival of the Wittiest HD (4:18) is an “interview” with the three cavemen which is funny for the first thirty seconds, but runs way too long. Nothing will make you beg for the Geico Caveman commercials faster than this.

The Making a Scene SD (9:36) is quick EPK/TV show hybrid on how Air and Space Museum sequence was put together.

Fox Premiere SD (5:28) is a red carpet event with questions for the cast and crew at a premiere that was held at the Smithsonian.

Trailers HD is an interesting collection of other Fox productions including Post Grad, Aliens in the Attic, Fame, (500) Days of Summer, All About Steve, Amelia, and Glee.

Disc 2 is a DVD of Night at the Museum: Battle of the Museum for viewing the film on DVD players, whether they be in your vehicle, portable DVD player or computer.

Disc 3 is a Digital Copy of Night at the Museum: Battle of the Museum for viewing the film on portable media and computers.

Larry hanging with Lincoln

Overall Shock Value: C+
I’m certainly not above enjoying a good popcorn film but Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian is only enough to get your feet wet. Extras will entertain, but only so far. It does look terrific in high definition and the sound is fine; but the story just seems like a clown car plot, in other words, how many people can we fit in this before people begin to notice there’s not much story? If the family is itching to see something new and familiar, but doesn’t want to get too involved with anything too deep then this is it. Otherwise, Rent It.

Year: 1996
Running Time: 113 Minutes
Rated: R
SRP: $39.99 Single release or $89.99 Kevin Smith 3-Pack
Studio(s): Miramax
Release Date: November 17, 2009

Film/Feature: A+

It’s not who you love, it’s how you love.

After taking an amusing detour in Mallrats, Smith got back to basics and made a personal film. Not in the traditional sense. Not with Meg Ryan or not like some cookie-cutter Kate Hudson film. Smith had one more chance to do a successful film or else be forgotten in the pile of directors that could have been big. (For the record, Kevin, I liked Mallrats) His goal was to make the movie Dogma, but before doing that, he had to get back on his feet, after being soundly defeated at the box office with Mallrats. Somehow, he crafted a story born out of his real relationship at the time with actress, Joey Lauren Adams and came up with Chasing Amy. Now, none of the actual events in the movie really happened in Smith and Adams’ life, but the film served as a metaphor for the crossroads that many relationships can’t seem to build a bridge over.

In this film Holden (Ben Affleck) and Banky (Jason Lee) are the best of friends, and partners in crime, comic book creators of the wildly popular comic, Bluntman and Chronic, based on the likeness of View Askewniverse dealers, Jay and Silent Bob. Holden is a conservative guy, firm in his convictions and traditional in every sense of the way, and then he meets Alyssa (Adams), a fellow independent comic creator, and falls head over heels for her. The problem is that she’s gay, and Holden’s pursuit of her troubles Banky and creates a rift that could damage years of friendship.

It’s a sordid love story that has tragedy written all over it but is neither predictable nor insensitive. Sex is spoken in vulgar fashion, but in a way that Smith so eloquently can do so well. Combined with raw performances by Adams, Affleck, and Lee, soon after the movie starts, you know that these characters will stick stay in your mind.

I found Chasing Amy so wonderful, that it restored faith that an American filmmaker could do something new with something that’s so fundamentally trite at that time in cinema. It was mature, ground-breaking and took such a strange angle at love that no one’s come close to touching it since. Chasing Amy starts out as a sex comedy that takes viewers to places they weren’t expecting, and without them knowing it, reveals the a genuine love shared between two sets of people in a way that will make you laugh one minute, and cry the next.

Take away all the dressing and Chasing Amy is not so much about sexual inadequacies, insecurities, or straight men trying to convert lesbians, as it is about getting close to the bond between two people and seeing how much or little of it can survive through and ultimately how fragile love can be.

Chasing Amy was a real shock to me at the time. I never knew that Smith had it in him to make a film like his, or that the actors had it in them to realize such full and complete characters. That’s why Chasing Amy continues to be an important film. It has soul behind the words, and that unrefined emotion behind the performances that’s rare in entertainment, and is worth revisiting time and again.

Video: A-
Much like the Clerks Blu-Ray, the new 1080p High Definition VC-1 Transfer preserves the original 1.85:1 aspect ratio and improves the overall look quite well, but it’s not going to hold up well when you compare it to a film that was shot with better equipment. Primary hues and synthetic color have a bit more juice behind them, while real world colors have a drab, muted quality. You can tell when different cameras were used at different scenes. Take Chapter 14 for instance, the establishing exterior shot of the restaurant is very clear, and then when the scene goes inside it looks fuzzy and and grainy. Then the scene goes back to inside Holden’s car and the detail jumps up again. So it would be nice to see a bit more consistency across the board but this variance is probably due to the way it was shot rather than the VC-1 encode. The color in this chapter also shows all the gradual ranges of blues, purples, golds, and ambers in the scene. It’s for the most part a fairly strong transfer. There’s still grain present throughout so for those who prefer that cinematic look will be happy in the overall aesthetics. Textures have a bit more detail so to actually see differences in clothing, furniture, etc. Remember that this film was made on $250,000 which is not a lot of money, folks when you’re talking about a color film. And while that’s a significant increase in the cost of Clerks, it’s still not ever going to look like million dollar film, so given the resources and the limits in technology used, Chasing Amy looks better than it ever has, but only serious videophiles are going to walk away from this blu-ray.

Audio: B+
Like the video presentation, the high definition English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack is going to feel like a little bit of overkill for what’s a dialogue driven film. The audio gets an ample jolt in spots where music is played, or again in Chapter 14 when the rumble of the Thunderstorm rolls through. Raindrops can also be heard in the rear channels when both Alyssa and Holden argue in the rain. Another scene of note is Chapter 20 at the hockey rink. It’s probably the most active scene in the film creating a full scene around you. Other audio options include Spanish 2.0 Dolby Digital, German 5.1 DTS, and subtitles are available in English, English SDH, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese, Bahasa, Maly, Mandarin, Farsi, Korean, Svenska, Norsk, Dansk, Suomi, Islenska, Russian, Turkish, and Romanian.

Extras: A-
For the first time, this film gets dusted off since the fine 1996 Criterion Collection. And as a huge fan of Criterion, I don’t think I’ll ever get rid of my old DVD, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t double-dip to get Chasing Amy on blu-ray. They’ve added lots of new material as exclusives to the blu-ray, but unfortunately they took off an incredible audio commentary by Kevin Smith, Scott Mosier, Ben Affleck, Jason Mewes, Robert Hawk, Jon Gordon and Vincent Pereira. There was also a booklet that was used in the Criterion case with an essay by Smith, chapter menu and “Who’s Who in the View Askewniverse” that’s sadly missing as well. What has been transported over is the following:

10 Deleted Scenes (25:01) SD Tell ‘em Steve Dave (3:43), Original Love Story (5:08), Bring on the Free Hooch (1:10), Money and Power (5:25), Help a Brother Out (0:48), The Right Man (1:37), Shoes? (1:02), Bitch, You’re Schooling No One (1:32), A More Tolerant Age (2:49), The Mata-Fucking Hari! (1:43).

Outtakes (4:36) SD is a gathering of laugh-inducing moments on the set.

Trailer (2:05) SD Theatrical trailer

Sneak Peeks for On Blu-Ray (1:02) Everybody’s Fine HD (2:32), Extract HD (1:19), and Surrogates HD (1:21).

Blu-Ray Exclusives
Now we come to the new stuff which most are in high definition (with the exception of the Q and A) and in 2.0 Stereo.

First is the New Audio Commentary by Kevin Smith and Producer Scott Mosier will be a treat for those who are familiar with Smith and Mosier’s online Smodcasts. This is the only place to hear Smodcast No. 97, which is the new commentary for Chasing Amy on Blu-Ray. None of the Smith’s commentaries could ever be claimed as being scene-specific, but from the beginning, the track gets derailed into a free-wheeling conversation that takes us from one tangent into the next and while I miss the directness and focus of the original commentary, it’s a track full of laughs, (where the duo’s sobriety can almost come into question) and puts a new spin on seeing Chasing Amy for the umpteenth time. If you like this Smodcast, you can find the others here.

Tracing Amy: The Chasing Amy Doc HD (1:22:00) Like in other documentaries about Smith’s films, this is an excellent look back at the landmark moments of Chasing Amy. Everything is discussed including the early groundwork of where the story would come from, sexual insecurities, Smith and Adams relationship that would be the foundation for the film, making a film about the gay lifestyle, bromance between Banky and Holden, having $250,000 to spend instead of $3 million, and the rise and fallout of Sundance including the damage it did to the friendships of View Askew.

Was it it something I Said? HD (18:00) is a very candid one-on-one conversation between Smith and Adams as they revisit their relationship and reflect on Chasing Amy and what that did to their careers. Smith is clearly still giddy and excited to be there, while Adams still appears to have some reservations, but neither of them hold back and is a strong supplement to the film after all these years.

10 Years Later Q and A SD (27:46) with Kevin Smith, Jason Lee, Joey Adams, Ben Affleck, Dwight Ewell, Scott Mosier and Jason Mewes. Smith and crew field questions at the Arclight in Los Angeles, in reflection of Chasing Amy like revisiting the emotional scene between Holden and Alyssa, how Adams and Smith’s relationship at the time affected filming and a host of other softball questions that allowed the cast to give playful answers. It does helps to put on the subtitles as the audio isn’t very good and some of the actors like Jason Lee and Jason Mewes don’t talk very clearly into the mics.

Overall Shock Value: A+
We can always hope for all films to have a big boost in video and audio in the jump to blu-ray but at the end of the day, you still want the films to look as originally intended and not look or sound artificial. Technically, it’s better than the 1996 Criterion Collection, and it’s got a handful of new and exclusive new material just for blu-ray. Chasing Amy is finally on blu-ray and is the biggest reason to go out and get the Kevin Smith 3-Movie Collection.

I’m not shy to say that Chasing Amy will always have a firm place in my favorite films of all time, because it’s unconventional journey with memorable performances. It’s a deep look at love, not just between significant others, but friends as well, and instead of trying to find the words to describe what a treasure Chasing Amy continues to be, I’ll just say, please watch it with an open mind if you’ve never seen it before and if you have, to see it again (preferably on blu-ray) and enjoy.

In a tech breakthrough for those who still prefer to have their media in a physical form (like me), Universal Studios is coming out with a new Flipper Disc Technology, which will have the blu-ray of a movie on one side of the disc, and the DVD on the other side. In other words, you’ll only need to buy one version and whether you plan to upgrade now or down the line, you’ll have everything you need.

“Universal’s flipper discs are the perfect way for consumers to future-proof their collections while still enjoying their favorite movies on all their existing DVD players,” said Craig Kornblau, President of Universal Studios Home Entertainment. “The flipper disc offers an easy way for viewers to convert to Blu-ray now or at any time in the future, confident in the fact they will be able to experience their home entertainment purchases in the highest quality picture and sound when they do.”

So what’s the first set of films to be put into this format? The Bourne Trilogy; however, not as a box set, the films will be sold separately for the first time on Blu-Ray. They were previously releases on Blu-Ray in a three-film box set at the beginning of 2009.

The new “flipper” discs will launch on January 19, 2010 with superspy thrillers, The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, starring Matt Damon, premiering as individually packaged Blu-ray™ discs. Each side will have bonus features and have the capabilities to access BD-Live and U-Control Blu-Ray exclusives. See below after the jump for more details. Each blu-ray will have a suggested retail price of $29.98.

I’ve always been impressed with Universal’s blu-rays. The sound and picture quality overall of their library has never disappointed me and it’s refreshing to see someone other than Sony and Disney to really try and go forward and do something creative with the format. So consider this a cool bit of news that could change how the industry packs their movies in the future.

Below is a listing of the Bourne Trilogy content on the new Flipper Discs…

THE BOURNE IDENTITY

FILM SYNOPSIS:
After being pulled from the sea with two bullets in his back, Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) awakens on a fishing boat with no memory of his involvement in a top-secret, black ops arm of the CIA called Treadstone. The only clue to his identity is the number of a Swiss bank account in which he discovers an array of passports and weapons, as well as a fortune in cash. As he struggles to regain his memory, his former employers dub him a rogue agent and target him for termination. When an equally deadly assassin codenamed “Professor” (Clive Owen) is sent to dispose of him, Bourne rediscovers his extraordinary survival skills, including hand-to-hand combat, martial arts and multiple languages and begins to understand who he really is. As he struggles to unlock the secret of his own identity, Bourne has to deal with his past in order to ensure his own future.

BLU-RAY™ HI-DEF BONUS FEATURES INCLUDE:
** Exclusive U-Control: Universal’s exclusive signature feature U-Control allows viewers to delve into the making of the film with the click of the remote without ever leaving the movie. While you watch the movie, immerse yourself in the character dossiers and location analyses, and explore the technology behind the spy gadgets through visuals and 3-D animations.
• Picture in Picture
• Bourne Orientation
• Bourne Card Battle Strategy Game
• Treadstone Files: Includes interactive Character Dossiers, Agent Status info and GPS features.
· BD-Live™: Blu-ray™ and Playstation3 players with an Internet connection can access exclusive interactive applications that allow viewers to communicate with friends and family while watching the film:
• My Scenes Sharing: Share your favorite clips with friends through BD-Live™ Internet discussions.
• Bourne Card Battle Strategy Game.
· Additional extras:
• My Scenes
• The Ludlum Identity: An extraordinary portrait of the best-selling author through archival interviews with friends, colleagues, family members and Ludlum himself.
• The Ludlum Supremacy: Who is Jason Bourne? A revealing look at how Bourne was born.
• The Ludlum Ultimatum: A fascinating examination of the Bourne character and his enduring audience appeal.
• The Birth of the Bourne Identity
• Deleted and Extended Scenes (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
• Alternate Opening and Ending: With an introduction by producer Frank Marshall, screenwriter Tony Gilroy and actor Brian Cox. (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
• The Bourne Mastermind: Robert Ludlum: A fascinating new look at the late Robert Ludlum, the bestselling novelist who created the “Bourne” trilogy. (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
• Access Granted: An exclusive interview with screenwriter Tony Gilroy on the challenges of adapting Ludlum’s 500-page book for the screen. (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
• From Identity to Supremacy – Jason & Marie: This feature includes exclusive interviews with Matt Damon and Franka Potente which explore the making of The Bourne Identity – and build a bridge to the spectacular sequel, The Bourne Supremacy. (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
• The Bourne Diagnosis: Insights into the causes and effects of Jason Bourne’s struggle with amnesia from a UCLA psychologist. (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
• Cloak and Dagger: In this feature, CIA liaison officer Chase Brandon delivers a detailed, real-world analysis of the making of a super-spy. (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
• Inside a Fight Sequence: Join Matt Damon on the set as he and the film’s Stunt Choreographer map out the explosive action-packed U.S. Embassy fight sequence. (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
• Moby “Extreme Ways” Music Video (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
• Feature Commentary with Director Doug Liman (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)

THE BOURNE SUPREMACY

FILM SYNOPSIS:
When his lover is murdered and he is framed for the assassination of a fellow agent, Jason Bourne finds himself on the run again. But as he closes in on his girlfriend’s killers, he realizes his former handlers are back on his trail. After his fingerprints are found at the scene of a murder in Berlin, an ambitious CIA operative (Joan Allen) becomes determined to stop him once and for all. Haunted by debilitating fragmented memories as he navigates the labyrinth of international espionage, Bourne (Matt Damon) must outwit, outmaneuver and outmuscle some of the most powerful forces in the world just to survive.

BLU-RAY™ HI-DEF BONUS FEATURES INCLUDE:
** Exclusive U-Control: Universal’s exclusive signature feature U-Control allows viewers to delve into the making of the film with the click of the remote without ever leaving the movie. While you watch the movie, immerse yourself in the character dossiers and location analyses, and explore the technology behind the spy gadgets through visuals and 3-D animations.
• Picture in Picture
• Bourne Orientation
• Bourne Card Battle Strategy Game
• Bourne Dossier
· BD-Live™: Blu-ray™ and Playstation3 players with an Internet connection can access exclusive interactive applications that allow viewers to communicate with friends and family while watching the film:
• My Scenes Sharing: Share your favorite clips with friends through BD-Live™ Internet discussions.
• Bourne Card Battle Strategy Game.
· Additional extras:
• My Scenes
• Scoring with John Powell: A special look at creating the pulse-pounding score for the movie. (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
• The Bourne Mastermind: Robert Ludlum: A fascinating new look at the late Robert Ludlum, the bestselling novelist who created the “Bourne” trilogy.
• The Bourne Diagnosis Part Two: Insights into the causes and effects of Jason Bourne’s struggle with amnesia from a UCLA psychologist.
• Feature Commentary with Paul Greengrass (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
• Explosive Deleted Scenes (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
• Matching Identities: Casting – See what it took to land a key role in this major action hit. (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
• Keeping It Real – A look at the edgy and kinetic visual style the filmmakers brought to Supremacy. (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
• Blowing Things Up – Virtual isn’t always better. See how some of the film’s most awesome pyrotechnical sequences were created—without digital effects. (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
• On the Move with Jason Bourne – Travel the globe to visit the film’s exotic locations from India to Berlin to Moscow. (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
• Bourne to Be Wild: Fight Training – Matt Damon didn’t become a lethal weapon overnight. Witness the action as the star and the movie’s fight trainer perfect the film’s thrilling hand-to-hand combat scenes! (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
• Crash Cam: Racing Through the Streets of Moscow – Experience how stunt coordinators meticulously planned and executed the movie’s stunning, high-speed chase sequence. (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
• The Go-Mobile Revs Up the Action – Feel the rush of being in the driver’s seat with this revolutionary new vehicle used to capture Matt Damon’s high-speed exploits in the film’s jaw-dropping car chase sequences! (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
• Anatomy of a Scene: The Explosive Bridge Chase Scene – Step onto the set and experience the tension and intense preparation as the filmmaking team plans and shoots one of the movie’s most demanding, dangerous and thrilling action scenes. (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)

THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM

FILM SYNOPSIS:
All he wanted was to disappear. Instead, Jason Bourne (Damon) is now hunted by the people who made him what he is. Having lost his memory and the one person he loved, Bourne has only one objective: to go back to the beginning and find out who he was. Now, Bourne will hunt down his past in order to find a future. He must travel from Moscow, Paris and London to Tangier and New York City as he continues his quest to uncover the truth behind his mysterious past—all the while trying to outwit a new generation of highly-trained assassins as well as the relentless CIA operatives who will stop at nothing to prevent him from learning his true identity.

BLU-RAY™ HI-DEF BONUS FEATURES INCLUDE:
** Exclusive U-Control: Universal’s exclusive signature feature U-Control allows viewers to delve into the making of the film with the click of the remote without ever leaving the movie. While you watch the movie, immerse yourself in the character dossiers and location analyses, and explore the technology behind the spy gadgets through visuals and 3-D animations.
• Picture in Picture
• Bourne Orientation
• Be Bourne Spy Training – Viewers test their skills to see if they’ve got what it takes to be a covert operative.
• Bourne Card Battle Strategy Game
• Blackbriar Files: While you watch the movie, immerse yourself in the character dossiers and location analyses, and explore the technology behind the spy gadgets through visuals and 3D animations.
· BD-Live™: Blu-ray™ and Playstation3 players with an Internet connection can access exclusive interactive applications that allow viewers to communicate with friends and family while watching the film:
• My Scenes Sharing: Share your favorite clips with friends through BD-Live™ Internet discussions.
• Bourne Card Battle Strategy Game.
· Additional extras:
• My Scenes
• Man on the Move: Jason Bourne – From Berlin to Tangier, see how the film’s exotic locations influenced the filmmaking process. (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
• Rooftop Pursuit – Discover how state-of-the-art technology was used to film the incredible Tangier rooftop chase scene! (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
• Planning the Punches – Matt Damon reveals his complex and rigorous fight training. (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
• Driving School – Join Matt Damon behind the wheel as he trains for the New York car chase scene. (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
• New York Chase – An insider’s view on how the film’s heart-stopping chase sequences were filmed. (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
• Feature Commentary with Director Paul Greengrass (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
• Deleted Scenes (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)

Film/Feature: A

Its cultural influence includes one of the earliest modern explorations of bromantic relationships, honest and vulgar, sexual conversations that were spoken everywhere except on camera, and observations from a geek’s view-master of popular culture. Kevin Smith paved the way for Judd Apatow, Todd Phillips, and continues to influence others, be ripped off, or paid homage to in film festivals around the world. Clerks marked the return of the vulgar comedy that disappeared in the late 80’s. He did for as much for the comedy film as much as Quentin Tarantino did for the genre film. Clerks didn’t hold back. Clerks was a fearless skydive into the bottomless pitt of the unknown; not just in the effort by its green filmmakers, but in the type of story it told, that would reach audiences to that point, had not been established. His voice was one that was distinct, loud and clear.

For those too young, too old, or not hip to Kevin Smith’s filmmaking debut, Clerks is about a day in the life of two store clerks, Dante and Randall. One runs convenience store, the other a movie rental store. It was the capital of slacker-town, the armpits of the underachievement, and apparently, the one place that hadn’t been explored in movie form. On his day off, Dante comes to work at a fork in life trying to choose either a path with his sexual insecurities with his current girlfriend, Veronica (Marilyn Ghigliotti) or recapture the flame with his past girlfriend, Caitlin (Lisa Spooner) with whom he’s been speaking to behind Veronica’s back. He soon finds out that he is the last to know that Caitlin is engaged. And if his girl troubles weren’t enough, then it’s his lack of ambition that holds him back from ever progressing in life. It’s a good thing his best friend, Randall is there at his side, to nag him, needle him, and goad him to walk away from his responsibilities.

Clerks spoke to a whole generation of 20-somethings, and later, teenagers trying to find direction in their life, trying to define love and overcome obstacles in life that hold them back. If you were in your 20’s in the late 90’s, Clerks was a relevant film to you. It just didn’t hold true only to Generation X, but has since been well-received by Generation Y and Baby Boomers alike, who have discovered Smith. Anyone that’s ever held a customer service job or even less specific, hated their job, can relate to something in Clerks.

Smith’s knack for the written word made up for his lack of cinematic vision. His infamous static camera and trademark lack of depth was forgiven when a rapid-fire of profanity-laced tirades came out of two convenient store clerks, loitering drug dealers, and obnoxious customers that manages to encapsulate every odd character who walks into a retail store. Never had there been so many large, poignant observations of life been made in an on-location set so small.

Part of Clerks’ magic was its charm: the extremely low budget, the black and white appearance, Smith’s New Jersey friends and roots, and its long and storied road to success. Part of that experience includes passing Clerks to those who haven’t seen it, as if it were a torch bearing light onto a beach of an undiscovered country, still waiting to be inhabited, 15 years later and beyond. And now it can continue on in high definition.

Video: B
Smith addresses to his surprise in the new blu-ray intro, that the film actually received the high definition treatment in a 1080p AVC-encoded transfer in Clerks’ 1.78:1 original aspect ratio on what’s essentially a lo-fi film. Despite his less than flattering comments on his first film, Clerks does look much better than the original DVD release, and slightly better than the 10th Anniversary DVD release. It’s still filled with grain, but let’s attribute that to where it needs to be credited to, the 16mm print and affordable camera Smith, Klein and Mosier had to work rather than the transfer itself. There was a lot of clean up work done for the last DVD release so most of the visual miscues are gone. The picture is much clearer, sharper, blacks are sufficiently deep and solid but know, that grain and fuzziness are still present. Any desire for better picture quality out of Clerks is an unreasonable expectation and is an uneducated desire given the way the film was originally shot. Again, part of the charm of Clerks is that underground feel–ironically a result of the lack of finances–rather than poor DVD or Blu-ray authoring. Clerks will never be a shining example of high definition video no matter what is done to it, but the important thing is that it looks clean and the contrast is adjusted so that the clearest possible image can be seen, and I think the transfer accomplishes that fairly well.

Audio: B-
Clerks gets a new 5.1 English DTS-HD Master Audio track and after listening to it, one could barely tell it’s much different than the previous 10th Anniversary track. There’s still a bit of distortion out of the center channel at high volume levels, and it’s doubtful any effort was put into taking Clerks into the same level as a sci-fi action flick, trust me, that’s okay. Dialogue is clear when it needs to be and music from the soundtrack jumps the curb. There’s still some muddy moments but surrounds are under-utilized outside of music, and there’s a little desire for a bit more directional movement, but your average Kevin Smith fan is not going to find much at fault here. Subtitles are available in English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Bahasa, and Malay.

Extras: A
It’s hard to really come down on anything here. I don’t know if I appreciate the “cunning ruse” to try and sell this as a 15th Anniversary Edition when 95% of it is from the 10th Anniversary DVD. Everything has been ported over from that near-perfect edition with one big exclusive to blu-ray, that being the Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back documentary, Oh What a Lovely Tea Party. All of the extras are in standard definition, unfortunately, and is the only shortcoming of an otherwise exhaustive revisiting of this classic film.

Theatrical Version
Classic Commentary Circa’ 95 with Kevin, Mos, Mewes, Brian and others is a strong, classic track which is the most scene specific as Smith and gang are going to get. Vincent Pereira is one of the “others” on the track and keeps the conversation as focused as it can be.

Enhanced Playback Track Enhanced Play with trivia track and “Clerks Quarks” like the “F#@$” Counter which counts how many times the F word gets thrown around in the flick. See the number multiply whenever Mewes is on screen!

The First Cut Edition
Intro SD (8:41) Smith and Mosier ramble a bit and eventually get around to introducing the new and improved cut of the film.

The First Cut Commentary with Kevin, Brian, Jeff, Mos, and Mewes is exactly what you imagine it to be. This is the first commentary track that featured Jeff Anderson and it’s a funny one that fails at being a scene-specific track, opting for an organic, funny, and honest audio track which is exactly what you expect. Listen for a story involving Smith’s mom and Mosier just take a life of its own. You can also switch the angle and see the live commentary while its happening, put it in a split screen, or just listen to it.

Other 10th Anniversary DVD Extras
Clerks Lost Scene Animated Short HD (10:06) is an animated version of the scene at Paulson’s Funeral Parlor that was originally done as an Oni Press comic drawn by Ande Parks and Phil Hester. It was later animated (In Clerks Animated style) as a 10-minute short and intro’d by Smith and Mosier. The scene can be viewed separately or integrated into the extended cut of the film and yes, it’s as funny as one would think. View Askewniverse /Chasing Amy fans will enjoy the return of Joey Lauren Adams as Alyssa Jones.

The Flying Car with Intro by Smith SD (8:14) is a Clerks live action short that was filmed for the Tonight Show of all places and has Dante and Randall back in the saddle, this time while they’re stuck in traffic discussing one of Randall’s “scenarios” to make Dante look like the bad guy. It’s similar to the joke used in Clerks when they were last seen riding in a car. It’s a tad on the long side, but is another Clerks-related treat.

Clerks Restoration
•Restoring the Clerks Sound with Scott Mosier SD (5:00)-Mosier breaks down the technical restoration process in detail that will likely go over the heads of most people but for students of film and the filmmaking process this clip is for you.

•Restoring the Clerks Look with David Klein SD (0:36)-Klein spits out quickly his contribution but not to the level of detail that Mosier displays.

•Introduction to the Theatrical Cut with Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier (7:00) -A new 10th Anniversary introduction to the film where the boys talk more about their remastering of the image and sound of Clerks.

Original Auditions SD (14:33) look into the audition process of Clerks to see Brian O’Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Marilyn Ghigliotti, and Ernie O’Donnell read for the critical parts of the film.

Snowball Effect SD (1:31:00) A complete diary-documentary of Kevin Smith’s humble beginnings, the important people in his life, and the chronicling the creation of Clerks and how its adventurous path into the hands of Harvey Weinstein and Miramax. There are interviews with Smith’s friends, family, cast members of Clerks, and everyone who had a hand in its success. This was put together, again, for the 10th Anniversary DVD release and is easily the most comprehensive piece done about Clerks.

Outtakes from “Snowball Effect” is a collection of more scenes for the documentary but were left on the cutting room floor. Strangely, there is no “play all” option, even though on all of the main menu selections with sub-menus do have that alternative viewing method. The cut scenes are: View Askew Vulgar the Clown (2:58) Jeff Auditioning for TV Show (1:26) Chemistry with Brian O’Halloran (2:45) Janet Maslin (0:51) Creative Writing Class (7:42) Lisa Spooner (1:42) Kevin on Scott (8:54) I Will Leave (4:32) Sundance Introduction (0:51) Kevin and Scott at Sundance Trophy (0:33) Quickstop (1:00) Night Shooting (1:22) Winning the Lottery (6:48)

10th Anniversary Q and A SD (42:00) is a question and answer session after a fan screening held at the Arclight in Los Angeles. Those who participated were Kevin Smith, Scott Mosier, Dave Klein, Marilyn Ghigliotti, Brian O’Halloran, Jeff Anderson, and Jason Mewes.

MTV Spots with Jay and Silent Bob SD (18:01) eight really funny bumper spots used by MTV to segue in and out of videos (back when they showed videos).

Mae Day Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier SD (11:38) is the first film done by Smith and Mosier done in Vancouver Film School about a failed documentary.

Soul Asylum “Can’t Even Tell” Music Video SD (5:41) is probably one of the early looks at the Clerks world in color. But the intro is priceless because Mosier appears dressed as Green Hornet promoting the Green Hornet film that they were initially slated to do and later passed to another filmmaker. The Green Hornet film still has yet to be made and be mired in pre-production problems.

Theatrical Trailer SD (1:55) The original trailer

BLU-RAY EXCLUSIVE
Oh, What a Lovely Tea Party: The Making of Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back SD (1:27:00)

• Intro SD (3:18) To help stomach yet another edition of Clerks, this time on blu-ray, Kevin introduces a documentary-making of Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back

Anyway, back to the feature, which is a mixture of behind the scenes footage and interviews with some key players in the film and their association with Smith. The production is assembled by Jennifer Schwalbach (Smith’s wife) and Often times though the volume is way low but it helps to have the subtitles on. Is it worth upgrading if you already have the Clerks 10th Anniversary DVD? No, but again as Smith says in the intro, it will help buffer the idea of getting the film in blu-ray adding to the multiple versions you may already have on DVD.

Overall Shock Value: A-
Clerks remains one of Smith’s best films. It still goes to those places that most films don’t dare to walk towards and it still speaks of concerns that would bother anyone of that age or period of soul-searching. As a part of the Miramax: Kevin Smith 3-Movie collection, it’s a great part of a solid three-pack for anyone who is either looking to upgrade their DVD collection to blu-ray, because it contains everything from the 10th Anniversary and a little more. If you’re buying it separately, again I would say it’s a good buy, but only if you don’t already have the 10th Anniversary DVD. If you do, then I’d say rent it first, and check out the new Jay and Bob documentary. Technically, this film is not going see much more improvements than already what’s been done. This is a film that was done on the cheap, and the look and sound is going to reflect those choices, so there shouldn’t be any aggressive notion that it should be better. Consider this me spitting water back at those who disagree.

Year: 1999
Running Time: 139 Minutes
Rated: R
SRP: $34.99
Studio(s): 20th Century Fox
Release Date: November 17, 2009

Film/Feature: A+
Fight Club was heralded by modern and contemporary critics and masculine film buffs alike, as a modern American classic, ten years ago for its relevance and its harsh comment on this country’s way of life. With the 10th Anniversary blu-ray release, it was a proper time to revisit Fight Club to see whether or not that kind of immediate reaction aged well over time.

Chuck Palahniuk’s novel, Fight Club looked at how susceptible ordinary people can be while working in soul-sucking careers. Though it’s not the career paths, but rather our dependency on the consumer cycle of the world that sucked the most of us. Slaves to insurmountable debt, slaves to the things we feel the need to buy, eventually makes us slaves to our jobs; Fight Club is as timely now more than ever. As a nation, we’re worse off than in 1999: iPhones, Blackberries, hybrid cars, XBOXs or PS3s, Costco memberships, Widescreen LCD TV’s, casual Fridays, country club lifestyles and the retro fashion revival of the 80’s. Yeah, it’s that last one that puts us over the edge. Two market crashes and a shortage of jobs, those things that consumed our free time, also consumed what was left in our bank accounts. Our belongings would eventually own us, and whether you agree with that philosophy or not, there’s nothing stopping the one-direction moving walkway.

David Fincher faithfully adapted Palahniuk’s fiction novel in a way that plucked a universal chord among many film buffs widespread across the country. Though supported by the studio, Fight Club took a life of its own, mostly on DVD. Its cynical and prophetic ways were razzed nationally by critics who felt it was the shining example of the downfall of cinema. Quite the contrary, it endured and the fascination spread like a resilient epidemic popping up in art houses on an annual basis. People liked what the film said, where it went, and who drove behind the wheel. Fight Club attacked the culture that generations built their worlds around, it targeted corporate brands and put a cynical choke hold on liberal media after they tried to strike it down with conservative criticism, and therefore in some insane ironic imitation of art, gave legitimacy to Tyler Durdenisms. It’s a story of men getting back to the basics and tearing down the system, piece-by-piece, sticking it to the man, but who also lost sight of what was right in front of them.

Ten years ago we were introduced to Edward Norton’s nameless schlub, a young professional with no emotional connections. Be becoming a support group voyeur, he lived through other people’s sorrow. He was an addict and needed saving and found it in his antithesis, a part-time soap salesman/part-time anarchist, Tyler Durden. Played by Brad Pitt, Durden becomes the good Shepard, the Yoda for frat boys with too much testosterone. With his newfound friend, Norton and Pitt’s alter egos massage their masculinity by pummeling the flesh of each other and similar lost men, looking to feel something–anything. Durden dominates Norton’s character, like a boy who masters the controls of a remote controlled plane, performing stunts, assigning homework for an anarchist’s way of life, full of simple mantras and maxims. Armed with a legion of dolts, that could only be derailed by a woman.

Helena Bonham Carter played an arousing adversary named Marla, whose odd behavior and blithe disregard for others is initially met with a bad taste of cigarette butts and typhoid fever. You wanted to damn her feminine ways; rid yourself of her compassionate heart and silence her incessant moans of delight. But as Norton’s character spirals into his own darkness, the resistance towards Marla turns into sympathy; especially after a dramatic U-turn.

Fight Club is its own support group, for those who bought into its cinematic brilliance from our couches. It’s never as good as the first time you went to Fight Club–well, you know why–you had to fight. While none of us could ever truly wrap our heads around Norton’s nameless character, nor his sickness, we continue to come to the Fight Club to watch him fulfill his destiny. The Fight Club support group may have an improved new look and a brand new sound in blu-ray, but it will still surround you with its big manly bitch tits for you to cry in and give you an outlet to destroy something that’s beautiful. Besides, 10 years later, it’s still cheaper than going to a movie, and there’s still the free coffee.

Video: A
For the first time Fight Club is seen in high definition on a 1080p AVC-encoded transfer in the original 2.40:1 aspect ratio, and I do declare that this is a transfer that would make Jack proud. Fight Club has always had this designed look of a gritty, messy and imperfect look. And all of that is maintained, but detail has taken a step upward. The texture of skin and the pores are clearly visible. From well-aged leather and wool to a flannel shirt bought at the thrift store, the texture of clothes are easily distinguishable, despite all of the tunnel dark sequences. In one scene, I noticed the color of Edward Norton’s eyes have this blue-ish green color that I had never previously never saw before. Some of the other visual notes I rave about are the shine on liquid, sweat, and blood; the reflections in see-thru glass, even being able to see through Brad Pitt’s amber shades. The dark locations cast dozens of shadows on people’s skin and the delineation, and overlapping of those shadows are clearly reproduced. Blacks are intensely deep, and some look more vibrant, more colorful than when I first remembered seeing it on DVD. For example when Tyler picks up Marla from her apartment. The green glow from the hallway lights bouncing of the sickly green walls really shines. There are no obnoxious post-enhancement effects, artifacts or haloing. Grain is present but is purposely placed so to give a manly, weathered look and this transfer preserves Fincher’s vision.

Audio: A+
Okay now we’re getting to my favorite part of this release. Fight Club on blu-ray sports a 5.1 English DTS-HD Dolby TrueHD audio track; I believe I’ve died and gone to Durden Heaven. To say this audio track is explosive would be understating it. It gets in your grill, it rattled your ear drums, and it triggers your other senses. Your nose will flare, your mouth will drool, and the hair on your neck will have a collective hard-on. It’s incredibly immersive, full of subtle sounds that recreate each location on screen, inside your viewing room. From the opening title sequence to the Dust Brothers score, to the closing scene with the Pixies, your head will morph into a rattle as the music swirls around your head.

There are three scenes I want to point out. The first is the transition from Chapter 8 into 9, where Jack character is talking about his “Single Serving Life” when his plane rips in half. The winds come tearing through and roar past your head, your subwoofer sounds as if it rips a hole in your floor. Mind-blowing, I tell you. In Chapter 27, Tyler drives the stretch car into a parked car and launches off the edge of the road. You can feel the weight of both cars on the impact, all of the glass breaking and flying in every direction, a large tree scraping by and the rain dropping into puddles after the car comes to a complete stop. Finally, all of the scenes in the actual Fight Club itself, create this Colosseum environment, where the crowd noise such as the spitting, the buzz of the lights, the echo of Tyler’s voice, the sound levels distortion; all of it, add more expression to these scenes. You’ll be able to explore these scenes more in-depth in the extras. But it’s not all about the crazy sound effects. A lot of it is atmosphere. There’s a ramping up of the music in dream sequences, or internal thoughts, the sleep-inducing quiet of a desk job. Ren Klyce was nominated for an Oscar in Sound Effects Editing and it’s well-deserved. This is one of the most exciting soundtracks I’ve heard this year. Folks, this is the reason you get a blu-ray player.

Other audio selections include: 2.0 English, 5.1 DTS French, 5.1 Dolby Digital Spanish and Portuguese tracks; subtitles are available in English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Cantonese, and Mandarin.

Extras: A+
Exclusive to Blu-Ray
Since this is an anniversary disc and you’ll be trying to determine if you want this or not, I’m pushing the Blu-Ray exclusives up before the DVD extras, which have been ported over from the fine 2-disc collection. Also note that all of the extras and film fit on one disc, so when I commonly gripe about packing more on less, this is what I’m talking about folks. Also there is a big of a gag that Fincher put in that is best experienced by just loading the disc up. I’m sure by the time you read this, it will have been spoiled on the internet, but just remember back when Fight Club was first released how poorly it did and the bad reception it got from critics, as well as what was playing at that time.

A Hit in the Ear: Ren Klyce and the Sound Design of Fight Club HD is a cool interactive feature where after hearing one of Fincher’s right hand men, sound designer Ren Klyce talk about trying to find and create those perfects sounds. Klyce recalls how they created the perfect sound for that thrusting punch to match the ghastly images on the screen. In the interactive experience, you get to hear the difference in tweaking the audio in two different environments as well as being able to tinker with each channel in your home theater setup, with four scenes: Welcome to Fight Club, Angel Faces Beating, The Crash, and Tyler’s Goodbye.

Flogging Fight Club HD (9:58) is brief look at Spike TV’s honoring of Fight Club’s 10th Anniversary by its acceptance into the “Guy Movie Hall of Fame.” Half of it is a five-minute clip montage of the film, but the rest of it is Fincher, Pitt and Norton writing their acceptance speech, performing their speech which included laughing at the least-flattering taglines by critics, highlighted by Pitt reading a quote from Kenneth Turan of the LA Times and saying, “He is a cock.”

Insomniac Mode: I am Jack’s Search Index is another user-friendly feature that allows a user to sift through all of the topics and then where ever these topics are discussed, you get a listing of all of them, and you can skip directly to that reference. Fox also categorized each commentary track so you can peruse and cherry pick what you want to hear in each commentary. For example if you want to jump to a story involving IKEA and the Soundtrack liner notes, you can go right to that point of the Fincher commentary instead of trying to remember what chapter that may be in.

Old Extras

There’s a ton of features I forgot about by looking through this collection of great DVD extras. After being accustomed to seeing everything in high definition though, its too bad we could get to see this stuff remastered as well. Another user detail I found sorely missing out of the DVD extras is a “Play All” feature. First, there are FOUR audio commentaries in all and all of them are well done.

Audio Commentary by:
#1 David Fincher speaks about dealing with studios, how he stumbled on the book and how Fox came into purchasing the rights to the movie, advertising, his favorite parts, and the destruction of buildings at the end was actually the first thing that was done. There are only English and French, Dannish, Finnish, Dutch, Norwegian, and Swedish subtitles for this commentary.

#2 David Fincher, Brad Pitt, Edward Norton are in the same room talking about bonding, putting Edward through the wringer, the controversy over Fight Club being labeled a violent film, the dispelling of pro-fascism, their reactions to how slow it took with the public amongst dozens of other things. They yuck it up and is one of my favorite commentaries because I think we get a true sense of working relationship but their friendship. You walk away thinking, “I want to hang out with these guys!” Helena Bonham Carter’s comments, which were recorded separately are added on scenes with Marla or anything else she wanted to chime in on like how Fight Club is as much a generational representation of women today as it is men. There are only English and French, Dannish, Finnish, Dutch, Norwegian, and Swedish subtitles for this commentary.

#3 Chuck Palahniuk (author of Fight Club) and Jim Uls (screenplay) discuss adapting the novel to film, how Meatloaf’s fat suit violates health codes for Planet Hollywood, benefits of sitting in cancer support groups, the real people the characters are based on, research for the book, the speed at which cancer kills, and other little known facts about the film. There are a lot more moments of silence in this commentary but it’s no less interesting than the other tracks. There are only English and French subtitles for this commentary.

#4 Alex McDowel (Production Designer), Jeff Cronenweth (Director of Photography), Michael Kaplan (Costume Designer) and Kevin Haug (VisualFX Supervisor) cover everything else including five “subliminal Brads”, the look and tone, creating real support groups, Lighting, Costuming, working with Fincher, prank cigarette burns, whether or not the Paper Street house was real or fiction, and the rest of the nooks and crannies not covered in the other three tracks. There are only English and French subtitles for this commentary.

Behind-the-Scenes Vignettes with Multiple Angles and Commentary SD by Kevin Haug (VisualFX Supervisor) Cliff Wnger (Special FX Coordinator) Kevin Mack (Visual FX for Digital Domain), and Richard “Doc” Bailey (Digital Animation Supervisor/Producer). You can choose a segment (Production, Visual Effects, On Location) and then within one of these processes, you can choose various angles and commentary tracks. It’s just another example of the all-access openness that Fincher has on his films.

Seven Deleted and Alternate Scenes SD Chloe and Rupert (00:53), Marla’s Pillow Talk (00:35), Copier Abuse (3:15) Tyler Quits Smoking–with two angles (1:28) Angel face’s beating–with two angles (3:14) Walter (1:39) Tyler’s Goodbye (1:55)

Promotional Gallery
Lobby Cards/Advertising – 21 Stills (1:40) Press Kit – 35 stills (2:50) Stills – 157 Stills (13:05)

Art Galleries
Storyboards for the entire film– 267 stills (22:16), Visual Effects–18 stills (1:25), Paper Street House –37 stills (3:05), Costumes and Makeup –22 stills (1:50), Pre-Production Paintings –50 stills (4:10), Brain Ride-Map –34 stills (2:50),

Transcript of Edward Norton Interview at Yale University October 3, 1999is fine read about his character at 13 screen shots long.

Rounding out the extras are Three Trailers, Two movie theater PSAs, 12 TV Spots SD, Five Internet Spots SD, Dust Brothers Music Video SD (3:32)

Overall Shock Value: A+
After 10 years since the first punch was thrown, I’m still spitting up blood. With big corporate buyouts, massive debt across the country, and the desire to buy-buy-buy, we move closer to a homogenized and mass consumer-centric generation. And of course, buying this blu-ray plays right into that ploy of consumerism. Don’t cha just love irony? This continues to be an American classic, of a cynical breed of filmmaking that speaks to many generations, man and woman, young and old. The blu-ray interactive extras are fun little adventures, but I am always going to lean towards superior sound and picture as the biggest reason to upgrade when it’s deserving. The new DTS-HD soundtrack is as perfect as it gets, and the transfer projects Fight Club as we’ve never seen before. So for that alone, I highly recommend upgrading to blu-ray.

Year: 2009
Running Time: 82 minutes
Rated: R
SRP:$ 39.95
Studio(s): Universal Studios
Release Date: November 17, 2009

Film/Feature: B
(In Borat’s voice) Larry Charles and Sacha Baron Cohen’s extremely pop-u-lar 2006 film, Borat: Cultural Learnings of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, put people on alert. Beware of an Anti-Semetic man with a camera behind him. This man, he have great powers, to show… people’s prejudice. I like him very-much!

Cohen’s latest film, Brüno does much of the same, this time, in a different costume, in the character of Brüno, a flamboyant Austrian TV host as the fish out of water, and plops him in Hollywood to seek out fame. He hires an agent (Lloyd Robinson as himself) to create the Brüno brand in the City of Angels. Brüno (Cohen) observes the star map of fame and like an instruction manual, follows in their footsteps: he tries to get his own talk show, start a charity, adopt an African-born child (Chibundu Orukwowu), and even, act straight. Surely, if successful, one of these will give him the reward of fame.

This time around Cohen never breaks character to hijack fashion shows, boot camps, sex parties, the Hollywood scene, blue-collar folk, and again, that bottomless pool of material, the Bible Belt of the USA. Brüno flaunts his over-aggressive sexuality onto men–unsuspecting or otherwise–who wouldn’t know a joke if it slapped them in the face with a 13-inch sex toy. Paula Abdul, Pete Rose, Latoya Jackson, Ron Paul; they all couldn’t escape him.

The degree of good taste or sensitivity is worth a debate, but Cohen and Charles are trying to get answers to the following questions: How far will people go to become famous? Would parents compromise their children to be famous? Is prejudice against race any different when it’s about sexual orientation? How vapid and removed are celebrities from their own common sense and independent thought? Can someone rid themselves of their “gayness” as easy as following a four-step plan? All of those sound like ludicrous questions but Charles and Cohen discover in some parts of America, it is quite the contrary. As Cohen found out with Borat, being openly prejudice put people at ease with their own prejudice. Here by being not just gay, but outwardly gay, prompts some of the strongest reactions out of people.

Only when Brüno is alone with his ex-lover, Diesel (Clifford Bañagale) or his personal assistant Lutz (Gustaf Hammarsten), does Brüno sing out scripted. Some parts are staged with a little bit of coercion, but nowhere near as much as one would hope so to think better of humanity. I’d say over 80% of this insanity is real, improvised on the fly. If the film is even 50% genuine, it succeeds on that level of guilty shock cinema. For example, in an attempt to get famous by bringing world peace, Cohen and Charles go as far to go into parts of the Middle East and mix it up with terrorists, Hasidic Jews, and representatives from countries at war with each other. He spends another night camping with four, very homophobic hunters who are armed. The film builds towards the end when Brüno risks his life just to show just how much hatred can be inspired with the public affection between two men. Cohen’s life insurance policy must be unimaginable! At the end, Brüno does get the fame he’s looking for in a more classic method, by getting some of the biggest music stars to perform on the song, Dove of Peace. It’s a perfect denouement, to an insanely bizarre amusement ride.

Borat and Brüno were both brands from Cohen’s HBO show, Da Ali G Show, where he created a pool of eccentric and extreme characters, when set to interact with real people, unrehearsed and filmed guerilla-style, reveal a canon of unbelievable genuine reactions. The unfiltered, unedited gullibility, sheltered-views, prejudice, phoniness, and brainwashing of people can serve as a scathing satire of the world we live in; realities so scary it’s funny and so funny it’s scary.

Mockumentaries have been around since Woody Allen’s Take the Money and Run in 1969, and was popularized by Rob Reiner’s This is Spinal Tap. Christopher Guest later built a career around them. Now mockumentaries are a dime a dozen and some have evolved into something new, where there is a question of what’s real and what’s not. A wild step-brother of mockumentaries are real documentaries that appear so off-the-wall, or so incredible, that there’s no way of them being real; but they are. Take for example some of the work of Michael Moore and Morgan Spurlock. Through the comedy of real life, comes the horror of the real world. The work of director Larry Charles and comedy sketch genius Sacha Baron Cohen, though, is a twisted hybrid of all of these, mixed with the high risk stunts of MTV’s Jackass. It’s the uncertainty of not knowing what will happen and the shock of what actually occurs that puts these types of mockumentaries on a different level.

The outright stupidity of Borat and his maxims may seem more universal to audiences than Brüno’s plight to compromise himself to be famous. Some people may avoid this film because it features a gay character or that it has male nudity in it. (As if the images of male nudity are so powerful, they can change one’s sexuality.) I am being a bit sarcastic, but know that type of fear and apprehension is the stuff that Brüno taps into. It’s not everyone’s cup of Glühwein, and I can respect that, but there’s no doubt here that Brüno is a brilliant piece of comedic work.

Video: B+
Brüno’s picture is brought to you on blu-ray through a 1080p encoded , high definition transfer in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. There’s a variety of cameras that were used to film this movie. From its rather elaborate high definition set up in Milan Fashion Week where the video looks awesome to the various handheld cameras used to shoot Brüno’s run-in with the God Hates Fags organization, where there’s lots of grain. The range of picture quality runs the gamut, but that variation doesn’t take away from the overall experience.

Audio: B+
The audio scales all the levels of quality, but in this mockumentary style film, the 5.1 English DTS-HD audio track is going to be a lot more than what’s really needed, but it’s much appreciated. The most important thing here is how well the dialogue sounds out of the center channel, and it’s near flawless in that respect. The settings, whether it be outside, in an enclosed room, or a voice over affect the quality of those particular scenes; so consistency in the audio is not a high point, but no one is going to notice that to the point where it’s noticeable. Other audio selections include: 5.1 DTS French and Spanish DTS tracks and subtitles are available in English SDH, French, and Spanish. I happened to use the subtitles a lot just to see how some of the clever made-up Austrian/German words that Brüno says are spelled. Wünderbar!

Extras: A-
All of the menus are in German (with english translations) in what’s a cleverly designed menu.

The Audio Commentary by Sasha Baron Cohen and Larry Charles is one of the best commentaries you’ll ever listen to because you FINALLY get the real stories behind nearly every scene of the movie. This is an enhanced commentary so sometimes Cohen and Charles will pop up in a picture-in-picture box and stop the video to explain what was real (most of it, believe it or not), and what was staged. They discuss early on in the track that they built the film around the Milgram Experiment, the infamous science test that sought the limits of obedience, devised to work out how the Nazis got people to do things without much fight. They wanted to see how much people will tolerate? Another interesting scene they had a good story on was their struggle with the MPAA and the mime scene, to which they said, “If you know what’s going on, you’ve already been compromised.” The only moment in the commentary where it gets weird is during the scene with the terrorist, Charles and Cohen drop their conversation to add in their special thanks. There was obviously some clearance issues with that scene. Charles and Cohen share some of their guerilla filmmaking techniques and methods to avoid Cohen from being arrested, and jeopardizing his foreign visa. Having been someone who has always wondered about the stories involved with Cohen’s films, because he rarely does interviews out of character, this was one of the most satisfying second viewings I’ve experienced.

An Interview with Lloyd Robinson HD (5:32) is a straight interview who thought through the entire shoot that Brüno was a real person.

Alternate Scenes HD (5:42) shows the much rumored Pete Rose scene where he sat on the people furniture, and other hotel interviews with former UN Ambassador, John Bolton; President of American Values, Gary Bauer; and former Secretary of Homeland Security, Tom Ridge.

Deleted Scenes HD (40:45) Lots more stuff that was cut out including the LaToya Jackson scene (which was taken out of respect to Michael Jackson), Fashionveld Montage, Partymeister, Hollywood Hausvendors, Haus Designenfraulicke, Texasche, Sczientischtenmann, Feuerwaffe Gun-Party, Fessel-Center, Anti-Schniedelmesiter Festival, and a Blu-Ray Exclusive scene, The Middle East.

Extended Scenes HD (22:39) is more of the same stuff that was in the film but with much less editing: Baby Casting, Wedding, Second gay Converter, Swingers, Agent Meeting, Focus Group, Dove of Peace, and the Blu-Ray Exclusive scene, National Guard.

BD Live is enable for My Scenes

Universal Ticker shows what’s coming up for Universal Studios.

HD Trailers for Public Enemies and Inglorious Basterds show up

A second disc is included as a Digital Copy Disc for portable digital transfer to other computers and handheld devices.

Overall Shock Value: A-
After seeing Brüno a second and third time on blu-ray, I’m still shocked at what people will do to be famous, appalled at how people act when they are at their most comfortable, and I find all of it arrestingly funny. Everyone won’t agree with me, but that’s to each viewers’ level of comfort with this type of satire and humor. Technically, the film is what it is, and the commentary and extra footage on the blu-ray takes the home experience of Brüno to another level. If you’re uneasy about alternative lifestyles then I say, give it a rental, you never know, you might be enlightened by the overall message. If you’re completely sheltered and you’ve made it this far in this review, then go at your own risk, but know you’ve been warned; but if you found Borat to your liking and are open-minded to seeing a similar film with a fierce twist, then I highly recommend Brüno.

Year: 2009
Running Time:
Rated: PG-13
SRP: DVD:$34.95 Blu-Ray: $39.99
Studio(s): Paramount Studios
Release Date: November 17, 2009

Pop Culture Shock usually gets the blu-ray of such big studio releases but due to limited material PCS was given the DVD to screen. I will try to list the differences where possible.

Film/Feature: B-
In an attempt to recharge the Star Trek franchise, Paramount handed the bridge of the USS Enterprise over to director/producer J.J. Abrams (Fringe, Cloverfield). His goal was to do what devoted Trekkers and Trekkies didn’t want to hear. “Let’s make a movie that EVERYONE will like.” He not only recharged it, he hit reboot and started over. Rather than dance in between what’s been already done, Abrams and crew created a film that tells the story of what happened before. No this is not Enterprise and Scott Bakula is nowhere to be seen. We get something completely different, and a little familiar…

In the start of Star Trek, we are witnesses to a young James T. Kirk being born after a tragic Starfleet battle with Romulan renegades leave his mother a widow. Now a young man (Chris Pine) Kirk is a reckless young man who is as much a ladies man, as he is an unpredictable force who lives hanging by a thread. Captain Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood) rescues Kirk from himself and tells him to enlist into Starfleet and do his father proud. He indulges Pike and meets Bones (Karl Urban), Uhura (Zoë Saldana), Chekov (Anton Yelchin), Sulu (John Cho) and a young first commander, Spock (Zachary Quinto). Later Kirk meets up rather conveniently with Scotty (Simon Pegg).

This cast does rekindle the original cast members. The spirit of each character is retained, instead of being made into caricatures or impressions. Clever homages are made to the original series, dozens of easter eggs for the most faithful of fans and there’s even a special moment for those who hold Fred Steiner’s original score close to their heart for the patient. As far as the look, the set design, and the acting, I cannot complain one bit. Seriously, a big time score for that! Goal #1: Satisfy old Trekkers. Check. For now.

Now in a year one-type story, we know how everything plays out. We know what will eventually happen. So it’s set up that we get to see what is unknown that will lead up to the 1960’s television show timeline. Kirk, before he becomes captain; Pike, when he was bad ass; Good-looking versions of the cast; Uhura and Spock together? Wait, WHAT? Goal #2: Satisfy Non-Trekkers lured in. Check.

Star Trek’s antagonist is Captain Nero (a well-cloaked Eric Bana), the leader of this band of Romulan extremists. They’ve got some major bone to pick with the Vulcans and connect a digging tool the length of the entire atmosphere, from their ship to planet Vulcan. After digging into the core, they plan to set off a black hole bomb if you will, within the excavated land. The hole grows, Vulcan implodes. Spock attempts to save his parents, Sarek (Ben Cross) and Amanda Grayson (Winona Ryder) before the bomb detonates, but he fails and Spock is met with a great loss. This Spock is still green, and still bears the few ounces of the emotions from his human mother, while fighting logically-rooted genes of his Vulcan father. Tempers flare and it’s anyone’s guess how these two will become great friends. As they argue about, Pike has been captured and Earth is Nero’s next target.

Kirk is kicked off the Enterprise and banished to a polar planet where he discovers the chain reaction of events that have lead us to this point. Which brings us to the pivotal point in the film, where the main character comes in. No, I’m not talking about Leonard Nimoy (which surely sent Goal #1 through the roof), I’m talking about the science. Nimoy does in fact reprise his role as the iconic Vulcan from the future; as we know him. He reveals his own recent failure, and sums up in two minutes the entire crux of the story and why Nero is out to make him suffer. Reminds you of another time-traveling sci-fi franchise film, no? (cough) Terminator Salvation (cough). The film was winning me me over until then.

Here is where Star Trek falls short for me. Good sci-fi films don’t tiptoe around the science, they fold it into their mortar and slap it in between the bricks. Good science fiction makes you think about the film long after seeing it, opening discussion points that weren’t there on the surface. Whether it’s about humanity, diplomacy, history; Star Trek is usually about much more than Vulcans, Klingons, and Romulans. Bad sci-fi fails at becoming anything other than what we see on the surface. Star Trek is on the surface is bad guy vs. good guy; cue in lots of action with redemption and destiny; everyone goes home rich type of film. It’s fun, it was enjoyable, but it certainly was not a Star Trek film.

I give credit on casting and upping the pace of the film to the campy speed of the original Star Wars films because now both sets of fans can enjoy this film together. Abrams turned Star Trek into A New Hope. It’s not a traditional Star Trek story or even a classic. It’s a sparkling, lens flare-filled, year one-conduit to whatever Trek will become from here on out. Abrams admits he’s not a Star Trek fan, (it shows) and tells a story that takes convenient measures to separate from the original series. Being called Pre-Trek might have been more accurate.

Now, does that make this less of an enjoyable film? To average movie-goer, probably not. But certainly, if you were expecting anything more than an action film. The science is an integral part to Star Trek, and the science here is weak. Everything in the film is held together by the weak use of time travel. This story negates the history of Star Trek as we know it, and stuffs it into some alternative time or universe. For what reason? To get a new audience. And no one can deny its accomplishment in that, so to millions, the lack of science fiction made it more inviting. I get that, I recognize that, and that’s acceptable, in anything outside a film called Star Trek.

Video/Audio: B+/B+
J.J. Abram’s Star Trek comes by way of a 480p encoded transfer in a 2.40:1 aspect ratio. For a DVD, this looks great, as the colors and details of fabric, to skin are all very clear. It’s not crystal clear like on blu-ray, but for those with high definition televisions but no blu-ray should still be able to take advantage of the nice picture quality here. The blacks of space are like an endless abyss and the contrast and shadows are powerfully reproduced. The soundtrack for Star Trek on DVD is a 5.1 English Dolby Digital track that is sure to get some great play in a home theater. Lots of activity moves all around all five channels whether it’s music or sound effects. Pop in chapter 12 when Kirk and Spock are beamed onto the Romulan Ship. The gun battle that ensues is awesome. Laser beams from every direction whiz by, stuff explodes behind your head and even though it’s with less dynamic range, the DVD pumps out a respectable audio experience. Other audio selections include: French and Spanish tracks and yellow subtitles are available in English, French, Spanish

Given everything said here, the blu-ray promises to be even better. At 1080p, the HD transfer is sure to be sparkling and awesome. As should be the 5.1 English Dolby TrueHD soundtrack found on the blu-ray. Audio-wise, Star Trek should perform at a maximum level, with a large dynamic range that will generate excitement in home theaters for years. In addition to the above setups, Portuguese subtitles are available on blu-ray.

Extras: B-
This batch of extras is not bad when you consider what’s on here, but if you take a look at the blu-ray exclusives, the DVD pales in comparison.

Disc One:
Audio Commentary by director J.J. Abrams, writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, and Producers Bryan Burk and Damon Lindelof is of a casual nature. They reveal their approach at modernizing Star Trek, and gloss on their efforts as they watch the film. Bringing on Nimoy was a big topic of disussion as well as lots of classic Star Wars references into the plot, and amongst other things, bringing in the charming sensibilities of Star Wars into Star Trek.

New Vision SD (19:38) Abrams took what he liked about the Star Wars franchise (as sacrilegious as that statement is) and put that into Star Trek, to reinvent it to appeal a modern audience. He wanted to make it look as real by doing as much practical shooting as possible instead of being on a green screen. Abrams gives his reasons for shooting anamorphically instead of digitally, as well as, some of his camera tricks.

Gag Reel SD (6:28) is some mildly amusing usual outtakes and on-set silliness.

Previews for Transformers 2, GI Joe, Fringe, Star Trek D-A-C.

Disc Two
Deleted Scenes SD (13:38) Nine scenes that were taken out of the final cut have an optional commentary by Abrams, Bryan Burk, Alex Kurtzman, and Damon Lindelof. They can be viewed separately or all together. They include: Spock Birth (1:58); Klingons Take Over Narada (0:46); Young Kirk, Johnny and Uncle Frank (1:35); Amanda and Sarek Argue After Spock Fights (0:38), Prison Interrogation and Breakout (3:08); Sarek Gets Amanda (0:22); Dorm Room and Kobayashi Maru (Original Version) (3:59), Kirk Apologizes to the Green Girl (0:54); Sarek Sees Spock (0:15).

To Boldly Go SD (16:45) is a featurette about the production crew and the influence of (or lack thereof) original series in their modernization of Star Trek, as they as a team tried to answer all the questions that were sure to come in revamping the series like creating a Spock and Kirk story, the classic prequel pitfalls. Changing the timeline. Perhaps the most crucial in this team, and as seen by the finished product is, “How do we make a film for everyone?” and somehow missed the major part of “What Makes a Good Trek Film?” by taking out the sci-fi element of the film.

Casting SD (28:58) Asks how do you get new characters and create something new while appreciating the original cast. Quinto and Nimoy explore the psychology of the Spock, and every other cast member is put under the magnifying glass.

Aliens SD (16:34) is a short feature on the costumes, prosthetic head forms, digital creatures and recreating the Vulcans and Romulans for Star Trek.

Score SD (6:34) is a look at the score composed by Michael Giacchino retaining the original melody by

A Digital Copy of the film is included in the extras disc.

Star Trek: D-A-C Game Trial for XBOX 360 users. To play the trial, you insert the extras disc into your XBOX 360 and follow the onscreen instructions.

Blu-Ray Exclusives
Where do I begin? I don’t have the blu-ray available to rate how good or bad these extras are, but I will list them for you to make the decision whether or not they add more value to your purchase. Personally, with this much added material, you’d be dumb not to save the pennies for the blu-ray.

Disc One
NASA News is a BD-Live feature to access the latest NASA news about real space exploration.

Disc Two
The same featurettes in the DVD are here too, but have additional “branching pods” that I suspect are added material.

To Boldly Go
-The Shatner Conundrum
-Red Shirt Guy
-The Green Girl
-Trekker Alert

A New Vision
-Savage Pressure

Aliens
-The Alien Paradox
-Big Eyed Girl
-Big Bro Quinto
-Klingons
-Drakoulias Anatomy 101

Planets is a featurette on the art department’s frozen landscape of Delta Vega to the desert plains of Vulcan.
-Extra Businesses
-Confidentiality

Ben Burtt and the Sounds of Star Trek brings legendary Hollywood sound designer Ben Burtt on to talk about creating sounds for the original Star Wars film by being inspired by the Star Trek series, and got to use all of that on this new film.

Props and Costumes shows Russell Bobbitt, Star Trek’s prop master and the challenge to design props true to the original series as well as today’s tech. Michael Kaplan then reveals the design of his costumes in making timeless and practical Starfleet uniforms.

Gene Roddenberry’s Vision interviews cast and crew and previous Star Trek writers and producers and even scientific consultant Carolyn Porco speaking well of Gene’s vision for this future world.

Starfleet Vessel Simulator gives users 360-degree views and close-ups of tech illustrations of the USS Enterprise, and the Romulan ship, the Narada.

Disc Three
In addition to the Digital Copy and XBOX 360 Free Trial, there are Weblinks to the Star Trek D-A-C Free Trial Game for PC and Playstation Network.

Overall Shock Value: B-
Damon Lindelof says in the extras, “This series lasted only three seasons, so it’s not a matter of how did Star Trek succeed all these years but instead, how did it survive?” It’s simple, Damon. I believe it survived like any good science fiction story. Because they were good science fiction stories that were much more than what was on the surface of what our eyes can see on the big screen. The shows continued to open all of these great lessons of humanity, allegories, and wisdoms but did so in the sci-fi vehicle. Abrams’ Star Trek does none of that. I agree that these stories were executed through these great characters, so in rebooting Star Trek, Abrams and crew achieved that perfectly. But the weakness of the science makes this a good film, not a great film. It’s a fine action film, but it’s definitely not a science fiction film. So it’s not really a Star Trek film, to me. Hopefully, for the sequel with all of the characters re-established, we’ll get to see a real Star Trek film that has to rely on the science instead of the action; or maybe we’ll just see another attempt to water down something that was uncool for the cool. As for the DVD, I would try to push anyone who’s thinking of buying this to upgrade to the blu-ray. The extras included, as well as the perfectly rich audio and video experience is well worth the extra dollars, almost pushing it into an overall B+ or A- grade. But if you’re stuck with the DVD, it’s not a bad consolation.

Year: 2009
Running Time: 106 Minutes
Rated: R
SRP: $39.95
Studio(s): Sony Pictures
Release Date: November 3, 2009

Film/Feature: B
Taking of Pelham 123 is a remake of the 1974 film, Taking of Pelham One Two Three. In the original film, Walter Matthau plays a New York City Transit cop who tries to stop four men from hijacking a subway train. The leader of the hijackers is played by Robert Shaw, and the film was a damn good one. I’d be the first one to criticize Hollywood in rehashing a perfectly good film–if it was bad.

Tony Scott directed this new version of Pelham, and changed Matthau’s cop to a railway operator named Walter Garber played by Denzel Washington. The main hijacker, Ryder, is played by John Travolta who has a list of demands that include $10,000,000 in cash within an hour, delivered by the mayor of New York (James Gandolfini). It’s a classic, bad-day-gone-wrong story where it doesn’t take long for Washington to hook us in playing a sensible and straight-laced railway operator who was lucky to be working his station that day. He doesn’t appear to have all the answers, but he uses his wits, and appears to be under duress at all angles.

When the communication link between Ryder and Garber goes down, the authorities are buzzing around Garber. NYC negotiator, Camonetti (John Turturro) coaches him through the ordeal. Then they begin to ask, why Garber? Why does Ryder trusts him so much? The more that’s revealed about Garber, we discover he may have been wronged by the city. Garber’s golden reputation is clouded. We don’t get too comfortable as the clock is ticking down, almost in real time, a la 24, keeping the pace fast with a psycho watching the time very closely.

Travolta’s recent track record has not been the stuff to write home about, but he drives Pelham 123 all the way to its somewhat predictable end and Washington continues to play a variety of roles we care about. Believe it or not, Travolta can play the lovable bad guy. Before-too-long you may find yourself wanting Travolta to have more screen time. Ryder is a tad over-the-top, but he’s no-nonsense, he’s serious and he’s nasty. Travolta is the aggressive ying, to Washington’s charismatic yang. It’s an easy assumption that this is film is passable at a quick glance, but Scott takes the post-9/11 New York, along with our technological crutches with two great generational actors and makes an amusement ride that’s worth the wait in line.

Video: A
Pelham 123 is a rip-rockingly glorious looking film in its 1080p, AVC-encoded transfer and original 2.40:1 aspect ratio. Colors leap out with good saturation, the levels of black darkness in the subway is accurately reproduced and contrast levels are right where they need to be. Skintones are warm but not overly red, and the textures and details are seen right to the last bit of beard stubble on Travolta face. At any one time you can almost take a pair of tweezers to your screen to pick out the random white whiskers Washington has on his face. Minor details like shadow delineation and reflections look remakable. I haven’t screened too many Sony blu-rays thus far but I expect a lot out of them given that blu-ray is their product, and boy does everything look like where it needs to be. Pelham was a real joy to watch.

Audio: A
Taking of Pelham 123 sounds excellent in its 5.1 English DTS-HD lossless audio track. The chest rumbling and clicking sounds of the subway are completely recreated in your home theater. As trains whoosh by the subwoofer kicks in to add the size and weight of each train. It’s not too heavy-handed or over-the-top, but it gives you enough to place you on the traintracks and subway platforms accurately. Noise travels left-to-right, and front-to-back precisely and similarly in reverse. There is plenty of dialogue spoken throughout the film and all of that comes from front and center. It’s spoken clear and distinct, and is able to be understood at lower levels. Dynamic range is generous sporadic and abrupt bursts of gunfire can be a bit startling when you don’t expect it. Other audio selections include: 5.1 Dolby Digital English Descriptive Track, French and Spanish 5.1 DTS-HD tracks, and a 5.1 Dolby Digital Catalan track and subtitles are available in English, English SDH, French, Spanish (Castilian), and Portuguese (Classic).

Extras: B+
There are plenty of extras to sift through and a handful of blu-ray exclusives. All of the supplements except one, are in high definition and in 5.1 Dolby Digital

Audio Commentary by director Tony Scott is up first and is an okay track but Scott picks his spots to drop his gravelly voice to tell a production anecdote and then leaves for moments of dead space. When he does come back on the mic, he has lots of stories of the research done on real life people who they based the film characters on.

I preferred to listen to the Audio Commentary by writer Brian Helgeland and producer Todd Black who fill the time with lots of information about how the story came together, and the choices made to create a remake. At times both men talk a little too lovingly about Phelam 123, but overall it’s a good track.

No Time to Lose: The Making of Phelam 123 HD (30:25) is a solid all-around making of feature that talks about courting Denzel Washington, putting together a modernization and “retelling,” working with the MTA, and around the schedule of the New York City subway schedule.

The Third Rail: New York Underground HD (16:15) is a logistical look into trying to film a movie in the New York City subway system. The director of film and special events MTA NYC Transit, Alberteen Anderson amongst other city workers balance real facts about the Third Rail Power and the challenges of trying to shut down basically a main vein to the city for six weeks to shoot a film.

From the Top Down: Stylizing Character SD (5:17) Danny Moumdjian, of the Lab Salon talks about working with Tony Scott and designing the hairstyles and look of the main players of Phelam 123.

Marketing Phelam HD (7:04) is three trailers in HD.

Previews HD shows teasers for Angels & Demons (1:11), District 9 (1:42), Moon, Boondock Saints 2: All Saints Day (2:01), Blood: The Last Vampire (1:44), the superfly and righteous modern blaxsploitation Black Dynamite (2:19), The Da Vinci Code (2:21), Casino Royale (2:34), Year One (2:16), and the new and wonderful sci-fi classic, Moon (2:08).

Blu-Ray Exclusives

Cinechat is Sony’s version of being able to chat to friends who are watching the blu-ray at the same time.

MovieIQ is a pull-down screen while you watch the film that’s like a virtual IMDB (Internet Movie Data Base) where you can view cast and crew info, trivia and production notes, music and soundtrack notes and other things to help you grow your info whenever you play Scene It or any other movie trivia game. I actually liked this option because I enjoy anything to vary the experience of repeat viewings that adds more knowledge about the film much like commentaries.

The second disc that’s included is a Digital Copy Disc for download for those with a PSP, PC, Mac or iPod.

Overall Shock Value: B+
This modern take shows how remakes can be done right and not tarnish the original, while being able to stand on its own. Washington and Travolta rope you in from the beginning in this taut, fast-paced, and simple action thriller, but if you’re looking for something much deeper, then look elsewhere. This is just a get-in and get-out kind of film that has you stuck in a tug-of-war of who you want to root for. The Taking of Pelham 123 gets a sterling technical treatment with plenty of extras should keep everyone busy and pleased with the blu-ray package.

Year: 2009
Running Time: 77 minutes
Rated: R
SRP: $34.99
Studio(s): Magnolia Home Entertainment
Release Date: September 29, 2009

Film/Feature: A+

“If they wanted to be yourself, they wouldn’t be paying you.”

Adult film actress, Sasha Grey makes her debut in a straight film in The Girlfriend Experience, directed by Steven Soderbergh who has gone back to his independent roots, makes a film that puts the magnifying glass on his star, reminiscent of Sex, Lies, and Videotape. Soderbergh shot it chronologically and then went to the editing room to put his nonlinear spin on it. The result is an immersive little triumph, that’s both haunting and enchanting.

Grey plays an ultra-high priced Manhattan call girl named Chelsea, who charges $2,000 an hour, not just for sex, but for the complete “girlfriend experience”. She’ll go out on the town with you, run her fingers through your hair, listen to your problems; she’ll even discuss economic bailouts or the presidential election. She’s everything a man would want out of a girlfriend, and she won’t call you the next day. Chelsea’s so good, you’ll be convinced that you made a connection with her. But this isn’t about the sex, some young woman’s damaged past or the pursuit of money. No, this story delves into the psyche of a young woman playing high stakes with her life, who goes all in emotionally, following her heart. It’s a character study of who Chelsea really is, amongst all of the masks she wears.

Chelsea keeps a detailed diary of her clients, to takes notes on them to sell the drama that she knows them, understands them. Her heart and mind is guided with personology, a way to analyze and predict character traits and behavior based on physiognomy and facial features. She also takes into account horoscope, and birth dates. She makes the final decision on whether to accept a new client or let him pass and is in total control of her life.

Chris (Chris Santos) is Chelsea’s boyfriend, an athletic trainer, who puts on a facade with his clients to earn their trust, so that he can physically shape them into whatever they want. He accepts Chelsea’s line of work, is supportive and is confident enough to not let her job interfere with their relationship. The final story thread is a journalist who is writing a story or book about call girls, and interviews Chelsea to get to the bottom of who she is. He attempts to break down those walls she puts up, and ultimately from an outsider’s point of view, understand what is real and what’s fake in the girlfriend experience.

Everything begins to unravel or, in another sense, sets the critical events in motion when a seedy online escort critic asks for a freebie so that he can give her a positive review to drum up more business for her. He is vile, and makes no real effort to let the situation graduate, like every other man in her life. He wants to treat her like a street prostitute. For the sake of her business, she goes to work; but her act is met with a less than favorable review.

She breaks one of her personal rules to see a client who aligns with her personology charts and upon meeting him, she acts completely different. There is a noticeable change in Chelsea’s mannerisms and her body language. For the first time in the film, she’s smiling, and is asked if she would like to spend the weekend with him. If she agrees to this, this will be the second cardinal rule of hers she would break in the film, and would probably mean the end of her relationship with Chris, who despite all of her vices and maxims, is not supportive of her devotion to personology.

This becomes the critical point of the film. Does she break things off with Chris to pursue this other man? Through all of her ability to sell people on an ideal situation, is she unable to tell whether or not she is being sold a line of goods? How much trust does she put into personology? Clients, a journalist, a call girl critic, and Chris are all vying to get that girlfriend experience, ironically, none of them get it from her. What is the real girlfriend experience with Chelsea like?

Grey puts on a fine performance that’s convincing but also shows how much thought she put into Chelsea’s character. Methodically and gracefully, she shows us who she puts on the act for and who she really opens up to. It’s just a very vulnerable and awesome performance.

I loved this film and its puzzle format, which viewers do have to pay attention and “solve” as it goes along. If you don’t like having to be that invested into the viewing experience, or are normally unimpressed by small art films, then I recommend you move on. But if this does fall in your scope, then you’ll like GFE. There’s a soft, seductive quality to it, just dripping with the sweetness of candy and temptation, but leaves enough to the imagination. The world is glamourous, but not pretty. You want just a taste on your lips, but not enough to want to live it. The Girlfriend Experience is voyeurism at its finest; a slice-of-life film that’s the perfect portion size, with an extraordinary finish.

Sasha Grey as high priced call girl in The Girlfriend Experience

Video: A
All of Soderbergh’s shots look damn good in this high definition, 1080p VC-1 encoded transfer in its original 2.40:1 aspect ratio. The carefully arranged shots of naturally lit, on-location sets reproduce in luscious fashion. There a soft, diffused glow to some scenes, intentionally captured in high definition by Soderbergh. He toggles between two styles comparing the worlds of Chelsea to Chris’ world. Chelsea’s is warm, fuzzy, colorful and lit in a way that’s found only being in high class chill out lounges and bars. Chris’ scenes all appear to be under florescent lights giving a pale, almost sickly appearance like a typical hospital vibe to them. There’s some black crush but again when it’s there, it’s intended to be. Colors are all reproduced, again impressively given the way the shots were lit and filmed. This is, an art film.

Chelsea and a Journalist talk shop

Audio: B+
The GFE has a 5.1 English DTS-HD audio track in what is essentially a dialogue-driven film. Atmospheric sounds like restaurant chatter and food being served can be picked out, but it’s not a film designed to give the viewer the ultimate audio experience. The few bright audio spots are mostly when there is a scene featuring live musicians whether it’s a street drummer or a pair of folk singers. Overall the audio does what it’s supposed to do, with no signs of weakness or notes of deficiency. There are no other audio selections and subtitles are available in English SDH and Spanish.

Extras: B-
The Audio Commentary by Steven Soderbergh and Sasha Grey is by far one of the best ones I’ve listened to all year. Soderbergh interviews Grey about her experience throughout the film, while occasionally dropping details about artistic choices made by him and Grey who brought her improvisations. Then he brings discussion points to compare Grey’s experience with the adult film industry and his film. Sasha’s time in high school theater and improve work is discussed as well as her time spent interviewing two escorts who shared their experiences, which would be the foundation of the film. Soderbergh’s talks about his approach at improvising, Greys’ reaction of the footage she wasn’t in and shooting in chronological order but how choices in editing created a completely different film.

Alternative Cut (76:33) – There’s not much here even though Soderbergh alludes to a completely different film created by editing in the commentary. There was some added footage here and there, but I was hoping for more varying angles based on what the commentary mentioned but sadly did not see a dramatic difference outside of a handful of scenes. I first saw this film on the HD Net channel when it premiered before hitting theaters and I do recall some different shots, including some other shots with Grey and her Johns, and perhaps that was what he was referring to, sadly though I don’t see any of those shots that I remember in either of the cuts on this blu-ray.

HDNet: A look at the Girlfriend Experience HD (4:37) is a brief EPK interview with Grey and Soderbergh about making this film. It’s almost nonessential if there was anything else to chew on the disc.

Trailers HD (7:03) shows previews for Magnolia Pictures films, Two Lovers, What Just Happened, and The Life Before Her Eyes.

Sasha working on The Girlfriend Experience.

Overall Shock Value: A
One can almost forget just how good Steven Soderbergh is at doing a slice-of-life story, because of the commercial appeal of the Ocean’s trilogy. It’s a bit unfair that people will rush out to see the Ocean films, which are enjoyable, but then not pay much mind to Bubble or this film. In the Girlfriend Experience, he just did the essentials in making an intimate, deliciously voyeuristic glance into a hidden, slightly scary world unbeknownst to our own. This film is just dripping with naturally lit and composed angles that create everlasting, supple shots that will be etched in my mind. For fans of Grey’s adult films looking for some high budgeted encore will likely be disappointed, unless they’re looking for an subtle and straight performance, or want to see her other tempting talents than those that have made her famous.

Year: 2009
Running Time: 98 minutes
Rated: R
SRP: $39.99
Studio(s): Universal Studios and Focus Features
Release Date: September 29, 2009

Film/Feature: C
Comedy is a subjective thing and no matter how funny someone tells me a film is, I have to take to see it for myself and see if I find it either as funny, or funnier than advertised. In many instances though the film falls short of expectations. So based on my sensibilities and broad appreciation of all levels of humor, I would caution to label Away We Go a pure comedy.

Longtime couple Burt (John Krasinski) and girlfriend Verona (Maya Rudolph) are expecting their first child. They live in Denver near Burt’s parents (Jeff Daniels and Catherine O’Hara) but find out they are moving away one month before the baby is due. They are the only family close by. So they begin an ambitious road trip to visit as many friends and family as possible all around North America trying to find a place they can call home and raise their unborn child.

Their friends include an assortment of eccentrics and oddballs including Verona’s tactless former boss Lilly (Allison Janney) and her depressing husband Lowell (Jim Gaffigan) in Phoenix, her sister Grace (Carmen Ejogo) in Tuscon, Burt’s wacko bohemian friends LN (Maggie Gylenhaal) and Roderick (Josh Hamilton), seemingly on-the-surface stable friends Montreal (Melanie Lynskey and Chris Messina) and Burt’s brother Courtney (Paul Schneider) in Miami.

Their friends and family all seem to be more comfortable with themselves and happy with the unhappiness in their lives than Burt and Verona who fail to clarify what’s so unhappy in their lives to prompt such a drastic move. Verona does not believe in marriage, or at least marriage being some defining moment. Burt is unhappy with that, but is still supportive in her decision. They are searching for their direction in life as their next big decision in life before settling down with a child, they have some grand design of raising the child in a way that makes up for all of their shortcomings. Who doesn’t do that?

Away We Go is a sweet, contemplative, little film that I believe, is targeted to 30-somethings who are starting their families and steering though life trying to find their way and settle down. It’s not type of comedy where you’ll laugh-out loud and then think about later how spot on it is. I’m really not sure what it is. I’d be as bold to question if it’s a comedy at all. It’s not particularly witty, it’s just sort of… there. All of the nuanced comedy that was claiming to be there was sort of lost on me. It was neither their friends or family who could help determine what was best for them. It was just something they had to find on their own. They come to this conclusion with such irony and such a lack of eventfulness that you’re just left saying, “So, is that it?” Even your average hipster might be scratching his/her head afterwards.

There is a specific audience it’s speaking to and there are legitimate questions and issues that young families deal with, that Away We Go brings up which the viewers can then self-reflect and ponder what they’d do, but it tries to hard to be such an unconventional film that it paints itself into corners and nothing is really gained or learned in Burt and Verona’s road trip except that friends and family are best admired from afar. Hell, I could have told them that.

Video: B+
This little venture was sealed into blu-ray with a 1080p VC-1 encoded transfer in the original 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The film is a road comedy and they transported viewers to Miami, Arizona, Montreal, and other places. Rudolph’s warm glowing skin has lots of subtlety to it, all of which is clearly visible. The picture has an overall soft aesthetic to it. Details like textures and nature scenes appear to be cozy and comfortable. Contrast levels and shadows are both set at adequate levels to give proper depth perception.

Audio: B+
The 5.1 English DTS-HD audio track that’s honestly overkill for what amounts to a chatty independent film. Outside of some hum-strummy acoustic music of Alexi Murdoch that goes to the left and right front channels, the film is focused through the center channel. Whether through whispers or abrupt shouting, all of the dialogue in Away We Go is clear and pitch perfect, but there’s not much here to measure in terms of robust sound or surrounding effects. Other audio selections include: French and Spanish tracks in 5.1 DTS audio and subtitles are available in English SDH, French, and Spanish.

Extras: C
Audio Commentary by Director Sam Mendes and Writers Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida is like re-watching the movie with three friends, chatting and laughing the day away. They reveal a little more of the subtext that’s in the screenplay and note the subtlety of the acting and the themes of what Burt and Verona are going through and coming away with these visits to their friends across the country. It’s not a technical track by any means but if your curiosity is still brimming after seeing the film then you may want to go back and see it with their comments.

Making of Away We Go HD (16:13) Director Sam Mendes and his cast talk about the personal touch that was put and felt by the film, how the story was very real and very poignant at this time in their lives.

Green Filmmaking HD (6:38) is a brief look into the current wave of conscious green filmmaking to minimize waste and maximize used materials. It’s not relevant to the film, but is nice to see environmentally aware filmmakers doing what they can to minimize waste.

Overall Shock Value: C
Going through this actual period in my life, I was hoping for a surprising film that I would treasure, but the main characters meander to their eventual conclusion unceremoniously, and their journey nor their concerns are just not as nearly as interesting as they make it out to be. But there are going to be folks out there who dig the folky music, the non-nonchalant wandering and the subtle surmise to the revelation of an ironic placement in life is where you need to be. I’d rent Away We Go though before coming to that conclusion and see for yourself if it was worth the journey or if something revealed itself to you.

On September 15, 2009 Miramax and Dimension released four classic martial arts films on blu-ray for the first time. They can be purchased together as one four-pack of blu-rays or separately. All of them got brand new 1080p transfers, which in general an upgrades over previous standard DVD releases, but there are no new extras, But perhaps the biggest crime of this release is that they give us brand new lossless DTS-HD master audio tracks ON THE ENGLISH DUB of ALL FOUR FILMS!. So when you hear the much improved fight scenes, sound effects, and music, all of that high definition bliss is interrupted with some half-baked, poorly translated mockery of the film.

Most of the blu-rays do have thankfully, a 5.1 Dolby Digital track to fall back on in the original language, EXCEPT Legend of Drunken Master. Ernie Estrella has written full reviews of all four blu-rays accessed below. Each would be recommended as rentals unless you’ve never see any of them. Not because they’re not good enough movies to own outright, but they are not definitive editions by any means, and their leap to high definition should be taken with a grain of salt, or is that a grain of rice. Anywho, on to the reviews.

Full Legend of Drunken Master Blu-Ray Review (1994)

Full Hero Blu-Ray Review (2002)

Full Iron Monkey Blu-Ray Review (1993)

Full Zatoichi Blu-Ray Review (2003)

Year: 1993
Running Time: 86 minutes
Rated: PG-13
SRP:$ 39.99
Studio(s): Miramax
Release Date: September 2009

Film/Feature: B+

Iron Monkey is a twist on the Robin Hood/Zorro story where they were able to cram a younger version of Chinese folk hero, Wong Fei Hung into this relative cookie cutter martial arts film that does have some significance for HK Cinema and Martial Arts fans. First it’s directed by legendary fight choreographer, Yuen Woo-Ping. Next it’s produced by Tsui Hark who has gone on to direct his own brand of HK action films. And most of all it stars a young Donnie Yen who carved out his own slice of the Martial Arts genre and took the mantle after Jet Li began to age. It’s a fun film that’s welcoming to MA novices and the story is a simple one where the government is trying to take advantage of the poor people. The Iron Monkey (Yu Rong-Guang) robs from the government and spreads the wealth to the needy and the poor.

The government force Wong Kei-Ying (Donnie Yen) to track down the Iron Monkey or else they will hold his son, Wong Fei-Hong (Sze-Man Tsang) as ransom in exchange of bringing their elusive adversary to justice. The rest of the townspeople will not do it because they’re obviously benefitting from Iron Monkey’s efforts. Kei-Ying plays detective and discovers what the Iron Monkey is doing and enlists his aid to help free his son. What the government doesn’t know though is the fighting skill of the pint-sized Wong Fei-Hong.

Iron Monkey and films that feature Yen, tend to toe the line of the Jackie Chan and Jet Li films had in that the action is top notch, obviously with Woo-Ping at control, but they’re also not so epic that you nod off waiting for the fights. It could be argued that this did not elevate MA films to another level, but they simply don’t make films this fun, and this enjoyable very often anymore.

Video: B+

Iron Monkey gets a new 1080p encoded transfer in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. Out of the four blu-rays released in Miamax’s Ultimate Force of Four series, this is one of the better video transfers. Color, detail, and blacks are all improved over the previous DVD transfer. There is still the random fleck of noise and dirt that’s still seen when looked at closely. It doesn’t take away from the overall experience, and this is by far a step up from what current DVD owners are used to but I say all this to temper the HD critical eyes out there who compare this with the average modern blu-ray.

Audio: C

If you’ve read any of my other reviews from Miramax’s Ultimate Force of Four pack, then you know where this is section is headed. If not, then Iron Monkey boasts the same boisterous upgrade of a 5.1 DTS-HD audio track as the other three in the Force of Four Pack, sadly for only the ENGLISH DUB!? I’m not going to beat a point in the ground, well, anymore than I did in my Hero blu-ray review but there is a 5.1 Dolby Digital Chinese soundtrack. It’s not nearly as spectacular as the English dub, but that insult of a dub track is just terrible and I dare you to watch Iron Monkey straight-faced when the actors are speaking. Talk about ruining the moment. The other option is a 2.0 Dolby Digital Spanish track and subtitles are available English SDH and Spanish.

Extras: D+

We get two scintillating interviews. Well no, not really, but there are two stock interviews carried over from the previous DVD release. Neither of them are memorable enough to speak well enough about them to help give the blu-ray some other attraction than the high definition transfer.

Quentin Tarantino Interview SD (9:00) gives the famous filmmaker/film geek an opportunity to share his knowledge of the genre and speak about where Iron Monkey fits into the big picture. I have to admit that I would have never discovered this film originally on VHS if it wasn’t for Tarantino’s pull to get this to the American market, I just wish it was handled with more care.

Donnie Yen Interview SD (6:00) talks about where Iron Monkey fit into his life at the time and how much martial arts were a part of his life at an early age.

Overall Shock Value: C+

For martial arts novices, Iron Monkey is a great introduction to a younger Donnie Yen who really went upward and onward from here. The story is light enough and crazy enough to grow its fan base larger than what it already is today and you could find much worse than this blu-ray release. Is it the definitive version? No. But it will do for now.