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The movie “A Clockwork Orange” turns 40 this week, and to commemorate Warner Home Video is not only putting out a deluxe Blu-ray of that title, but all of Stanley Kubrick’s work at that studio. Meanwhile, Universal and Paramount are keeping pace with their own re-releases of classic pictures like “American Graffiti” and “Once Upon a Time in the West.” Take a look at this week’s Blu-ray choices and see which ones are worth your time, attention, and perhaps most importantly, money.
American: The Bill Hicks Story (BBC Worldwide) – Given how celebrated Bill Hicks is today as a comedian, it’s easy to forget that he succumbed to cancer more than 17 years ago. Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas’ documentary captures the life and times of one of the greatest minds in comedy history, and shows how comedy itself can be a force for more than just making people laugh. The Blu-ray looks terrific thanks to a high-definition transfer that sustains even outdated source material, while the bonus content features a treasure trove of alternate scenes, extended interviews, rare clips, featurettes, and unseen performances.
American Graffiti (Universal Studios Home Entertainment) – Featuring new digitally-remastered picture supervised by writer-director George Lucas himself, “American Graffiti” proves that the filmmaker can do double-dip releases on all of his films, even the ones without the words “Star” or “Wars” in their titles. The picture quality is solid, although technophiles may bristle at its use of edge enhancement and the comparatively understated depth of its darker colors, while a 2.0 stereo soundtrack keeps the audio faithful to the era of the film’s release without boring folks to death with a static, single source of audio. Lucas provides a moderately interesting video commentary and offer a “U-Control” track which celebrates the film’s soundtrack, but the highlight of the extras is the “Making of American Graffiti” documentary which offers an in-depth portrait of the production. Screen tests also offer some additional information about the cast and crew members, but as a whole this set isn’t just a trip down memory lane, it’s a nostalgic treat that holds up today.
Cat O’ Nine Tails (Blue Underground) – Any day with a new Dario Argento release is a good one, and the folk at Blue Underground oblige with a new Blu-ray for “Cat O’ Nine Tails,” a comparatively unappreciated entry in the horror luminary’s filmography. The film looks delightful in HD, offering a dynamic, clean and clear transfer that highlights Argento’s imaginative camerawork. Meanwhile, an understated 2.0 stereo track wont strain your home theater, but it gets the job done. The “Tales From The Cat” featurette includes interviews with Argento and composer Ennio Morricone as they discuss their work on the film, while radio interviews with stars James Franciscus and Karl Malden further illuminate Argento’s style of working. As suggested, a slightly lesser film in comparison to his more obvious classics, but collectors and completists should know this is the best way to watch this film, even if it isn’t your favorite of Argento’s films.
Once Upon a Time in the West (Paramount Home Entertainment) – There are precious few films in any genre, much less westerns, that exceed the accomplishments of Sergio Leone’s “Once Upon a Time in the West,” and Paramount’s new Blu-ray lives up to the film with presentation and bonus content that’s equally spectacular. Featuring both the restored and theatrical versions of the film, the disc nevertheless offers a pristine, detailed and vivid transfer, while a 5.1 DTS-HD soundtrack makes the film’s world feel truly immersive. Meanwhile, there’s a fantastic commentary track featuring comments from iconic filmmakers like John Carpenter, John Milius and Alex Cox, four documentaries, a locations featurette showing the differences between them then and now, and an extensive production gallery. If it’s remotely possible that you haven’t seen this film, or that you don’t believe this is imminently superior to all three of Leone’s “Dollars” entries, you simply must own this.
Stanley Kubrick: The Limited Edition Collection (Warner Home Video) – While any self-respecting Stanley Kubrick fan already owns many of the titles included in this new box set, “The Limited Edition Collection” compiles ten of the filmmaker’s highest-profile pictures (notably, from a number of different studios) in one sleek package, updates one of them with expansive new extras, and offers two more in high definition for the very first time. “A Clockwork Orange” is celebrating its 40 …
Source: Blu-ray.com
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