Immersed in Blu-ray/DVD


The Great Escape, Richard III, Badlands, Sansho the Bailiff, and the original Fast and Furious are the latest home entertainment releases I've enjoyed. The Great Escape (Fox/MGM) This 50th anniversary Blu-ray release of the World War II classic may not be

VFX Retrofitting Star Trek Into Darkness


Like Skyfall, Star Trek Into Darkness is a hybrid of the old and the new in completing its rite of passage reboot. Except that J.J. Abrams has the advantage of time travel, which he introduced in the first movie, for creating a parallel universe that allows him to

The Academy Tackles Storytelling in the Digital Age


Tech and storytelling converged during a fascinating series of discussions at the Academy on May 15 about Zero Dark Thirty, Argo, and Star Trek Into Darkness, hosted by screenwriter John August. After showing a funny collage of clips about ditching cell phones and

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Cinematography

Celebrating Shane at TCM Classic Fest

Posted on April 27, 2013 by Bill Desowitz in Below the Line, Cinematography, Movies, Oscar, Tech | Leave a comment

Come see the digitally restored Shane (in the proper aspect ratio) tonight at the Chinese as part of the TCM Classic Film Festival. Read more

Immersed in Blu-ray: Lincoln

Posted on March 26, 2013 by Bill Desowitz in Below the Line, Blu-ray, Cinematography, Clips, Home Entertainment, Movies, Oscar, Production Design, Tech, Trailers, VFX | Leave a comment

Lincoln was my favorite movie of last year. It fulfilled all of my expectations and then some as a psychological study and political procedural. I would argue that Steven Spielberg came of age with Schindler’s List but achieved a new profundity with Lincoln about the fight to save the soul of this country. The Blu-ray is out this week from Fox Home Ent., which provides an opportunity to revisit this magnificent movie. It looks and sounds as rich and beautiful as it first appeared theatrically, only now you’ll be able to hear every hushed line of dialogue by screenwriter Tony Kushner and even better appreciate Daniel Day-Lewis’ commanding, Oscar-winning performance. Read more

Trailering More World War Z

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Bill Desowitz in 3-D, Below the Line, Cinematography, Movies, previs, Tech, Trailers, VFX, Virtual Production | Leave a comment

There’s a second trailer for World War Z (June 21), the zombie invasion/political conspiracy thriller starring Brad Pitt and directed by Marc Forster (Quantum of Solace). Read more

Immersed in Blu-ray: Life of Pi

Posted on March 16, 2013 by Bill Desowitz in 3-D, Animation, Below the Line, Blu-ray, Cinematography, Clips, Home Entertainment, Movies, Music, Oscar, previs, Tech, VFX, Virtual Production | Leave a comment

Ang Lee’s multiple Oscar-winning Life of Pi goes Blu (Fox Home Ent.) and looks spectacular. Even viewed flat, I’m still entranced by the spirituality of the storytelling and the seduction of the imagery. And the 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio offers a thrilling soundscape. It truly is the 2001 of our time. Read more

Wachowski’s Jupiter Ascending Set for Summer 2014

Posted on March 15, 2013 by Bill Desowitz in Below the Line, Cinematography, Movies, Music, previs, Production Design, Tech, VFX, Virtual Production | Leave a comment

The Wachowski’s next movie, Jupiter Ascending, has just landed a July 25, 2014 release date from Warner Bros., which means another smart, genre-bending experience from Andy and Lana, who are obviously unfazed by the lackluster box office response to Cloud Atlas. Read more

Immersed in Blu-ray: Cabaret

Posted on March 2, 2013 by Bill Desowitz in Blu-ray, Cinematography, Clips, Home Entertainment, Movies, Music, Oscar, Tech | Leave a comment

Before Les Mis, there was Cabaret (1972), which redefined the musical and is now available on Blu-ray from Warner Home Video. There is no existing negative, so Warner MPI did the best it could with an IP, even repairing a vertical scratch that extends for a reel. The result is dazzling. It’s dark and dense yet warm in keeping with Geoffrey Unsworth’s alluring look and the original Technicolor dye transfer finish.  The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio will have you believing you’re in the Kit Kat Klub. Read more

Immersed in Blu-ray: The Insider

Posted on March 1, 2013 by Bill Desowitz in Below the Line, Blu-ray, Cinematography, Editing, Home Entertainment, Movies, Production Design, Tech | Leave a comment

Back in 2000, many of us thought The Insider should’ve won best picture. It was an incisive and oppressive fact-based thriller that recalled the best of the ’70s. Now an indispensable Blu-ray is out from Touchstone Ent. looking darker and richer than ever before, and, if anything, Michael Mann’s movie seems even more brilliant. Read more

Immersed in Blu-ray On the Waterfront

Posted on February 23, 2013 by Bill Desowitz in Below the Line, Blu-ray, Cinematography, Clips, Home Entertainment, Movies, Oscar | Leave a comment

On the Waterfront (1954) dazzles on the new Criterion Blu-ray out this week just in time for the Academy Awards. The landmark best picture winner about social corruption and personal redemption directed by Elia Kazan and starring Marlon Brando has even greater intensity and intimacy, thanks to a new 4K digital restoration from the original 35mm camera negative overseen by Sony’ s Grover Crisp. Read more

Immersed in Blu-ray: Skyfall

Posted on February 12, 2013 by Bill Desowitz in Below the Line, Blu-ray, Books, Cinematography, Home Entertainment, James Bond, Movies, Tech, Trailers | Leave a comment

Skyfall arrives this week on Blu-ray (Fox/MGM Home Ent.). No wonder it’s the first billion dollar Bond: it’s the most prestigious and dramatically rich Bond ever (under the inspired direction of Sam Mendes), the best-shot Bond movie ever (courtesy of Oscar-nominated and ASC winner Roger Deakins), and the most stunning Bond Blu-ray ever. It’s crisp, sharp, and elegant. That’s because Deakins used the Arri Alexa. In terms of audio, the 5.1 DTS HD-Master  is very dynamic . Read more

Life of Pi, Brave Earn BAFTA Honors

Posted on February 10, 2013 by Bill Desowitz in 3-D, Animation, Below the Line, Cinematography, Costume, Editing, Events, James Bond, Movies, Music, Production Design, Shorts, Sound, Tech, VFX, Virtual Production | Leave a comment

While Argo and Ben Affleck unsurprisingly took the top prizes for best film and director today at the BAFTA Awards in London,  Pixar’s Scottish-flavored Brave won for best animated feature and Life of Pi for VFX  (Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik-Jan De Boer). Life of Pi’s Claudio Miranda also scored the cinematography award; The Making of Longbird and Swimmer earned honors for best animated and live-action short, respectively. Read more

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