As anyone who has ever seen a home theater system knows, the components take up a good deal of room and for this reason, many people do not purchase them. As the world continues to fight a battle against encroaching space problems, compact systems become easier to buy in a better quality. With population growth, so grows the problem of space. Though the plantation style homes were beautiful, they are also largely a thing of the past as most current residents reside in smaller homes, apartments or condos.

Limitations brought on by small living space will frequently inhibit the addition of hefty home theater systems. The good news is that they days of huge projectors and massive televisions stands have fallen by the wayside to make way for ceiling mounted projectors and rear projector televisions that fit tightly into corners when necessary. People are also able to save space by investing in wireless speakers, which can be mounted either on the wall or in the ceiling, and in a plasma or LCD television which can also be mounted on the wall.

[With advances in technology, such as box kits, there is no need for a family living in a small space to go without a home theater. No matter how small our homes might be, the advances in technology allow us to enjoy advanced sound and picture quality from the privacy of their walls. Traditional movie outlets and sporting events are inferior to a home theater because only at home can you enjoy instant replay and a great view.]

Whether you are one of many around the world who has put off this purchase, which will greatly improve how you view home movie viewing, there are options that are worth considering if there are limitations on space. Such systems work better in tiny spaces than very large ones, in all actuality. As the owner of a small space, you will not face the disappointment that owners of large spaces feel when they purchase a system and discover their rooms are too large for the system. The many options that are available for small space systems should be familiar to the store workers where you shop to purchase your system.

By itself, your television would take up more room than your mounted ceiling and wall components of your home theater system. Getting rid of your old television and upgrading to a flat version that can be mounted on a wall will allow you to free up even more floor room. The market is vast, however, and the only true way to see what might work for your space is to investigate your options. It is silly to allow your home theater system to pass you by because you assume that your space is too small when a little investigation might reveal otherwise.

The 23rd sees Paramount making us an offer we can’t refuse when they finally release the Godfather Trilogy on Blu. Not only have the movies themselves been painstakingly cleaned and restored and come with Dolby True HD, but they are also filled to the brim with added value. Here is the official press release:

DIRECTOR FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA’S EPIC TRILOGY DEBUTS ON DVD AND BLU-RAY IN ALL
NEWLY-REMASTERED VERSIONS

THE GODFATHER: THE COPPOLA RESTORATION

Cinematic Classics Return to their Original Pristine Glory with All-New Special Features
Must-Own Collections Arrive September 23, 2008

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (June 30, 2007) - More than three decades after they won the Academy Award® for Best Picture, director Francis Ford Coppola’s classic films The Godfather and The Godfather, Part II will once again be enjoyed by audiences as they originally were meant to be seen, thanks to a meticulous restoration by Paramount Pictures, overseen by Coppola himself. On September 23, 2008, both fully restored films will debut on DVD and Blu-ray, along with a newly remastered version of The Godfather Part III, to be included as part of The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration Collection. All three films will be available individually or in a five-DVD collection or four-disc Blu-ray collection, which are loaded with a host of all-new special features.

The Godfather and The Godfather, Part II underwent extensive frame-by-frame examination and restoration utilizing state-of-the-art digital technology in this historic preservation effort, which required more than a year to complete. Robert A. Harris of the Film Preserve supervised the restoration under the direction of Coppola and cinematographer, Gordon Willis. Harris’ restoration credits include Lawrence of Arabia, Spartacus, Vertigo and Rear Window, among others.

The new special features created by Kim Aubry, founder of Zoetrope Aubry Productions, explores the complexities of the restoration process and provides new insights and perspectives about how the film almost didn’t come to pass as we know it. The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn’t relates the unlikely events, intrigue, allegiances and luck that put together the unknown director with the “unwanted” cast and contains interviews with most of the living players and many of the film’ admirers. Other featurettes include …when the shooting stopped and Godfather World, which take a look at The Godfather’s influence on popular culture today. Each film includes a commentary by Coppola.

THE GODFATHER: The Coppola Restoration Blu-ray four-disc set is presented in 1080p high definition with English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Mono (except The Godfather: Part III) and English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. The following special features are presented in high definition as noted:

Disc 1:
- The Godfather feature film
- Commentary by director Francis Ford Coppola

Disc 2:
- The Godfather, Part II feature film
- Commentary by director Francis Ford Coppola

Disc 3:
- The Godfather, Part III feature film
- Commentary by director Francis Ford Coppola

Disc 4:
- Godfather World (HD)
- The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn’t (HD)
- …when the shooting stopped (HD)
- Emulsional Rescue: Revealing The Godfather (HD)
- The Godfather on the Red Carpet (HD)
- Four Short Films on The Godfather

1. The Godfather vs. The Godfather, Part II (HD)
2. Cannoli (HD)
3. Riffing on the Riffing (HD)
4. Clemenza (HD)

- The Family Tree
- Crime Organization Chart
- Connie and Carlo’s Wedding Album

2001 DVD Archive:

• -Behind the Scenes
  1. The Godfather Family: A Look Inside
  2. On Location
  3. Francis Coppola’s Notebook
  4. The Music of the Godfather
  5. Coppola & Puzo on Screenwriting
  6. Gordon Willis on Cinematography
  7. Storyboards from The Godfather, Part II
  8. Storyboards from The Godfather, Part III
  9. The Godfather: Behind the Scenes 1971
• The Filmmakers
  1. Francis Ford Coppola
  2. Mario Puzo
  3. Gordon Willis
  4. Dean Tavoularis
  5. Nino Rota
  6. Carmine Coppola
• Additional Scenes
• Acclaim & Response
• Trailers (HD)
• Photo Gallery
• Rogues’ Gallery

The 2nd of September sees the long awaited release of the summer blockbuster hit from 2007, Transformers. If you’ve already been reading my posts, you’ll know all about this release along with the list of extras, but basically, all the extras that were on the HD DVD release will be on this 2-disc release, along with a new, Michael Bay-personally-approved, Blu-ray specific video encode. The movie will also come with an uncompressed PCM soundtrack, along with Lossless Dolby True HD audio and Lossy Dolby Digital Plus soundtracks.

Other popular titles due shortly are the Jack Ryan movies, The Hunt For Red October, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger and The Sum of All Fears.

The hit movie Top Gun is set to blast off on 29th July. The BD version will be vastly superior to the previous HD DVD version in all respects. Firstly, the audio has received a major overhaul. Not only does it contain the Dolby True HD 5.1 audio from the HD DVD, but in a first for Paramount, Top Gun receives a blistering dts HD Master Audio 6.1 soundtrack that is guarenteed to raise the hackles on your neck. Its not known what the video encode will be. Unlike the bare bones HD DVD, this BD will be a fully loaded 2-disc affair, complete with Audio Commentary by producer Jerry Bruckheimer, director Tony Scott, and co- writer Jack Epps Jr., The Danger Zone: Making of Featurette, a Multi-Angle Storyboard Comparison, a Stills Gallery, Music Videos, and TV Spots.

Other titles yet to be announced but almost certainly due this autumn is The Indiana Jones Quadrilogy. The last movie Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull will almost certainly make it in time for the holidays, but hopefully the 3 previous classics will also be released, complete with Lossless audio and special features.

Surely the most antisipated title of 2008 has to be the HUGE summer hit starring Robert Downey Jr., Iron Man. Being due on the 30th September, this is the movie everyone and their dog wants to see in High-Definition. The BD should be a belter as there was tons of promotional material showing on TV and satellite at release time.

Finally, on 21st October, Blu-ray will see the release of the Tim Burton-directed Stephen Sondheim musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street some six months after it appeared on DVD. Not a lot is known of its contents as we speak, but expect the extras to mirror the 2-disc DVD released in April. What is known is that audio will be supplied by way of Dolby True HD 5.1.

So there you have it, a very exciting 2nd half of 2008 as far as Paramount is concerned. With the fact that all their new releases have HD audio and video supplements are presented in Full HD, they can put the likes of Warner Bros to shame. And also the fact that their catalogue pricing policy puts Fox to shame, things can only get better in 2009 and beyond. Welcome back.

Also revealed is that ALL of the special features present on the current DVD boxset will make it to BD along with some new Blu-Ray exclusives, such as picture-in-picture commentaries with surviving members of Easy Company, and In The Field With The Men Of Easy Company. Sound is simply described as dts - let’s hope HBO sees fit to make it dts HD Master Audio 7.1. After all, this series really does deserve nothing less. It’s well-known that the series was filmed in Hi-Def, so it will look fantastic on BD. The use of grain and the de-saturated look really suited the style of the series.

I have been hesitant about buying TV shows on BD as i’m not sure there is high rewatchability (I love Lost, Prison Break, and Heroes, but not enough to keep watching them), but this is definitely the exception (along with Battlestar Galactica, of course). No price has yet been revealed, but that doesn’t matter. I know for myself and almost every Blu-ray fanatic out there that this will be a Day One purchase, whatever the price.

These guys put their lives on the line to stop tyranny across wartime Europe, and this series is a fitting tribute to their remarkable bravery and sacrifice. As the tagline so eloquently states: They Depended On Each Other And The World Depended On Them.

Question: You recently did an interview where you said that in “Iron Man” there is a Captain America shield, but in our movie we have Captain America.

Louis Leterrier: Wait, that’s crazy. Did I say that?

Question: You did say that. You did say that and so there’s been a lot of…I’ve looked online. Many people are talking about this.

Louis Leterrier: I knew…I threw one like this I was like let’s see how many pick it up.

Question: So is Captain America in the movie as an Easter Egg?

Louis Leterrier: Yes.

Question: Could you be a little more specific?

Louis Leterrier: No, I can’t. Otherwise it’s not fun. Are you crazy? It’s an Easter egg.

Question: But is it like a throwaway gag like a…or is a real kind of a thing?

Louis Leterrier: It’s an Easter egg. It’s not like oh, it’s Captain America and it changes everything. It’s still a Hulk movie, but it’s really Captain America and it’s there, you’ll see. It’s the real deal. You have to look for it.

Question: When did you shoot the “Iron Man” sequence…the Robert Downey, Jr. sequence?

Louis Leterrier: It was the last thing we shot. It was…

Question: Was it always going to be in the movie?

Louis Leterrier: No, I begged Kevin Fiege, the President of Marvel when I knew that Robert got cast, I was like we have to do crossovers. Crossovers—it’s the future of movie making. Now that you have this, I was the one to beg them to do crossovers and then they said Robert is going to be tough to convince, you know, and all that stuff and everything. So eventually I got to talk to Robert and we liked each other and he said, “okay I’ll come for a…I’ve got 5 hours that day.” Let’s shoot in L.A. We were on the way back from Brazil about to go to the North Pole to shoot the opening sequence, with one day in L.A. actually. Iron Man was doing lots of reshooting. They reshot like 2 weeks or something and they had like ? a day where they could give us ? a day, so I just directed Iron Man crew for one day. I brought William Hurt that day and that was it. It was great. It was fantastic.

Question: I have to ask you…there’s been a lot of talk about the 2 different cuts that exist on the movie. Obviously the DVD is going to have more footage.

Louis Leterrier: Yeah.

Question: So, could you talk about what was cut out of the film, like is there 15 minutes?

Louis Leterrier: No, the final way of me cutting this…maybe there’s like 10-15 minutes of stuff, but there’s a lot of stuff like on the Blue-ray I think we’ll have 70 minutes of stuff.

Question: Seventeen or…

Louis Leterrier: Seventy. 7-0.

Question: 70!

Louis Leterrier: Yeah, because you shoot a lot of stuff, yeah. What’s another picture? Yeah, but that’s what great. It’s like the back story. It’s more the sequel to the Ang Lee movie.

Question: I have to ask you…so the Blue-ray…the DVD just has a little bit…

Louis Leterrier: No the Blue-ray…it’s whatever we can put on the DVD. Like DVD’s you have like 3 hours of like yeah…you have a limit of 3 hours of footage and stuff. The Blue-ray you have something like 100 hours, so if they do a double DVD but like the Blue-Ray is what’s going to be good. So on the Blue-ray I’m trying to put as much of the stuff…I want to put everything we shot, you know? I’m not the kind of guy that likes to keep the stuff for myself. I’m like, okay you student filmmakers, here’s what I did right and here’s what I did wrong and in some of the stuff, in the 70 minutes, there’s some great stuff and there’s some really horrible stuff, but you’ll see it all, you know?

Question: What about the behind-the-scenes material?

Louis Leterrier: Oh there’s like tons of stuff like great stuff. That’s actually much longer. We’ve got like 3 hours of material—how we made the “Hulk” and everything. That’s great stuff.

Question: Getting into the 70, is it all character stuff? Is it certain…

Louis Leterrier: Oh, there’s action stuff. There’s everything. We cut everything. We give you the nice haircut like yours.

Question: Yeah, exactly. But I have to do the follow-up. Obviously Edward has been…well was vocal a little while ago about wanting to want a more character…there was a lot of debate online…

Louis Leterrier: No, I know what you…

Question: And so what was he looking for vs. what was put out?

Louis Leterrier: I think he was looking for…I think what happened….no. I’ll tell you what happened exactly because I knew the timing exactly. You know when you do your first movie, you do an assembly. Everything that you’ve shot you put it into an assembly. Then after the assembly, you screen it. And it’s called a suicide run because it’s absolutely horrible. You want to commit suicide after you see it. You’re like, “oh I wasted 2 years of my life, $150 million. This is the worst movie ever. I’m like a terrible director. You cannot act. You’re a terrible producer.” So after this we had a meeting—just like this—like a round table where I go okay we have to find solutions. And then we were screaming stuff and everything. Maybe somebody walked in, a PA or somebody walked in, somebody who’s not used to it and we’re having a conversation and Edward was like…no, Edward’s very vocal. He won’t say….he’s like “come on man” and he’s not arguing. That’s how Edward is. I’m sure you guys have met him, you know, he’ll be like (making sounds) and the guy walks in and he’s like okay, Edward Norton is arguing about the cut and everything. And he walks out and (sounds of typewriter) they’re arguing. The next day when the Nikki Finke…Nicky Fink or whatever her name is…article came out, Edward was right next to me. He’s like “you want to laugh?” I’m like, “Yeah, what’s up?” “Read this”. “Oh, shit, you know. But I thought it would blow over. I was like…yeah okay. It’s like the same thing you see Britney Spears and everything. I was okay, funny. It’s like TMZ.com. I didn’t care. I was like okay, cool. And then we kept on cutting and cutting and it became bigger and bigger and people were calling me and then Universal were calling “everything’s okay and everything?” and I was like “Edward’s right here next to me. Talk to Edward.” “Hey man, we’re cool. It’s me it was just a little argument”. Then Edward…because he finished…he was an actor. He had written a couple of versions of the screenplay and then he moved on. He did his thing. It just blew over. Everybody was really surprised and Edward was like, “yeah it must have been a slow week in Hollywood if I’m like the you know if I become the Britney Spears of Hollywood.” So it’s just…

Question: So that was it?

Louis Leterrier: That was it. That was it. We had to kill babies. We killed some of my babies, some of his babies. Like in the 70 minutes in you’ll see a scene that was actually in the trailer where you see the Ty Burrell character having a nice introspective talk with Edward. But you saw the movie guys. You know, it’s the moment where he spends the night with Betty and then she has a boyfriend and then they talked together and then it’s everything you know. It’s like…it was a long scene to give us an excuse to get that cool punch line that was given in the trailer like you know, you’ve never seen something…you know maybe you should see a shrink and he says no, you’ve haven’t seen a patient like me or something like that. Just for one punch line—a long scene like that. I go, okay maybe we don’t need that. And it just started moving forward. The problem with that suicide run—that suicide cut—was that it was a lot of stops and go and stops and go and stops and go and just the way I describe it to you, you know. The Arctic scene—stop. The credit sequence—go. Brazil—stop. Transformation—go and stop. It didn’t feel like a good fugitive movie like the “Bourne Supremacy”, like “The Fugitive” with Harrison Ford. These movies keep on going. They never stop, you know and we had to find something that is and it takes time to do that, you know and next time I’ll know. When I do the first screening first of all, don’t do your meeting right after it because everybody’s like ahh, I fucking hate you, you know? Do it a couple of days after and then do it behind closed door because no one can understand that. It’s really tough. You become really emotional. It’s 2 years of your life. It’s your own thing. It’s like…keep it for yourself.

Question: I have to do one quick follow-up. Comic-Con’s coming up in July, obviously you might go down there for “Hulk”, do you think…

Louis Leterrier: I don’t know.

Question: …well, maybe. Do you think there’s any chance of you showing some of those deleted scenes you talked about the 70 minutes at Comic-Con for the fans?

Louis Leterrier: Guys, do not do this–and action.

Question: No, but I’m being serious. That might a really nice treat for the fans.

Louis Leterrier: That would be nice, yeah. We’ll see. It’s just I tell you; it’s not that interesting. I mean, it’s interesting….only the good stuff is in the movie. We just took out the bad stuff that’s why. We didn’t take out any of the good stuff otherwise it would be a shame. No, really I swear.

Question: Anything about a sequel yet?

Louis Leterrier: Sequel? Maybe. Maybe. We’ll know on Saturday.

Well, first I’d like to give a big thank you to Frosty for making this fascinating interview available. What are my thoughts on this movie? Well, I watched it Saturday evening here in Bangkok with my bird, and I, for one, thoroughly enjoyed it. Saying that, I actually liked the first one, too.

I can’t wait till this one appears on Blu-ray later this year, especially if it is indeed a director’s cut. In fact, I’ll be all over this quicker than a Russian in a Pattaya Go-Go bar.

The Story
Next [Blu-ray] sees Nicolas Cage plays Cris Johnson, a man who has the ability to see 2 minutes into the future, or more accurately, his own future. He lives in Vegas, and uses his powers in a magic act and also by winning small stakes at the casinos, hiding in plain sight. But now his unusual powers have come to the attention of FBI opperative Callie Ferris (Moore) who needs his help to find the whereabouts of a stolen nuclear bomb being hidden somewhere in Southern California by a group of terrorists led by Mr. Smith (Kretschmann).

Because of bad experiences at the hands of scientists as a child, Cris is somewhat hesitant to help; besides, he’s more interested in meeting the love of his future life, Liz, played by Jessica Biel. On the run from Ferris, he hitches a ride with Liz where they fall for each other - all the while with the FBI and the terrorists in hot pursuit. The terrorists want him dead because he is the only one who can locate the device. When the terrorists capture Liz, Cris reluctantly agrees to help Ferris. Can Cris save Liz and can he save the residents of Southern California from nuclear annihilation?

This movie is based on the book “The Golden Man” by sci-fi novellist Philip K. Dick, author of The Minority Report, Blade Runner, and A Scanner Darkly. Being a fan of his work, I was eager to see how this film turned out, and I liked it immensely. It had all that i liked - a good cast, plenty of action, and fantastic special effects. Many people were not too keen on this movie, and even more were not keen on the ending. I liked its unique twist. I was a bit concerned about Nic’s haircut, but it wasn’t too distracting. As always, Jessica Biel is pure eye-candy, but played her part well here. Moore was good also as the sometimes ruthless FBI agent hell-bent on getting the bomb found at all costs. A very good movie. My score: 8.5/10.

The Visuals
Next is framed in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1. Paramount have used a very high AVC video encode that simply looks stunning. The Grand Canyon looks amazing - you can see every grain of sand. Blacks are deep and velvety, though sometimes, I felt that shadow detail was compromised because the blacks were just so deep. Skin tones are natural, though there is a golden tint on many scenes, but I believe this is the filmmakers’ intent. I dont know how this compares with the now defunct HD-DVD disc, but this is a real stunner. I have to say that I am very impressed with this Blu-ray. My score is 9.5/10.

The Audio
Next comes to us with a very high bitrate uncompressed 5.1 PCM soundtrack which is simply awesome. My favourite chapter (13) sees Cris being pursued by the Feds and has Liz run her 4×4 into a water tower and old steam train. The sound of all that stuff crashing down after Cris and the Feds is simply mindblowing - you really feel that you’re in the thick of it. Vocals come through loud and clear. Paramount have done a great job with this Blu-ray. My score: 9.5/10.

Note that there is also Dolby Digital 5.1 in English and Spanish, and Dolby Digital 2.0 in French. Subtitles are available in English, English SDH, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.

The Extras
Next comes to us with a fair selection of extras (not over-abundant), but they are all in glorious High-Definition. First up, is Making the “Next” Best Thing, which is an 18 minute making of featurette. Visualizing The “Next” Move is an 8-minute featurette showing how the special effects were created.

The “Next” Grand Idea goes into why and how the Grand Canyon was utilized in the movie. Two Minutes In The Future has Jessica Biel talking about the advantages and disadvantages of being able to know your own future - this runs for two minutes.

Finally, we have the Theatrical Trailer. Like I said, not overflowing, but nice, nonetheless. My score: 5/10.

Overall Impact
Next is an enjoyable sci-fi romp with a good cast, top class audio/visual presentation, and nice extras - highly recommended. My score: 8.5/10.

The Story
Casino Royale [Blu-ray] sees the franchise go back to basics. Gone is Q and his gadgets, though we still have M, played beautifully by Dame Judy Dench. We see Bond (Craig) at the very beginning of his career as 007, having just achieved his mandatory two kills, shown in a fantastically violent (and uncut, if you have the Japanese import) black and white sequence. He is a raw edgy secret agent, a man who is not bulletproof.

After dispatching a bomb maker after a simply stunning foot chase involving freestyle running thru a construction site Bond is on the trail of an international terrorist network. This trail leads him to a banker by the name of Le Chiffre (Mikkelsen), a man who looks after the finances of all the top terrorists around the world. After Bond foils a plan to destroy the prototype of a flagship jet airliner, Le Chiffre has lost over 100 million dollars of his clients money, so is forced to try to recoup his money at an all-or-nothing, high-risk poker game to be held at the illustrious Casino Royale Hotel in Montenegro. Here he is helped by C.I.A. operative Felix Leiter (Wright), Police Detective Mathis (Giannini), and Treasury Officer Vesper Lynd (Green), but not everyone is who they appear to be. If Bond can win and bankrupt Le Chiffre, he will have nowhere to hide and will be forced to flee to M.I.6, and thus, supply British Secret Intelligence with vital information regarding world terrorists and their finances.

The poker game is wonderfully tense with Bond losing all at one point, almost succumbing to poisoning and close quarter fighting with an African “freedom fiighter” and his henchman. Even after losing all to Bond at the tables, Le Chiffre refuses to go down without a fight and grabs Bond after using Lynd as bait. Things start to get very painful for 007 with ball-breaking results (quite literally).

Note that this is the Japanese Import which is uncut. This torture scene is seen in all its nut-breaking entirety (also note that the black and white fight scene at the very beginning is also uncut). The death of a loved one sees Bonds emotions surfacing which is so un-007, but very welcome. Casino Royale is a welcome return to form of an old favourite, with Daniel Craig clearly relishing his role as Bond. I find his demeanor and acting style very similar to many Bond fans favourite Sean Connery. When fans heard that they were doing away with his “toys”, many die hard fans were up in arms, but after watching Casino Royale it is clear the makers and Craig hit it right on the head. I, for one, love the new gritty, realistic Bond. Well done. My score: 9/10. The movie runs for 145 minutes.

The Visuals
Casino Royale is framed at an aspect ratio of 2.40:1 and is a joy to behold. It is razor sharp with beautifully natural colours. The Madagascar chase scene looks fantastic with the clear blue seas and verdant green jungles looking amazing. Close up detail was excellent, as were distant shots. Visually, my favourite scene was the black and white scene set in Prague at the very beginning of the movie - the fine grain made the image look gorgeous. Night scenes are detailed. Black levels are simply stunning. A top drawer visual presentation. My score: 9.5/10.

The Audio
The uncompressed 5.1 PCM soundtrack is a real barn-stormer, make no mistake. Every channel gets a thorough workout, especially the subwoofer. Panning is spot on. The numerous explosions and gunshots sound clear and convincing. Dialog comes across loud and clear, as does the score. My score: 9/10. Note :there is also DD 5.1 soundtracks in both English and Japanese. Subtitles are available in both English and Japanese.

The Extras
This Blu-ray is not overflowing with extras, but they are worthwhile. We have Becoming Bond, which is a candid interview with star Daniel Craig. It runs for just over 27 minutes and is shown in Hi-Def. Next, we have James Bond For Real, which goes into the many stunts in the movie. This runs for just under 25 minutes and is also HD.

Then we have Bond Girls Are Forever. Former Bond Girl Maryam D’Arbo chats to other Bond Girls on their roles and how it felt to be a Bond Girl. It runs for 49 minutes and is in standard definition. There’s also the “You Know What You Are” music video by Chris Cornell. We have a collection of HD trailers for Casino Royale, Pursuit Of Happyness, Spider-Man 3, and Coming up soon on Sony Pictures Blu-ray. My score: 5/10.

Overall Impact
Casino Royale is a welcome home Bond, and it’s been worth the wait. The movie, visuals, and audio are all top rate, and there are some nice extras on board. If you want the full uncut version, try to obtain the Japanese Import. Highly recommended. My score 9/10.

Please note that Sony may be re-releasing this title to coincide with the theatrical release of the new Bond Film Quantum Of Silence. Keep your eyes peeled for an update on this.

• Commentary by Director Michael Bay
• Our World Featurette (HD)
• Their War Featurette (HD)
• The Story Sparks Featurette (HD)
• From Script to Sand: The Skorponok Desert Attack Featurette (HD)
• More Than Meets The Eye Featurette (HD)
• Concepts Featurette (HD)
• Human Allies Featurette (HD)
• I Fight Giant Robots Featurette (HD)
• Battleground Featurette (HD)
• Rise of the Robots Featurette (HD)
• Autobots Roll Out Featurette (HD)
• Decepticons Strike Featurette (HD)
• Inside the AllSpark Featurette (HD)
• Transformers Tech Inspector Featurette (HD)
• Other: Transformers H.U.D. (Heads Up Display)
• Other: BD-Live Features (TBD)
• Iron Man Trailer (HD)
• Teaser Trailer (HD)
• Rise of the Autobots (HD)
• Teaser Trailer 1 (HD)
• Theatrical Trailer 2 (HD)
• Theatrical Trailer 4 (HD)
• Easter Egg: Michael Bay Cameo (HD)
• Easter Egg: Girl in Dress (HD)
• Easter Egg: Bay Bot (HD)
• Easter Eggs: Casting Mojo (HD)

This is one of THE most anticipated titles (after Iron Man) to be announced and this should go some way to appease the many Blu-ray fans who were unceremoniously screwed by Paramount last autumn.

The Story
They say bad luck runs in 3’s. Well, someone should have told Slevin (Hartnett) that. First, he loses his job. Then, he finds out his apartment has been condemned because of Ecuadorian super termites. He then catches his girlfriend playing hide the salami with another guy, and finally, moments after arriving in New York, gets mugged.

Just when he thinks things cannot get any worse, they do. He is mistaken for someone else, someone who owes two rival gangsters a lot of money. He is caught between a bitter war between The Boss (Freeman) and The Rabbi (Kingsley). In lieu of payment, The Boss orders him to kill The Rabbi’s gay son in retaliation for the slaying of his own son the day before.

Things start to get very messy for Slevin as he is caught between the two mob bosses, all the while being watched by cop Brikowski (Tucci), top hitman Mr. Goodkat (Willis), and helped by feisty neighbour, Linsey (Liu). With her help, he decides to hatch his own plan in an attempt to stay one step ahead of the mobsters. Is he up to the task?

When I saw this on DVD about 2 years ago, I fell in love with this quirky movie straight away. It was fresh and invigorating. The cast seemed to really revel in their roles. I especially loved the chemistry between Hartnett and Liu – they really seemed to gel well together.

As always, Willis was superb in his usual laconic way. Freeman is fantastic as The Boss, playing him in his usual cool way. I love the way Kingsley played The Rabbi, the way he mixes deep religious beliefs with a willingness to kill to get what he wants – power.

The story is often very brutal, but was never overly so. The end had a superb twist as the story comes full circle. Lucky Number Slevin is ultimately a story of retribution, and is done extremely well. My score: 9/10.

The Visuals
I had heard a few mixed reviews about the visuals in this movie. It had a filtered look, and some said it appeared quite flat. Well, I say, cobblers. This is one fine looking movie.

Skin tones are spot on, close-up detail is superb (you can see every pore, every line, and every freckle on Morgan Freeman’s face). The early morning shots looked superb. Distant detail was again excellent, as were the black levels. Look at The Boss’s jacket – the detailing is awesome.

The copious blood looks shockingly real. Colours are natural and vibrant throughout this movie. It looked super on my Sony Bravia. If you buy this title, you will SO NOT be disappointed, believe me. I am happy to give this movie a 9/10. Well done.

The Audio
Lucky Number Slevin has only one audio option, and this is dts HD Master audio. It is a very good mix. This is a dialog-driven piece, so there are no loud explosions. Although, the frequent gunshots sounded loud and convincing. Dialogue comes thru loud and clear. My score: 8.5/10.

The Extras
There’s not a lot on this Blu-ray. Gone are the deleted scenes and alternative ending that were on the HD-DVD. What we have are 2 audio commentaries, the first by director Paul McGuigan, and the second by cast members. There’s also a 13-minute making of the film, which features chats with various cast and crew. My score: 3/10.

Overall Impact
This is a very clever movie that, as Sir Ben Kingsley states, “doesn’t treat its viewers like complete idiots.” I love the chemistry between Slevin and Linsey, the utter ruthlessness of The Boss and The Rabbi, and the way Goodkat seems to just slide in everywhere. But most of all, I loved the twist in the tale.

Blu-ray disc-wise, the audio and video are fantastic. The extras are a bit thin, but overall, this is highly recommended. I’m sure it will be out Stateside in a matter of time, but if you can’t wait till then, get it now. My score: 8.5/10.

The Story
John (Pitt) and Jane (Jolie) appear to be your normal married suburban couple, living a mundane life in a rather stale marriage. Yet, unknown to each other, they are both assassins at the top of their game. Unbeknownst to them, they are apparently hired to take out the same mark, and when the hit goes bad, they are ordered to kill each other.

In Mr & Mrs Smith [Blu-ray], the vow “’til death do us part” takes on a new meaning as they attempt to shoot, kick, punch, and blow each other up. When their bosses try to take them out, they decide to join company in an effort to save their lives and marriage in this no holds barred action funfest.

I like this movie with all its cartoon-like violence. At times, it was reminiscent of a Tom and Jerry with them slamming each other through windows and into walls. I must admit I did cringe when Mr. Smith repeatedly kicked Mrs. Smith (thankfully obscured by a sofa).

The dialogue was very funny and you could sense the chemistry between them. I loved Vince Vaughn’s character, Eddie, who is a woman-hating hitman who still lives with his mum. I think everything worked well in this movie.

I am disappointed that Fox saw fit to only include the theatrical cut of this movie on the disc. This is very remiss, but not toally surprising, as they did the same with Independence Day and Fantastic 4. Luckily, it was only five minutes of dialog and not any action scenes that were left out. Nonetheless, a great action film and a lot of fun to watch. My score is 8.5/10.

The Visuals
As per usual, Fox has shown us how a Blu-ray should look. Colours are superb as are the blacks. Skintones are sport on. Both close up detail and distant shots look fantastic. The cuts and blood on both Mr. and Mrs. Smith’s faces look uncomfortably real. The desert scene was bright but detailed. The night scenes were full of detail. My score: 9/10.

The Audio
I was going to watch this prior to the PS3 dts HDMA update, but I’m glad I held off for this one motherfucker of a soundtrack. I was being battered from all channels whilst watching this title.

I must say my favourite scene has to be the big bust up between Mr. and Mrs. Smith – superb – and that music track suited the scene perfectly. With all the gunfire and explosions, I’m surprised I didn’t receive a visit from the Royal Thai Police.

Fox certainly knows how to encode a movie. Top marks to them for that. With all the dialogue, I found the vocals came through clearly. Well done. My score: 10/10. Also note that there was also DD5.1 @ 640 kbps in Spanish and French.

The Extras
Once again, Fox has gone half-arsed into the extras side of things. We have trailers for Entrapment, The Sentinel, The Transporter, and Speed, all in hi-def. We have 3 audio commentaries – the first by director Doug Liman and screenwriter Simon Kinberg, the second by producers Lucas Foster and Akiva Goldsman, and the last by editor Michael Tronick, production designer Jeff Mann, and visual effects supervisor Kevin Elam.

There are 3 deleted scenes that run for almost 9 minutes and are in HD. Fox Movie Channel Presents: Making A Scene featurette is all about how the car scene between Mr. and Mrs. Smith was conceived and executed. It runs for 8 minutes and is shown in HD. For all those with D-Box Integrated Motion Systems, you can have your arse pummelled whilst enjoying this movie.

A rather skimpy selection of extras, but at least, the video parts are in high definition. My score: 4/10.

Overall Impact
This is a fun action movie with foreplay and gunplay, coupled with an excellent audio and visual presentation. I give it a 9/10.

The Story
Stanley Jobson (Jackman) is having a hard time. He’s just got out of jail, his ex-wife has a court order banning him from visiting his daughter, has a crap job, and is broke. Life ain’t good at all, but when charismatic covert agent, Gabriel (Travolta) offers him $10 million if he can hack into a secret government slush fund to steal $9.5 billion, things go from bad to worse.

Gabriel needs the money to fight globel terrorism and will stop at nothing to achieve his goal, even strapping 15 pounds of ball bearing and 20 pounds of C-4 to innocent civilian hostages and kidnapping Stanley’s 10-year-old daughter to get what he wants. He strongly believes in fighting terror with terror, and wars cost money. Stanley reluctantly helps, all the while being pursued by special agent Roberts (Cheadle) and seduced by Gabriel’s squeeze, Ginger (Berry).

Swordfish [Blu-ray] has many interesting twists and surprises. My favourite is the chase involving the police and aerial bus, which, incidentally, was not CGI, but very real. This film received a lot of flack and the release was even delayed in the U.K. because the original theatrical release date (mid-September 2001) was overshadowed by the horrendous attacks in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington. Fighting terror with terror doesn’t seem so outlandish now, does it? It also received a bit of flack over Halle Berry whipping her puppies out. $250,000 a pop, wasn’t it?

If you like good, fast action, you’ll love this. I did. The movie runs for 100 minutes. I give it 8/10.

The Visuals
As per usual, Warner opted for a VC-1 encode, as opposed to a superior AVC video encode. You’d never tell, though, because the images are beautiful. Skin colors are spot on. Close up detail is superb, as are distant city shots. There is often a soft golden glow, but this is the intent of the filmmaker. Shadow detail is very good. This is a clear step up from the standard definition DVD. This merits an 8/10.

The Audio
If any movie was deserving of a great lossless Dolby Tru-HD or PCM soundtrack, it was Swordfish, especially the “walking claymore mine” explosion at the beginning, or the huge machine gun being fired by Travolta’s character.

Unfortunately, all we have is DD5.1 @ 640 kbps. True, it’s a great mix, but I wonder what it would have sounded like in DTHD at maybe 10 times the bandwidth. I think they’d still be peeling me off the ceiling. Panning is accurate and all channels are used vigorously. Dialogue is never drowned out and gunfire sounded real.

I only hope when Warner goes BD exclusive on June 1st this title will be considered for an audio overhaul. After heating I Am Legend’s superb DTHD soundtrack, I know Warner can do it and do it well. Here’s hoping. For now, I’ll give it 7/10.

The Extras
Basically, all the supplements from the previous DVD are enclosed here, including those that you had to enter a passcode to access.

First, we have an audio commentary by director Dominic Sena. Next, we have HBO First Look: Swordfish, basically a PR piece featuring input rom everyone on board. An enjoyable watch, and it runs for 15 minutes in standard definition.

Next, we have Effects in Focus: The Flying Bus. This 8-minute featurette shows how the flying bus sequence was filmed.Only shown in S/D. Swordfish: In Conversation is almost 13 minutes of cast and crew interviews, also in S/D.

There are 2 alternative endings with optional commentary by the director shown in standard definition, as well as the theatrical trailer, still in S/D.

Finally, we have the Planet Rock Club Reel music video by D.J. Paul Oakenfold. Being an admirer of Mr. Oakenfold for many years, I actually did warm-up DJ at the Ministry of Sound in London one night he was performing), I can appreciate this music track. I know many Americans will not (Dixie Chicks, anyone?).

A good collection of extras. I just wish that they were in hi-def. I give it 6/10.

Overall Impact
I really enjoyed Swordfish. The action, twists, and that explosion – WOW. Great visuals, good audio, and good extras – highly recommended. I give it an 8/10 total.