Wish Me Luck – Series Three (1989/Acorn DVD Set) + Boy In The Striped Pajamas (2008/Miramax/Lionsgate Blu-ray)

 

Picture: C/B-     Sound: C+/B-     Extras: D/C+     Episodes/Film: B-

 

 

And now to revisit two titles involving the WWII period.

 

 

Though a major storyline peaked in its Second Season, Wish Me Luck – Series Three (1989) shows the series was not over as I had first thought and (along with exceptional acting by Catherine Schell) wrapped up here instead.  Here is my coverage of the first two seasons:

 

One

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/9662/Wish+Me+Luck+%E2%80%93+Series

 

Two

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/10702/Dallas+%E2%80%93+The+Complete

 

 

You should definitely start at the beginning and the picture and sound are the same as the previous sets.  There are no extras.

 

 

Mark Herman’s Boy In The Striped Pajamas (2008) received some mixed reviews at the time, with some people being very impressed and others not liking it much.  One of our other writers was in the highly impressed camp as his DVD review at this link will show:

 

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/8505/The+Boy+In+The+Striped+Pajamas

 

 

I lean towards him, as this film has a certain creepy and honest quality that saves it from being just another sincere attempt to do a film about The Holocaust.  Though not perfect, Herman is putting something subtly chilling here that is lacking in most such films and that includes components of the event easily denied and forgotten.

 

The 1080p 1.85 X 1 digital High Definition image seems to come from the same master used on the older DVD, but this looks a little better than that out of print edition with the source clean and work by Director of Photography Benoit Delhomme, A.F.C., more effective than he and it get credit for.  The DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 lossless mix is definitely warmer and clearer than the out of print Dolby on the DVD, so the combination is superior.  Extras include Deleted Scenes, Friendship Beyond The Fence featurette and a feature-length audio commentary track by Herman and Author John Boyne.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo