
Gosford
Park (2001/Arrow)/Not
Without My Daughter
(1991/MGM/both MVD Blu-rays)/Picnic
At Hanging Rock (2018 TV
remake/Acorn Blu-ray Set)/Sharp
Objects (2018/HBO Blu-ray
set)/To Catch A Killer
(1992/Umbrella Region Free PAL Import DVD)
Picture:
B+/B/B/B+/B- Sound: B+/B/B/B+/B- Extras: B/C+/C+/B/D Main
Programs: B/B/B/A/B
PLEASE
NOTE:
The To
Catch A Killer
Import DVD is now only available from our friends at Umbrella
Entertainment in Australia, can only play on Blu-ray, 4K and DVD
players that can handle the PAL DVD and can be ordered from the link
below.
Here
are serious releases about serious crimes in various forms...
Robert
Altman's Gosford
Park
(2001) gets the deluxe treatment from Arrow Academy in this startling
new HD transfer. Starring Kristin Scott Thomas amongst many others,
the film centers around a weekend getaway for a group of wealthy
persons that goes horribly awry when one of them in murdered. Set in
the 1930s, the award winning film is beautifully made in all aspects
which makes it a must see for cinephiles.
The
all star cast includes Bob Balaban, Maggie Smith, Ryan Philippe,
Michael Gambon, Helen Mirren, Stephen Fry, Alan Bates, Richard E.
Grant, Jeremy Northam, Kelly MacDonald, Charles Dance, Clive Owen,
and Emily Watson among others.
The
film is presented in 1080p on Blu-ray disc with a widescreen aspect
ratio of 2.35:1 and a nice sounding track in DTS-HD MA (Master
Audio) 5.1 lossless audio. This is a brand new 2K restoration from a
4K scan was carried out by Arrow films exclusively for this released
and was supervised and approved by director of photography Andrew
DunnWhile. Needless to say, the work done here is nothing short of
spectacular and it could be only improved by a 4K UHD release.
Special
Features include...
Audio
commentary by director Robert Altman, production designer Stephen
Altman and producer David Levy
Audio
commentary by writer-producer Julian Fellowes
Brand-new
audio commentary by critics Geoff Andrew and David Thompson (author
of Altman on Altman)
Introduction
by critic Geoff Andrew
Brand
new cast and crew interviews recorded exclusively for this release
The
Making of Gosford Park
archive featurette
Keeping
Gosford Park Authentic
archive featurette
Q&A
Session with Altman and the cast
Fifteen
deleted scenes with optional Altman commentary
Trailer
and
reversible sleeves featuring original and newly commissioned artwork
by Matthew Griffin.
Available
for the first time on Blu-ray, Not
Without My Daughter
(1991) stars Sally Field and Alfred Molina and is a touching
thriller/drama that's based on a true story. The film centers around
an American woman (Field) who ends up trapped in strictly Islamic
Iran thanks to her mean husband (Molina) who tricks her and her
daughter into going there.
Once
they get there, Molina decides that he wants to stay and in turn
forces Fields and their young daughter to comply. Soon on the run,
Fields must do whatever she can to get back to America and keep their
American daughter from becoming a victim. The film features great
performances by Field and Molina both, and is a scary and
frighteningly relevant film to this day.
Not
Without My Daughter
also stars Sheila Rosenthal, Roshan Seth, and Sarah Badel.
The
film is presented in 1080p on Blu-ray disc with a widescreen aspect
ratio of 1.85:1 and a nice sounding track in an English 2.0 Stereo
Sound (PCM) mix and lesser Dolby Digital 2.0 tracks in Spanish and
French depending on your personal taste. While it's not as
impressive as Ultra HD, the film looks and sounds fine and doesn't
have any glaring issues on Blu-ray that hinder the presentation, and
goes without saying that its the best that this film has looked since
its original release in theaters.
Special
Features include...
"Making
of" Featurette
and
an Original Theatrical Trailer
Natalie
Dormer (Game
of Thrones)
stars in Picnic
at Hanging Rock
(2018), an eerie Australian supernatural series that is presented
here in beautiful 1080p in its first season. Boasting high
production value, the money is on the screen here to create a
beautiful past Victorian setting that takes place around the turn of
the 19th Century.
The
story centers around three schoolgirls and a teacher from Appleyard
College disappear on Valentine's Day in 1900, when they go to a
picnic on hanging rock. After their obscure disappearance, the
school is affected deeply by their loses and many try to piece
together what exactly happened to them. The series is based on the
1967 novel by Joan Lindsay made famous by the Peter Weir feature film
from Australia in the 1970s.
The
show also stars Lily Sullivan, Lola Bessis, Harrison Gilbertson,
Samara Weaving, and Madeleine Madden. Behind the camera, the
directors here are Larysa Kondracki, Michael Rymer, and Amanda
Brotchie.
Six
episodes span two Blu-ray discs and include New
Beginning, The Senior Fete, Quite a Reputation, St. Valentine's Day,
Heading Out,
and The
Rock.
Total run time is 321 minutes.
The
series is presented in 1080p high definition with its original 2.00:1
widescreen aspect ratio and a high end 5.1 DTS-HD MA (Master Audio)
lossless mix, that both easily best the original presentation of the
show on television. The production design is on point and the show
is beautifully photographed and stylistic with various colors
dominating various moments.
Special
Features...
Cast
Videos
Crew
Videos
and
Behind the Scenes Featurettes
The
series is nicely produced and if you're familiar with the story or
original film, then this seems to be a thorough and proper
adaptation.
Amy
Adams stars in Sharp
Objects
(2018), an HBO limited series that's based on a novel of the same
name by the writer of Gone
Girl,
Gillian Flynn. This intense eight episode miniseries directed by
Jean-Marc Vallee (Wild,
Dallas
Buyers Club),
is a highly cinematic and interesting filmmaking achievement that
isn't too be missed!
Sharp
Objects supporting cast includes Patricia Clarkson, Chris
Messina, Matt Craven, Elizabeth Perkins, Sophia Lillis, Will Chase,
and Jackson Hurst to name a few.
The
eight episodes include Vanish,
Dirt, Fix, Ripe, Closer, Cherry, Falling,
and Milk.
The
story centers around a troubled reporter (Adams) who returns to her
hometown to cover a murder, and in the process she butts heads with
her mother (Clarkson) and others and ends up awakening many of her
past demons, many of which are self inflictions. This miniseries is
perfect for HBO as it has all of the company's trademark ingredients
in that the show is daring, sexy, and shockingly dark at times.
Sharp
Objects is presented in 1080p on Blu-ray disc with a widescreen
aspect ratio of 1.78:1 and a nice sounding lossless mix in DTS-HD MA
(Master Audio) 5.1. While it's not as impressive as Ultra HD, the
program looks and sounds fine and doesn't have any glaring issues on
Blu-ray that hinder the presentation. There are also Spanish tracks
in DTS 2.0 and DTS 5.1.
Also
included is a digital copy.
Special
Features include...
Creating
Wind Gap
Inside
the Mind of Gillian Flynn
Anatomy
of a Scene: Calhoun Day
and
character pieces
This
show is very addictive and very well done. I don't want to give away
too much in this review, but I will say if you enjoy thrillers like
Gone
Girl,
True
Detective
(also an HBO series), or The
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
then Sharp
Objects
should be on your watchlist.
Originally
a Fox Television mini-series in the U.S., To
Catch A Killer
(1992) remains one of the creepiest biopics out there on serial
killer John Wayne Gacy, who infamously dressed up as a clown and was
responsible for 33 killings in Chicago in 1980. The film stars Brian
Dennehy (Cocoon,
First
Blood)
as the serial killer and is told from the perspective of a detective
(Michael Riley) who is on a mission to track him down.
The
miniseries also stars Michael Riley, Meg Foster, Martin Julien, and
the late Margot Kidder.
Presented
in standard definition on DVD with a 1.33 x 1 full frame aspect ratio
and a lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 English mix, the film looks and sounds
fine for the format. Compression issues evident (especially when
comparing directly to HD), but the overall presentation doesn't have
any noticeable issues outside of its limitations.
To
order the
To
Catch A Killer
Region Free PAL Import DVD, go to this link for it and other hard to
find titles at:
http://www.umbrellaent.com.au/
-
James
Lockhart
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/