Written by Hombre Divertido
Morning Light fails to shine as bright as it should.
This documentary from Walt Disney Pictures chronicles the story of the high-tech sloop Morning Light and the fifteen young people (19 to 22 years old) vying for the opportunity to be one of the eleven crewmembers chosen to race against professionals in the 2225-mile Transpac Yacht Race from California to Hawaii.
The brain child of Roy Disney, a thirty-year fan and participant in the Transpac, has a reality television feel to it, but the editing forces the 98 minutes to play out with the shakiness of a land lubber trying to get his sea legs. The direction simply seems unclear as we jump far too rapidly from each of the fifteen participants and their various activities prior to the start of the race. Once the race begins, the focus is certainly more clear, unfortunately it is too centered on the race itself and the aspect of sailing that will only appeal to those with experience, and not enough time is spent on the people, which is where the real story is.
Morning Light does manage to create some excitement related to whether our intrepid crew will win the race, and the customary family reception will yield an emotional response from the majority of most audiences.
Luckily, this new release that hit shelves on June 16th contains enough bonus material to make the entire product worth owning. “Stories from the Sea” with host Jason Earles is mildly informative, and Earles certainly displays talent and demeanor beyond his years.
The key piece of bonus material is “Morning Light: Making the Cut” as aired on ESPN. This special contains everything that the feature documentary is lacking as it delves deeper into our story, picking up the plight of the initial thirty people chosen to compete for the eleven spots. We are introduced to the competitors, and are flies on the wall as they are put through their paces and eventually whittled down to the fifteen found in the movie. The producers, editors, and director, behind “Making the Cut” display a far superior knowledge of what makes such an endeavor successful, by focusing on the people and the dynamic that goes with such an intensely competitive situation.
Recommendation: Though you will see some repetitive footage, watching “Morning Light: Making the Cut” prior to the feature will make for a complete story that is enjoyable for both experienced sailor and novice alike. All the material found in the release make up a complete story that will be enjoyable for the whole family.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Friday the 13th Part 3 3-D (Blu-ray)
Written by Tío Esqueleto
Released earlier in the year as a Deluxe Edition DVD, Paramount’s Friday the 13th Part 3 now makes its debut on Blu-ray, tying in with New Line’s home-video release of Friday the 13th (2009).
This installment centers around Chris and her friends as they make there way to her family’s cabin at where else, but Crystal Lake. Throw in some sex, some drugs, some really bad decisions combine with Jason Voorhees, his first use of the now-iconic hockey mask, (literally) eye-popping 3-D, and you’ve got Friday the 13th Part 3. While it isn’t necessarily the best in the series, it does have its merits.
The review of the Deluxe Edition DVD can be found here.
The third installment in the franchise literally comes at us this time, not only in 1080p high definition, but also in its original 3-D presentation. The 2-D version that most of us are familiar with is also on hand but it’s this special feature that, to me, trumps all others in the franchise. But before we visit this third dimension in terror, let’s discuss its more familiar incarnation.
The standard 2-D version, while still inherent with grain, is a drastic improvement on the previous Deluxe Edition DVD released earlier in the year. Again, the grain is part of the film and to ‘scrub’ this grain away would also result in losing detail. Add to that the trappings of a low-budget production taking place entirely at night, and you’ve got a film that isn’t ever going to look like the more polished studio releases of the day. Making matters worse, it was released in the early ‘80s when nobody gave a shit about film preservation, focusing more on the future of video. But I digress since who in the hell is going to watch this version when they can watch the real thing in 3-D?!!
The 3-D on the Deluxe Edition DVD was a failed attempt for anyone without a large, preferably HD-viewing area. I watched it on a standard TV and it looked awful, giving me mostly a headache if not actual nausea. It has to do more with the size of the viewing area than anything else. With that said, watching the Blu-ray experience on a true HD television is a dream come true (yes, I’ve actually dreamed about seeing this in 3-D someday).
It’s one thing to watch popcorn and juggled apples coming at you, but it’s definitely something to write home about when you’ve got eyeballs, legs, and even a doobie in your lap. Every trick works, even the ones you didn’t notice the first time around (the antenna on the TV, the knitting needle through the mouth, blood dripping from the rafters). And when things aren’t being directly projected at the screen, you can sit back and marvel at the fact that every scene has been carefully constructed for maximum effect. Technical supervisor Martin Jay Sadoff makes sure there is always a foreground and a background present, resulting in the deep focus necessary to pull of the effect. Being an extreme enthusiast of the 3-D format, I find this title to be one of the very best examples in that every shot exploits the process perfectly.
As for the Audio portion of this release, we are given an upgrade of 5.1 Dolby TrueHD lossless audio that unfortunately, like the recent Blu-ray of Part 2, suffers in the sound FX department. Don’t worry, the dialogue and now-classic score sound great, especially when compared with the original English mono, but I can’t help but think more should have been done with the rear channels. This of course is the same soundtrack it had in the theaters and I usually wouldn’t want it any other way but in this instance, it would have been nice to have the sound be just as alive as the picture. It’s 3-D so throw some shit at my ears too! Whatever. I could seriously watch this thing without sound and still be in total awe. For purists, there is also its original English mono soundtrack, along with Spanish and French mono.
Now those that scooped up the previous Deluxe Edition DVD probably did so just to see the film in 3-D. And I’m pretty sure, unless you already had an HD monitor, this was more than a disappointment seeing that ‘Presented in 3-D’ was its only special feature. The Blu-ray makes up for it this time out by adding a nice little round of extras that, while being somewhat brief, only sweeten the pot. Along with its original trailer there is also: “Fresh Cuts:3-D Terror” (12:42) discussing the making of the film and the 3-D process, “Legacy of the Mask” (9:33) which details the origins of the iconic hockey mask, “Slasher Films: Going for the Jugular” (7:09) which has some of the most embarrassingly pretentious remarks about the genre ever made, and “Lost Tales from Camp Blood – Part 3” which in keeping precedence with the other parts, I scanned through (fan-made and I’m pretty sure my dead cat could do a better job).
Looks like a no-brainer folks. Trust me, if I could find a way to make my text jump out and throttle you into making this purchase, I would. We’ve waited 25 years to see this film the way it was intended and now we finally can thanks to the advances in technology. Hopefully the success of this 3-D release will usher in the rest of the early ‘80s titles that sit in the shadows, handicapped by weak 2-D transfers. In fact, the only thing that might possibly trump 3-D Jason is 3-D Bruce (Jaws III).
Holding breath now...
Released earlier in the year as a Deluxe Edition DVD, Paramount’s Friday the 13th Part 3 now makes its debut on Blu-ray, tying in with New Line’s home-video release of Friday the 13th (2009).
This installment centers around Chris and her friends as they make there way to her family’s cabin at where else, but Crystal Lake. Throw in some sex, some drugs, some really bad decisions combine with Jason Voorhees, his first use of the now-iconic hockey mask, (literally) eye-popping 3-D, and you’ve got Friday the 13th Part 3. While it isn’t necessarily the best in the series, it does have its merits.
The review of the Deluxe Edition DVD can be found here.
The third installment in the franchise literally comes at us this time, not only in 1080p high definition, but also in its original 3-D presentation. The 2-D version that most of us are familiar with is also on hand but it’s this special feature that, to me, trumps all others in the franchise. But before we visit this third dimension in terror, let’s discuss its more familiar incarnation.
The standard 2-D version, while still inherent with grain, is a drastic improvement on the previous Deluxe Edition DVD released earlier in the year. Again, the grain is part of the film and to ‘scrub’ this grain away would also result in losing detail. Add to that the trappings of a low-budget production taking place entirely at night, and you’ve got a film that isn’t ever going to look like the more polished studio releases of the day. Making matters worse, it was released in the early ‘80s when nobody gave a shit about film preservation, focusing more on the future of video. But I digress since who in the hell is going to watch this version when they can watch the real thing in 3-D?!!
The 3-D on the Deluxe Edition DVD was a failed attempt for anyone without a large, preferably HD-viewing area. I watched it on a standard TV and it looked awful, giving me mostly a headache if not actual nausea. It has to do more with the size of the viewing area than anything else. With that said, watching the Blu-ray experience on a true HD television is a dream come true (yes, I’ve actually dreamed about seeing this in 3-D someday).
It’s one thing to watch popcorn and juggled apples coming at you, but it’s definitely something to write home about when you’ve got eyeballs, legs, and even a doobie in your lap. Every trick works, even the ones you didn’t notice the first time around (the antenna on the TV, the knitting needle through the mouth, blood dripping from the rafters). And when things aren’t being directly projected at the screen, you can sit back and marvel at the fact that every scene has been carefully constructed for maximum effect. Technical supervisor Martin Jay Sadoff makes sure there is always a foreground and a background present, resulting in the deep focus necessary to pull of the effect. Being an extreme enthusiast of the 3-D format, I find this title to be one of the very best examples in that every shot exploits the process perfectly.
As for the Audio portion of this release, we are given an upgrade of 5.1 Dolby TrueHD lossless audio that unfortunately, like the recent Blu-ray of Part 2, suffers in the sound FX department. Don’t worry, the dialogue and now-classic score sound great, especially when compared with the original English mono, but I can’t help but think more should have been done with the rear channels. This of course is the same soundtrack it had in the theaters and I usually wouldn’t want it any other way but in this instance, it would have been nice to have the sound be just as alive as the picture. It’s 3-D so throw some shit at my ears too! Whatever. I could seriously watch this thing without sound and still be in total awe. For purists, there is also its original English mono soundtrack, along with Spanish and French mono.
Now those that scooped up the previous Deluxe Edition DVD probably did so just to see the film in 3-D. And I’m pretty sure, unless you already had an HD monitor, this was more than a disappointment seeing that ‘Presented in 3-D’ was its only special feature. The Blu-ray makes up for it this time out by adding a nice little round of extras that, while being somewhat brief, only sweeten the pot. Along with its original trailer there is also: “Fresh Cuts:3-D Terror” (12:42) discussing the making of the film and the 3-D process, “Legacy of the Mask” (9:33) which details the origins of the iconic hockey mask, “Slasher Films: Going for the Jugular” (7:09) which has some of the most embarrassingly pretentious remarks about the genre ever made, and “Lost Tales from Camp Blood – Part 3” which in keeping precedence with the other parts, I scanned through (fan-made and I’m pretty sure my dead cat could do a better job).
Looks like a no-brainer folks. Trust me, if I could find a way to make my text jump out and throttle you into making this purchase, I would. We’ve waited 25 years to see this film the way it was intended and now we finally can thanks to the advances in technology. Hopefully the success of this 3-D release will usher in the rest of the early ‘80s titles that sit in the shadows, handicapped by weak 2-D transfers. In fact, the only thing that might possibly trump 3-D Jason is 3-D Bruce (Jaws III).
Holding breath now...
Friday the 13th Part 2 (Blu-ray)
Written by Tío Esqueleto
Released earlier in the year on standard DVD as a Deluxe Edition (and I thought we had lucked out then), Paramount’s Friday the 13th Part 2 now makes its debut on Blu-ray, tying in with New Line’s home-video release of Friday the 13th (2009).
Released in 1981, Sean Cunningham handed director duties over to producer and longtime friend Steve Miner. The film’s prologue opens two months after the horrific events of the original and introduces Jason as he seeks revenge for his mother’s death. The story then jumps ahead five years where he takes over her role terrorizing teenagers in the hands-down scariest installment of the franchise.
The review of the Deluxe Edition DVD can be found here.
Part 2 has a widescreen 1080p presentation is a considerable improvement and even boasts a new aspect ratio at 1.78:1 (all previous releases were 1.85:1). It should be noted that there is still a considerable amount of grain present but this is to be expected with its low-budget production and almost all of its running time taking place in low-lit situations. Newbies to the format, expecting a crystal-clear image, may find this troubling but it’s exactly how the film would have looked in the theaters. With grain comes detail and needless to say, it’s never looked better.
On the audio side, Part 2 boasts a new 5.1 Dolby TrueHD lossless upgrade and, while being an improvement on previous releases, it still could have used a little more work in the rear channels. The dialogue and score come across fine, a significant improvement to anyone that’s only heard it in its original mono form, but the sound FX channels are considerably weak. Again, it was a low-budget film and I’m sure that the intended sound design was little more than “crickets” or “heavy thunder”. With that said, I’d rather have what is here than a soundtrack with stock sound FX added. Other sound options on this Blu-ray are its original English Mono, along with Spanish and French Mono.
Unfortunately, the Blu-ray format brings nothing new to the table as far as extras go. All extras from the standard Deluxe Edition have been carried over and as the only plus, all but one are now presented in HD. These include “Inside Crystal Lake Memories,” “Friday’s Legacy: Horror Conventions,” “Lost Tales from Camp Blood Part 2,” “Jason Forever” (not in HD), and the original theatrical trailer.
Considering the fact that there is nothing new in the name of extras, purchasing this release may seem like double-dipping to some. But if you’re either a fan of the format or just a fan of the franchise, there’s little doubt that the presentation is the best it’s ever looked and therefore a justified purchase. I recommend it without hesitation and consider us extremely lucky that the franchise is getting the Blu-ray treatment this early in the game.
Released earlier in the year on standard DVD as a Deluxe Edition (and I thought we had lucked out then), Paramount’s Friday the 13th Part 2 now makes its debut on Blu-ray, tying in with New Line’s home-video release of Friday the 13th (2009).
Released in 1981, Sean Cunningham handed director duties over to producer and longtime friend Steve Miner. The film’s prologue opens two months after the horrific events of the original and introduces Jason as he seeks revenge for his mother’s death. The story then jumps ahead five years where he takes over her role terrorizing teenagers in the hands-down scariest installment of the franchise.
The review of the Deluxe Edition DVD can be found here.
Part 2 has a widescreen 1080p presentation is a considerable improvement and even boasts a new aspect ratio at 1.78:1 (all previous releases were 1.85:1). It should be noted that there is still a considerable amount of grain present but this is to be expected with its low-budget production and almost all of its running time taking place in low-lit situations. Newbies to the format, expecting a crystal-clear image, may find this troubling but it’s exactly how the film would have looked in the theaters. With grain comes detail and needless to say, it’s never looked better.
On the audio side, Part 2 boasts a new 5.1 Dolby TrueHD lossless upgrade and, while being an improvement on previous releases, it still could have used a little more work in the rear channels. The dialogue and score come across fine, a significant improvement to anyone that’s only heard it in its original mono form, but the sound FX channels are considerably weak. Again, it was a low-budget film and I’m sure that the intended sound design was little more than “crickets” or “heavy thunder”. With that said, I’d rather have what is here than a soundtrack with stock sound FX added. Other sound options on this Blu-ray are its original English Mono, along with Spanish and French Mono.
Unfortunately, the Blu-ray format brings nothing new to the table as far as extras go. All extras from the standard Deluxe Edition have been carried over and as the only plus, all but one are now presented in HD. These include “Inside Crystal Lake Memories,” “Friday’s Legacy: Horror Conventions,” “Lost Tales from Camp Blood Part 2,” “Jason Forever” (not in HD), and the original theatrical trailer.
Considering the fact that there is nothing new in the name of extras, purchasing this release may seem like double-dipping to some. But if you’re either a fan of the format or just a fan of the franchise, there’s little doubt that the presentation is the best it’s ever looked and therefore a justified purchase. I recommend it without hesitation and consider us extremely lucky that the franchise is getting the Blu-ray treatment this early in the game.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
HE’S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU
Written by Hombre Divertido
It’s easy to get into He’s Just Not That Into You.
Yes, Hollywood can still make successful character-driven films with smart dialog. No animation, no special effects, no explosions, just a good story told well.
He’s Just Not That Into You, written by Abby Kohn & Marc Silverstein, hit theatres on February 6th, 2009, and was the surprise of the post Oscars/Pre-Summer Junk Dump Season. Since you may have missed it as few venture out into that barren cinematic wasteland that is February, now is the time to catch this fun flick on DVD.
This 129-minute romp includes a talented ensemble cast: Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Connelly, Kevin Connolly, Scarlett, Johansson, Ginnifer Goodwin, and Justin Long. Though slightly skewed too far to one side, “He’s Just Not That Into You” takes an in-depth look into relationships and respective success and failure. We want different things, with different people, and no one knows what the other is thinking. Should relationships be this hard? Should watching others struggle through them be this enjoyable? It is simply because, though we may not relate to all these people, we do relate to the situations. That is a reflection of good writing, and one might have to go back as far as The Big Chill to find people we enjoy this much who are talking about things we care about.
From a young woman out to find love being mentored by the all-knowing bar manager, to the puppy dog clinging to the hottie who really wants the married guy who thinks he may have made a mistake, to the guy who just doesn’t want to get married to the woman he loves, to the women in relationships they just can’t figure out due to a myriad of reasons including the growing relationship reliance on technology, this film has it all.
Someone should write a book. Oh, wait, they did. Inspired by a Sex in the City episode written by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo and based on their book, this film reaches levels of enjoyment that Carrie and her clan only wish they could bring to the big screen.
Yes, not all the performances are on the same level. Ginnifer Goodwin and Jennifer Connelly give performances that are limited in dimension through most of the film, and the transition made by Justin Long as he goes from the cool dating mentor, to frantic heartsick puppy may be beyond his young capabilities, but the majority of the cast give fine performances in what are all essentially supporting roles. In most cases we end up wanting more of the people we saw the least of, and less of those we saw the majority of.
Though there is little offered as Special Features in this new release, the additional scenes are surprisingly enlightening and entertaining. In most cases we can usually see why scenes are indeed left out of a film, and with He’s Just Not That Into You boasting a running time of over two hours, an argument can certainly be made for the cuts made, but the insights on parental influence found in these scenes were entertaining and well acted. Adding commentary by director Ken Kwapis, who did a fine job of utilizing his stacked cast within a well-paced tale, makes sitting through the extra scenes again well worth the investment.
Recommendation: This is a great film to watch with friends and a surprisingly pleasant addition to any collection. The story and the dialog are the stars here, and well worth your time.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Penn & Teller Bullshit: The Complete Sixth Season
Written by Fumo Verde
Penn & Teller’s Bullshit is the one reason I still have Showtime. Here is a real reality show, and I’m not talking crybaby drama of who slept with who’s who. There’s no magic tricks revealed, just the bullshit that clogs are everyday view of what is going on in the real world around us. Past seasons have dealt with such wackiness as aliens abducting people to the truth behind the Ouiji boards (we all know that stuff is bullshit), to other subjects like “The Business of Love” and my favorite “the War on Drugs”. This is the only show I’ve seen that confronts these matters head on and brings people the real truth, whether they want it or not.
Two DVDs make up season six with episodes that include “New Age Medicine,” “NASA,” “Dolphins” and a whole host of others that will make yearn for more truth. One of my favorites of this season is “The War on Porn”. In this episode P&T show us that the only people at war with the porn industry are religious groups and feminine activists.
Now, some might say this show doesn’t give a fair chance to the opposition when presenting their argument. Bullshit! The people who P&T interview for their show know full well what to expect when this episode airs. So when the woman who will tell us in one breath that watching pornography will lead us to child porn and murder, and in the same breath tell us that there is “no good study” or scientific data which will back up her said statement, then of course I must laugh when these comic magic men rip on her and make fun of everything she says. Why? Because what she is saying is bullshit and to present your ideas as facts with out any scientific way of proving it, then yes you are to be laughed at. Don’t get them wrong, P&T believe everybody should be allowed to voice their opinions in our democracy, but when one group is out to “destroy” the livelihood of another group with false statements built as a façade to hide the real truth, then bullshit must be called, and this show does just that.
“Being Green” was one of those episodes that changed my mind about global warming. I followed the crowd when Al Gore spoke and believed carbon taxes would set us straight, until P&T warmed away the bullshit. They aren’t saying that global warming isn’t happening, but they did put it into a bigger perspective. The Earth’s climate has changed numerous times in the last billion years and it will keep on changing. Are we as humans moving it along faster? Possibly, but that data is still being tested and reviewed. The one thing for sure is our Earth has gone through some super-extreme climate changes, which killed almost everything that has ever lived, and it will continue to do so. We call it, and it is what I firmly believe in, evolution.
This show brings the evidence for both sides of whatever argument into play and they let the interviewees debate each other in a non-combative way where there isn’t a bunch of talking heads yelling at each other and bringing everything down to the lowest common denominator. Each side gets a chance to discuss what they believe to be the facts that will support their stance. Penn and Teller bring all this into focus under a comical light and let you the viewer decided for yourself whether something is real or bullshit.
Penn & Teller’s Bullshit is the one reason I still have Showtime. Here is a real reality show, and I’m not talking crybaby drama of who slept with who’s who. There’s no magic tricks revealed, just the bullshit that clogs are everyday view of what is going on in the real world around us. Past seasons have dealt with such wackiness as aliens abducting people to the truth behind the Ouiji boards (we all know that stuff is bullshit), to other subjects like “The Business of Love” and my favorite “the War on Drugs”. This is the only show I’ve seen that confronts these matters head on and brings people the real truth, whether they want it or not.
Two DVDs make up season six with episodes that include “New Age Medicine,” “NASA,” “Dolphins” and a whole host of others that will make yearn for more truth. One of my favorites of this season is “The War on Porn”. In this episode P&T show us that the only people at war with the porn industry are religious groups and feminine activists.
Now, some might say this show doesn’t give a fair chance to the opposition when presenting their argument. Bullshit! The people who P&T interview for their show know full well what to expect when this episode airs. So when the woman who will tell us in one breath that watching pornography will lead us to child porn and murder, and in the same breath tell us that there is “no good study” or scientific data which will back up her said statement, then of course I must laugh when these comic magic men rip on her and make fun of everything she says. Why? Because what she is saying is bullshit and to present your ideas as facts with out any scientific way of proving it, then yes you are to be laughed at. Don’t get them wrong, P&T believe everybody should be allowed to voice their opinions in our democracy, but when one group is out to “destroy” the livelihood of another group with false statements built as a façade to hide the real truth, then bullshit must be called, and this show does just that.
“Being Green” was one of those episodes that changed my mind about global warming. I followed the crowd when Al Gore spoke and believed carbon taxes would set us straight, until P&T warmed away the bullshit. They aren’t saying that global warming isn’t happening, but they did put it into a bigger perspective. The Earth’s climate has changed numerous times in the last billion years and it will keep on changing. Are we as humans moving it along faster? Possibly, but that data is still being tested and reviewed. The one thing for sure is our Earth has gone through some super-extreme climate changes, which killed almost everything that has ever lived, and it will continue to do so. We call it, and it is what I firmly believe in, evolution.
This show brings the evidence for both sides of whatever argument into play and they let the interviewees debate each other in a non-combative way where there isn’t a bunch of talking heads yelling at each other and bringing everything down to the lowest common denominator. Each side gets a chance to discuss what they believe to be the facts that will support their stance. Penn and Teller bring all this into focus under a comical light and let you the viewer decided for yourself whether something is real or bullshit.
Friday, June 05, 2009
DEFIANCE (2008)
Written by Pirata Hermosa
The first thing that jumped to mind after seeing Defiance was that it was not at all what I expected. Instead of an action-packed film about a man who ran an underground railroad during World War II, it ended up being more of a wilderness survival movie.
Four brothers find themselves on the run from the war when Germany invades their country and begins slaughtering the Jews. Tuvia Bielski (Daniel Craig) and his brother Zus (Live Schrieber) return to the family home to check on their parents and siblings. When they arrive, they find that everyone has been slaughtered with the exception of their two younger brothers Asael (Jamie Bell), and Aron (George MacKay).
Having nowhere else to go, the four head into the nearby forest where they have spent many hours over the years. But they aren’t the only ones who seek refuge in the forest. As more and more Jews flee persecution, they come to the Bielskis for safety. Slowly their group, or Otriad as it is called, begins to grow.
Tuvia finds that he cannot turn anyone away, while Zus wants to turn them all away. Not only is there not enough food for everyone, but Zus is more interested in taking out his revenge on the Germans and the Russians who sold out their family.
There are a few really good action scenes in the film, like when Tuvia goes to the home of the officer who killed his parents and returns the favor, and the ending battle with a tank.
Unfortunately, the action is few and far between. The rest of the film is mostly about building shelters, rationing food, and surviving illnesses. There are a few entertaining discussions between intellectual types as the Ortriad struggles to become a community. A few romances begin to develop, but they are based more on the need for survival than they are love. It is interesting to see how these people managed to survive several years and cope with adversity, but it plays out pretty dry. Even the lead character, Tuvia, is a little dull.
The one character that brings life and some measure of excitement to the film is Zus. He is bold, full of bravado, and steals every scene he is in. This same brashness causes some conflict between the two brothers and results in Zus leaving to join the Russian army. The Russian army is a ragtag group of fighters themselves, who will take anyone with a gun. They welcome Zus and the handful of men he brought with him, but end up treating them like second-class citizens because they are Jewish.
The overall feel and look of the film is excellent. Everything appears authentic, and the special effects are not overdone as they are in a lot of films. It has a gritty earthiness and is worth seeing because of its historical significance and the simple fact that the Bielskis manage to save 1,200 people. While this might make for a good television program on the History Channel, it just doesn’t quite have enough energy to make for a successful motion picture.
DVD SPECIAL FEATURES
1. Directory Commentary by Edward Zwick.
2. "Return to the Forest: The Making of Defiance" features behind-the-scenes interviews with cast and crew.
3. "Children of the Otriad" -Tuvia and Zus’ children and grandchildren speak about the stories they heard and talk about what kind of men the Bielski brothers truly were. It’s nice to see what the real Bielskis looked like and what became of them after the war. The stories that the children tell are a nice addition to the DVD, and make their adventures seem even more important knowing that the 1,200 people they helped to survive now have 19,000 descendants.
4. "Bielski Partisan Survivors" - a short black-and-white montage of recent photographs of the surviving members of the Bielski Otriad, taken in November of 2008
The first thing that jumped to mind after seeing Defiance was that it was not at all what I expected. Instead of an action-packed film about a man who ran an underground railroad during World War II, it ended up being more of a wilderness survival movie.
Four brothers find themselves on the run from the war when Germany invades their country and begins slaughtering the Jews. Tuvia Bielski (Daniel Craig) and his brother Zus (Live Schrieber) return to the family home to check on their parents and siblings. When they arrive, they find that everyone has been slaughtered with the exception of their two younger brothers Asael (Jamie Bell), and Aron (George MacKay).
Having nowhere else to go, the four head into the nearby forest where they have spent many hours over the years. But they aren’t the only ones who seek refuge in the forest. As more and more Jews flee persecution, they come to the Bielskis for safety. Slowly their group, or Otriad as it is called, begins to grow.
Tuvia finds that he cannot turn anyone away, while Zus wants to turn them all away. Not only is there not enough food for everyone, but Zus is more interested in taking out his revenge on the Germans and the Russians who sold out their family.
There are a few really good action scenes in the film, like when Tuvia goes to the home of the officer who killed his parents and returns the favor, and the ending battle with a tank.
Unfortunately, the action is few and far between. The rest of the film is mostly about building shelters, rationing food, and surviving illnesses. There are a few entertaining discussions between intellectual types as the Ortriad struggles to become a community. A few romances begin to develop, but they are based more on the need for survival than they are love. It is interesting to see how these people managed to survive several years and cope with adversity, but it plays out pretty dry. Even the lead character, Tuvia, is a little dull.
The one character that brings life and some measure of excitement to the film is Zus. He is bold, full of bravado, and steals every scene he is in. This same brashness causes some conflict between the two brothers and results in Zus leaving to join the Russian army. The Russian army is a ragtag group of fighters themselves, who will take anyone with a gun. They welcome Zus and the handful of men he brought with him, but end up treating them like second-class citizens because they are Jewish.
The overall feel and look of the film is excellent. Everything appears authentic, and the special effects are not overdone as they are in a lot of films. It has a gritty earthiness and is worth seeing because of its historical significance and the simple fact that the Bielskis manage to save 1,200 people. While this might make for a good television program on the History Channel, it just doesn’t quite have enough energy to make for a successful motion picture.
DVD SPECIAL FEATURES
1. Directory Commentary by Edward Zwick.
2. "Return to the Forest: The Making of Defiance" features behind-the-scenes interviews with cast and crew.
3. "Children of the Otriad" -Tuvia and Zus’ children and grandchildren speak about the stories they heard and talk about what kind of men the Bielski brothers truly were. It’s nice to see what the real Bielskis looked like and what became of them after the war. The stories that the children tell are a nice addition to the DVD, and make their adventures seem even more important knowing that the 1,200 people they helped to survive now have 19,000 descendants.
4. "Bielski Partisan Survivors" - a short black-and-white montage of recent photographs of the surviving members of the Bielski Otriad, taken in November of 2008
Sunday, May 31, 2009
A Bug’s Life (Blu-ray)
Written by Senora Bicho
Released in 1998, A Bug’s Life was Pixar’s second animated feature. The film had high expectations after the huge success of Toy Story. While I think that Toy Story is the better film, A Bug’s Life tells an imaginative story that can be enjoyed by the whole family.
A Bug’s Life is a cross between Aesop's fable "The Ant and the Grasshopper” and The Seven Samurai-based comedy The Three Amigos. The ants spend their time working hard harvesting food for the lazy grasshoppers. One of the ants in the colony, Flik (Dave Foley), building inventions designed to make the work easier. However, his latest causes the destruction of the entire harvest. The leader of the grasshopper pack, Hopper (Kevin Spacey), gives the ants until the end of the season to come up with their food or else. Flik decides to leave the colony to help find warrior bugs that can take on the grasshoppers. During his visit to the big city, he mistakes a band of circus bugs looking for work for the warriors that he is looking for. The circus bugs believe that Flik is hiring them for dinner theater and follow him back to the colony. Once the truth is discovered, they band together to try and outwit and defeat the grasshoppers.
What helps Pixar films stand apart from other animated features is the depth of their characters and the strength of their stories and A Bug’s Life is no exception. The vocal talents of Foley and Spacey lead the way along with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, David Hyde Pearce, Madeline Kahn, and Phyllis Diller just to name a few. Denis Leary gets a special mention as the perfectly cast angry ladybug who always gets mistaken for a female.
In addition to this strong foundation, the animation looks fantastic presented in 1080p High Definition with an aspect ratio of 2.35:1. The blades of grass and all other aspects of nature look so realistic it is hard to believe, at times, it is animation. The bugs really come to life on screen with vivid colors and lifelike movement. The detail and clarity are stunning, no doubt helped by the having a digital-to-digital transfer of the source.
The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio earns the word “master” with this soundtrack. The team has created an immersive experience for the viewer, whether the characters are in the country or the city. The subwoofer becomes invaluable during the thunderous sounds of storm clouds and grasshopper swarms. And yet with all that goes on in the sound mix, the dialogue is always clear and understandable.
There are a couple of new bonus features in the Blu-ray collection. “Filmmakers’ Roundtable” offers a discussion between director John Lasseter, co-director Andrew Stanton and producers Darla Anderson and Kevin Reher on the making of the film. “A Bug’s Life – The First Draft” is an animated storyboard version of the original story narrated by Foley. A digital version of the film is also included.
Several extras that had been previously released are re-visited. There is an audio commentary by Lasseter, Stanton and supervising film editor Lee Unkrich. “Geri’s Game” is an entertaining Academy Award-winning short from 1997. “A Walt Disney Silly Symphony: Grasshopper and the Ants” is a 1934 cartoon that provided inspiration for the filmmakers. In-depth information on pre-production, design, production, sound design, and release is available for the biggest fan. Outtakes are usually silly and a waste of time but here you have truly creative and hysterical moments. The outtakes were originally shown during the end credits of the film but were so popular that additional ones were added with new prints during its extended release.
I already owned the original DVD release. After watching the Blu-ray version I popped the old one in to see if there was that much of a difference and there is. The colors are much more vivid and the picture is crisper. The sound is also more impressive. A Bug’s Life is meant to be seen in Blu-ray and warrants an upgrade. A free movie ticket for Pixar’s Up is included as extra incentive to add this to your collection.
Friday, May 29, 2009
UP (2009)
Written by Hombre Divertido
Up is too much of a downer.
On May 29th, Disney/Pixar released Up and proved once again that they simply cannot make movies that are consistently funny anymore, or even cute. Yes, some will find it tugging at their heartstrings as dreams become fulfilled, but fundamentally the story is too inconsistent to engage an audience that is looking deep.
Up has some wonderful moments but takes far too long to get going, and has too many violent and unnecessary emotionally depressing moments for children. The trailers clearly denote a comedy, and though it has some very funny moments, it tends to indicate there might be something to hide when the funniest moment in the trailer does not actually make it into the movie.
Hide is exactly what Up does. Behind the veil of a summer animated comedy is a story that is more heavyhanded than other Disney/Pixar offerings, but has comedic moments thrown in that are too obvious and appear to simply be an effort to even things out.
Where Up does shine is in the vocal talent. Though Disney/Pixar has suffered in the past from casting name actors in roles rather than lesser known but more experienced voice actors, Ed Asner does an excellent job as Karl Fredrickson, the 78-year-old man who ties thousands of balloons to his house, and floats away to South America in hopes of finding the place he and his wife had always hoped to visit. Jordan Nagai adds consistent comedic delivery as Russell, the stowaway on Karl's trip, as does Bob Peterson as Dug, one of many talking dogs in the film. Christopher Plummer is fine as the antagonist, but the writing lets him down as the character of Charles Muntz has inconsistent motivation.
The story by Bob Peterson, who co-directed with Pete Docter, is all over the map. The premise is just cute enough for the audience to enjoy, but unnecessary factors continue to get thrown in that will leave you scratching your head. The story is also an emotional roller coaster as it starts out cute, and actually gets depressing before the story even…takes off.
Visually the film is also inconsistent. The film looks good in certain scenes, but seems to lack the attention to detail that was appreciated in other Disny/Pixar endeavors such as Cars.
The fact that Peterson wrote, co-directed, and provided vocal talent, may have proved to be too much and negatively impacted the final product.
Recommendation: The adult audience at the 12:01 am showing appeared to enjoy the film, but children may have a completely different reaction.
As the first animated release of the blockbuster season and first Disney/Pixar release since the highly overrated Wall-E, it’s bound to make a mint over opening weekend. The film is something new and shiny to look at but is inconsistent in its energy, and does not capture the consistent humor of previous Disney/Pixar films such as Toy Story I and II. Finding Monsters vs. Aliens still in the theatres will provide more laughs.
Up is too much of a downer.
On May 29th, Disney/Pixar released Up and proved once again that they simply cannot make movies that are consistently funny anymore, or even cute. Yes, some will find it tugging at their heartstrings as dreams become fulfilled, but fundamentally the story is too inconsistent to engage an audience that is looking deep.
Up has some wonderful moments but takes far too long to get going, and has too many violent and unnecessary emotionally depressing moments for children. The trailers clearly denote a comedy, and though it has some very funny moments, it tends to indicate there might be something to hide when the funniest moment in the trailer does not actually make it into the movie.
Hide is exactly what Up does. Behind the veil of a summer animated comedy is a story that is more heavyhanded than other Disney/Pixar offerings, but has comedic moments thrown in that are too obvious and appear to simply be an effort to even things out.
Where Up does shine is in the vocal talent. Though Disney/Pixar has suffered in the past from casting name actors in roles rather than lesser known but more experienced voice actors, Ed Asner does an excellent job as Karl Fredrickson, the 78-year-old man who ties thousands of balloons to his house, and floats away to South America in hopes of finding the place he and his wife had always hoped to visit. Jordan Nagai adds consistent comedic delivery as Russell, the stowaway on Karl's trip, as does Bob Peterson as Dug, one of many talking dogs in the film. Christopher Plummer is fine as the antagonist, but the writing lets him down as the character of Charles Muntz has inconsistent motivation.
The story by Bob Peterson, who co-directed with Pete Docter, is all over the map. The premise is just cute enough for the audience to enjoy, but unnecessary factors continue to get thrown in that will leave you scratching your head. The story is also an emotional roller coaster as it starts out cute, and actually gets depressing before the story even…takes off.
Visually the film is also inconsistent. The film looks good in certain scenes, but seems to lack the attention to detail that was appreciated in other Disny/Pixar endeavors such as Cars.
The fact that Peterson wrote, co-directed, and provided vocal talent, may have proved to be too much and negatively impacted the final product.
Recommendation: The adult audience at the 12:01 am showing appeared to enjoy the film, but children may have a completely different reaction.
As the first animated release of the blockbuster season and first Disney/Pixar release since the highly overrated Wall-E, it’s bound to make a mint over opening weekend. The film is something new and shiny to look at but is inconsistent in its energy, and does not capture the consistent humor of previous Disney/Pixar films such as Toy Story I and II. Finding Monsters vs. Aliens still in the theatres will provide more laughs.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
The Best of Star Trek: The Next Generation
Written by Hombre Divertido
Less than a week after the new Star Trek motion picture hit the big screen, Paramount rushed two single-disk “Best of” DVD releases to the store shelves with no bonus material, and a mere four episodes per disk. One might accept four episodes chosen out of the 79 episodes from the Original Series, but, one could reasonably expect more to be included in The Best of Star Trek: The Next Generation considering the complete series consists of more than twice as many episodes as its predecessor.
One might also expect better than what’s included. They aren’t terrible, but all represent writing that rush the all-to-convenient endings almost as much as these DVD releases were rushed into production. The four episodes include a two-part outing featuring the relentless Borg, a story revolving around the rights of Data to control his “life”, and a story with time travel at its center, which has become a tired theme in the Trek franchise.
The first offering is “The Best of Both Worlds” (Part 1) which aired on June 18th, 1990 and served as the cliffhanger conclusion to season three of this iconic series. Written by Michael Piller and directed by Cliff Bole, we find the Federation unprepared for the inevitable encounter with the hostile Borg with whom we became familiar in episode sixteen (“Q Who”) of season two. Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) is captured by the Borg and assimilated. Riker (Jonathan Frakes), who is dealing with an aggressive up-and-coming officer who is after his job, and concerns about his career choices, must give the order to blow up the Borg vessel with Picard (now called Locutus of Borg) aboard.
“Worlds” (Part 1) is a fine episode that will set the stage for many storylines to come, including the war between the Federation and the powerful Borg, the after affects of Picard’s assimilation, Riker’s career choices, and more. The aspects of the production are good, though there are some disappearing Borg drones between the assimilated Picard and the away team when he is first spotted, that create a distraction.
Season four opens with “Worlds” (Part 2) and finds that Riker did indeed pull the trigger on the Borg cube, but the weapon failed and the Borg, and the assimilated Picard live on. Unfortunately the writing in the second installment is more reflective of the other two episodes in this Best of release, in that the plot simply gets resolved all too conveniently i.e.: Picard is rescued, de-assimilated, Borg ship destroyed, etc. The facts related to the respective accomplishments are too convoluted, and the impact of the battle between the Federation and the Borg ship is not truly dealt with in this episode, though the impact will be felt in future Trek endeavors. “The Best of Both Worlds” is one fine story, but not worthy of taking up half of the Best of release.
Next up is “Yesterday’s Enterprise,” which aired on February 19th, 1990. Directed by David Carson with numerous writers involved, “Yesterday’s Enterprise” deals with a rift in the space/time continuum that allows for a previous Enterprise ship to come 22 years into the future, changing the timeline and the lives of the current Enterprise crew. The Federation is now at war with the Klingon Empire, some characters are gone, and others have returned. This paradox creates a very interesting story. Unfortunately it is far too reliant on the fact that Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg) is the only one who is aware that the timeline has changed, must convince the Picard that the previous Enterprise must return to its own time even though it is doomed, and she is unable to be specific regarding her knowledge. This aspect of the story is annoying, as are references to what current history records reveal about the history of the visiting ship. This is the most enjoyable episode in this release, despite the previously mentioned flaws, simply because it has more depth of story than the others.
The final episode on the disk was written by Melinda M. Snodgrass and directed by Robert Scheerer, and aired on February 13th, 1989. In “The Measure of a Man” Data’s rights as a sentient individual are put on trial with Picard defending Data, and Riker reluctantly leading the opposition. This episode has some of the best dialog in the release, but simply does not go deep enough and is resolved too easily. The story fails to adequately play out the concept.
Recommendation: There is enough Next Generation fun here for the price, but no bonus material; providing only four episodes, two of which are one story; and ignoring seasons five through seven is inexcusable. Good, but should have been much better to be The Best.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
The Best of Star Trek: The Original Series
Written by Hombre Divertido
On May 12, 2009, Paramount released The Best of Star Trek: The Original Series. Though the release seems a bit rushed as there is no bonus material, and the packaging does not mention the re-mastered aspects of these classic episodes, this is Star Trek at its original best.
Yes, one could certainly argue the choices made in picking the four episodes to include under the header of The Best of, but these four episodes certainly will serve as a pleasant reminder to the Trekkies/Trekkers of the world as to why they fell in love with the series in the first place, and trying to spot the new and improved footage makes watching what you seen hundreds of times, fun all over again. For those new to the series, these four episodes serve as a nice introduction to not only the action of the series, but the lighthearted aspects as well.
The four episodes chosen include two from the first season, and two from the second, yet they don’t come up on the menu in the order in which they originally aired. First up is “The City on the Edge of Forever,” which is generally considered by many to be the best episode of the original series. Written by Harlan Ellison and directed by Joseph Pevney, “City” aired on April 6th, 1967, and featured a fine guest performance by Joan Collins as Edith Keeler, a social worker on earth in the 1930s.
After McCoy accidentally injects himself with a volatile drug that causes paranoia and delusions, he manages to beam himself down to the planet currently being orbited by the Enterprise, and enters a time portal that refers to itself as the Guardian of Forever. McCoy’s entrance into Earth’s past causes time to be changed, and the Enterprise disappears from orbit stranding the landing party. Kirk and Spock follow McCoy back in time in an effort to correct the change.
The story is well crafted and the performances are top notch, making it quite clear why this episode is so highly regarded. The episode is certainly not without its distractions. The heavy filter used on close-ups of Collins gets rather annoying, as does some of McCoy’s make-up. It’s certainly not clear why the drug would cause his teeth to yellow. The drug also seems to impact McCoy’s physical abilities, as one who was never much of a fighter in the series, manages to effectively subdue the transporter chief with two martial-arts type blows.
The second episode on the disk menu, “The Trouble with Tribbles” was actually the last of the four to air. Written by David Gerrold and also directed by Pevney, it aired on December 29th, 1967. In “Trouble,” the Enterprise is summoned to space station K7 where they encounter pompous politicians, Klingons, and Tribbles. The Tribbles, affectionate little hairballs that multiply at an amazing rate, eventually fill the Enterprise and the space station, but do manage to reveal a Klingon plot to sabotage the Federation’s colonization of a highly sought-after planet.
Certainly one of the most comedic episodes in the three-year run of the series, “Trouble” sports fine supporting performances, and displays a more competitive than combative relationship between the Earthlings and the Klingons. The guest stars include classic character actor William Schallert, and William Campbell who had appeared in the first-season episode, “The Squire of Gothos.”
“Trouble” opens with an interesting conversation being held in one of the conference rooms between Kirk, Spock, and Chekov. Chekov displays his comedic Russian loyalties as the threesome appear to be discussing some of the storyline from the first season’s episode, “Errand of Mercy.”
The fourteenth episode of season one aired on December 15th, 1966, and was titled “Balance of Terror.” Written by Paul Schneider and directed by Vincent McEveety, in this episode, we are introduced to the Romulans, and the history between them and the Federation. After a long war, a neutral zone was established, and Federation outposts set up along the border. In the “Balance” we find that the Federation outposts are being destroyed, and the Enterprise is in pursuit of the ship causing the destruction. The enemy ship is indeed a Romulan vessel that possesses the ability to become virtually invisible and an extremely powerful plasma weapon.
An exciting chess game ensues between Kirk and the Romulan commander portrayed by Mark Lenard who would have an extensive run in guest-starring roles throughout the Star Trek entertainment franchise. The episode also features an appearance by Lawrence Montaigne who also appears in the last of the four episodes in this collection.
We learn in “Balance” that the Romulans bare a strong resemblance to the Vulcans, and this fact allows for tension within the episode as paranoia strikes many members of the crew. This is one of many times in the series that racial issues would be at the forefront of the episode themes.
One notable distraction is the phaser fire that appears to be photon torpedoes. This seems like something that could have been easily remedied during the re-mastering process, but it remains in its original state.
The final of the four episodes, and quite possibly the least worthy, is “Amok Time” which aired on September 15th, 1967 as the first episode of the second season. Written by Theodore Sturgeon and directed by Peveny, “Amok Time” delves deep into the Vulcan society as it deals with Spock and the Vulcan mating cycle.
With the Enterprise in route to an important diplomatic ceremony, Mr. Spock begins to display behavior extremely unusual for a Vulcan, and requests a leave on his home planet. Kirk disobeys orders and changes course to Vulcan in hopes of saving the life of his friend. Kirk and McCoy accompany Spock down to the planet where they attend a formal Vulcan ritual, and Kirk eventually participates.
The major distraction in “Amok” is the constant switching from actors to stuntmen in the fight scene between Kirk and Spock. For those familiar with this episode, the re-mastered additions will be interesting to see, but this episode is more appealing to those who know the show’s mythology. Many others could have easily replaced this episode. “Amok” marks the introduction of not only Walter Koenig as Chekov, but also the Vulcan salute.
Recommendation: For those who don’t own any Star Trek episodes on DVD, this is certainly a great way to start a collection, but, with complete season and series sets available, it may be the inexpensive price that will attract most fans. For those who were introduced to the iconic series through the release of the new motion picture, this is a great way to explore the roots of Star Trek.
On May 12, 2009, Paramount released The Best of Star Trek: The Original Series. Though the release seems a bit rushed as there is no bonus material, and the packaging does not mention the re-mastered aspects of these classic episodes, this is Star Trek at its original best.
Yes, one could certainly argue the choices made in picking the four episodes to include under the header of The Best of, but these four episodes certainly will serve as a pleasant reminder to the Trekkies/Trekkers of the world as to why they fell in love with the series in the first place, and trying to spot the new and improved footage makes watching what you seen hundreds of times, fun all over again. For those new to the series, these four episodes serve as a nice introduction to not only the action of the series, but the lighthearted aspects as well.
The four episodes chosen include two from the first season, and two from the second, yet they don’t come up on the menu in the order in which they originally aired. First up is “The City on the Edge of Forever,” which is generally considered by many to be the best episode of the original series. Written by Harlan Ellison and directed by Joseph Pevney, “City” aired on April 6th, 1967, and featured a fine guest performance by Joan Collins as Edith Keeler, a social worker on earth in the 1930s.
After McCoy accidentally injects himself with a volatile drug that causes paranoia and delusions, he manages to beam himself down to the planet currently being orbited by the Enterprise, and enters a time portal that refers to itself as the Guardian of Forever. McCoy’s entrance into Earth’s past causes time to be changed, and the Enterprise disappears from orbit stranding the landing party. Kirk and Spock follow McCoy back in time in an effort to correct the change.
The story is well crafted and the performances are top notch, making it quite clear why this episode is so highly regarded. The episode is certainly not without its distractions. The heavy filter used on close-ups of Collins gets rather annoying, as does some of McCoy’s make-up. It’s certainly not clear why the drug would cause his teeth to yellow. The drug also seems to impact McCoy’s physical abilities, as one who was never much of a fighter in the series, manages to effectively subdue the transporter chief with two martial-arts type blows.
The second episode on the disk menu, “The Trouble with Tribbles” was actually the last of the four to air. Written by David Gerrold and also directed by Pevney, it aired on December 29th, 1967. In “Trouble,” the Enterprise is summoned to space station K7 where they encounter pompous politicians, Klingons, and Tribbles. The Tribbles, affectionate little hairballs that multiply at an amazing rate, eventually fill the Enterprise and the space station, but do manage to reveal a Klingon plot to sabotage the Federation’s colonization of a highly sought-after planet.
Certainly one of the most comedic episodes in the three-year run of the series, “Trouble” sports fine supporting performances, and displays a more competitive than combative relationship between the Earthlings and the Klingons. The guest stars include classic character actor William Schallert, and William Campbell who had appeared in the first-season episode, “The Squire of Gothos.”
“Trouble” opens with an interesting conversation being held in one of the conference rooms between Kirk, Spock, and Chekov. Chekov displays his comedic Russian loyalties as the threesome appear to be discussing some of the storyline from the first season’s episode, “Errand of Mercy.”
The fourteenth episode of season one aired on December 15th, 1966, and was titled “Balance of Terror.” Written by Paul Schneider and directed by Vincent McEveety, in this episode, we are introduced to the Romulans, and the history between them and the Federation. After a long war, a neutral zone was established, and Federation outposts set up along the border. In the “Balance” we find that the Federation outposts are being destroyed, and the Enterprise is in pursuit of the ship causing the destruction. The enemy ship is indeed a Romulan vessel that possesses the ability to become virtually invisible and an extremely powerful plasma weapon.
An exciting chess game ensues between Kirk and the Romulan commander portrayed by Mark Lenard who would have an extensive run in guest-starring roles throughout the Star Trek entertainment franchise. The episode also features an appearance by Lawrence Montaigne who also appears in the last of the four episodes in this collection.
We learn in “Balance” that the Romulans bare a strong resemblance to the Vulcans, and this fact allows for tension within the episode as paranoia strikes many members of the crew. This is one of many times in the series that racial issues would be at the forefront of the episode themes.
One notable distraction is the phaser fire that appears to be photon torpedoes. This seems like something that could have been easily remedied during the re-mastering process, but it remains in its original state.
The final of the four episodes, and quite possibly the least worthy, is “Amok Time” which aired on September 15th, 1967 as the first episode of the second season. Written by Theodore Sturgeon and directed by Peveny, “Amok Time” delves deep into the Vulcan society as it deals with Spock and the Vulcan mating cycle.
With the Enterprise in route to an important diplomatic ceremony, Mr. Spock begins to display behavior extremely unusual for a Vulcan, and requests a leave on his home planet. Kirk disobeys orders and changes course to Vulcan in hopes of saving the life of his friend. Kirk and McCoy accompany Spock down to the planet where they attend a formal Vulcan ritual, and Kirk eventually participates.
The major distraction in “Amok” is the constant switching from actors to stuntmen in the fight scene between Kirk and Spock. For those familiar with this episode, the re-mastered additions will be interesting to see, but this episode is more appealing to those who know the show’s mythology. Many others could have easily replaced this episode. “Amok” marks the introduction of not only Walter Koenig as Chekov, but also the Vulcan salute.
Recommendation: For those who don’t own any Star Trek episodes on DVD, this is certainly a great way to start a collection, but, with complete season and series sets available, it may be the inexpensive price that will attract most fans. For those who were introduced to the iconic series through the release of the new motion picture, this is a great way to explore the roots of Star Trek.
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