Best of 2008. DVDs

There were, of course, many great movie/TV releases on DVD and Blu Ray this year, but a select few did stand above the rest. The must have releases of 2008 are...

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (DVD)


The Internet musical sensation from Joss Whedon was one of the biggest events of 2008 and now it's a must own DVD. Not only is the masterpiece included, but so are some cool special features and a brand new full length commentary musical. The cast and writers provide commentary through delightful song and everyone gets their moment, even "groupie #3".


Baraka (Blu Ray)


A little known cinematic treasure known as Baraka was released on Blu Ray, and it stands as one of the most incredible visual experiences one can have in their own homes. The clarity is unmatched and the film itself is a unique and beautiful masterpiece.

The Dark Knight (Blu Ray)

Yes, The Dark Knight was one of the year's best films, and it's visual and audio quality on Blu Ray is remarkable. The IMAX shots are especially glorious. However, what makes this one of the best 2008 releases is it's revolutionary special features. Through "BD-Live", viewers can access a host of online features. The two biggies, which in my opinion, have changed home video forever. First off, 100 000 owners of the Blu Ray (me included) we're able to chat with director Christopher Nolan during an online community screening of the film. Also, anyone, using the web cam on their computer, can record their own "picture-in-picture" commentary for the movie.

The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration (Blu Ray)


An absolute must-own for all cinephiles, this collection includes all 3 parts of The Godfather in gorgeous high definition. It doesn't look perfect, but in comparison to prior releases of these films, it is very impressive. The features are extensive, and Part I & II are two of the best films ever made.

A B*tch Of A Character, And A B*tch To Watch...

New DVD Review.

Margot At The Wedding
Written by: Noah Baumbach

Directed by: Noah Baumbach

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jack Black

The Movie.

Adam's Take.

Margot At The Wedding is the story of two sisters, whom were once very close, but have since grown apart. Pauline (Leigh) is getting married to Malcolm (Black), and her sister Margot (Kidman) is coming for the wedding. Pauline and Malcolm seem like a good couple, but Margot has a habit of being critical and meddlesome and soon has her sister doubting the big day. Margot is even critical of her son, Claude, to the point where I don't see her fit as a mother, let alone a human being. It seems she does all her thinking out loud, mostly in front of her son, who has adopted the very same habit. Every idea she gets in her head, no matter how cruel, comes out. We hate Margot, but her thoughts are not that far away from some we all have, we just know to keep our mouths shut. Malcolm, although not perfect, is quite innocent and perhaps would make a good husband. Pauline seemed content before Margot got there and ruined everything. Even if Margot is right, she has no right to do what she does. By the end of the movie, there have been a couple good scenes and a couple good laughs, but more than anything, "Margot At The Wedding" was boring. The performances are more interesting than the characters, and Black actually steals the show. The film would be lost without him. The Squid And The Whale, Baumbach's last film, was brilliant. This makes "Margot" all the more dissapointing. If it were from an unknown writer/director, I'd be more optimistic. However, it's not. Baumbach made this, and therefore it should not be seen as anything other than a failure.
Parker's Take.

Margot At The Wedding is a mis mash of a film. Part drama and part comedy, it is neither very dramatic nor funny. Admittedly, it did have a few humourous moments, mostly involving Jack Black, as one would expect, but ultimately falls short of laugh out loud. Where this movie does succeed is in creating a cast of character that are all flawed and unlikeable. Notably among these is Margoy, who is well portrayed by a suitably spiteful and vengeful Nicole Kidman. The movie meanders around for the first half hour or so and remains quite boring throughout, with very little happening between the two main characters. This lack of interesting plot, hurtful characters and an unsatisfactory ending combine to make this a disappointing sophomore effort from Baumbach. With so many other releases this week, this one is worth a miss.

The Extras.

• A Conversation With Noah Baumbach and Jennifer Jason Leigh

Adam's Take.

There's only one extra, and it is OK, but that's all there is. It offers a bit of insight into the characters and a tiny bit into how it was shot. The case is standard. Overall, a weak DVD.
Parker's Take.

Clocking in with a mere one special feature, the set is a disappointment. Coupled with a plastic case without even a slip cover, "Margot" is a bad set all around. The one feature is mildly interesting, offering some insight into the actors experience with the characters, it did not even utilize the full cast, instead just using Jennifer Jason Leigh and Noah Baumbach. This leaves out Nicole Kidman, whose insight would have been most interesting. Overall a bad DVD presentation for a bad movie.

Audio/Video

Adam's Take.

The audio quality is fine but the visuals are a bit grainy and below average.
Parker's Take.

Standard audio and visual with one moment in which the audio was slightly off.
Overall DVD Score.

Adam's Take.

A weak film, weak special features. Weak.
Parker's Take.

Overall bad set.

The Bronze Verdict.
Bad.

New DVD Review: Across The Universe 2-Disc Deluxe Edition

Finally, here it is. The highly-anticipated, long-awaited first ever Bronze DVD review. We would like to claim the format is of our own invention but I pretty much ripped off IGN. Basically both Parker and I will offer up our thoughts to give you two opinions (but trust mine). We will give a briefer analysis than that of my other reviews. But as it is a DVD we shall also tackle special features and even the packaging (it is what matters most) as well as anything we see fit mentioning. Parker's rating and my rating will be averaged out to give an overall "Bronze" rating. Fun. I doubt I need say anything but Parker and I would appreciate if you value the Bronze rating higher than any other, if for no other reason than it would be kinda funny. Oh my, I'm rambling.


The Movie.

Adam's Take.

Across The Universe is an endlessly creative musical from film (Frida) and Broadway (The Lion King) director, Julie Taymor. It boldly uses Beatles songs to tell it's story, such a concept could sound brilliant or terrible depending on which ears the idea invades. I, for whatever reason, was never excited about Universe, despite being a Beatles fan. I was very surprised once the movie began and I was swept away with the music as well as the stunning visuals. I believe this film could work for anyone, not just Beatles fans. However, those who know the songs will be allowed a unique experience. A wonderful way to rediscover that initial love for the music or at least an enjoyable fresh take. Some of the songs are meddled with but only to positive ends. Knowing the lyrics was fun as it was neat to see how they would divide them amongst the movie's characters. Who would have thought of "I Want To Hold Your Hand" as a vessel for lesbian longing? Back to the non-Beatles lovers, I wouldn't be surprised if someone who had never heard the band saw Universe, enjoyed it, and never knew it wasn't original music. Quite the testament to the Beatles' music that it could be used in such a way. In fact, it glorifies that which is best of their songs, the simplicity and versatility, which ironically conveys depth.

I could go on praising but I have to bring up the bad stuff. The dialougue and story are each relatively thin (although that might not be an accident). The main story and characters are fine (although nothing special) but Universe seems to hint at subplots which never really come into play. Therefore, the side characters are never really fully realized. I don't mind all that much, but it's worth mentioning. Anyways, the music is fantastic and the visuals (especially the choreography) are astounding. The initial concept IS brilliant, perhaps even revolutionary (maybe I'll make "Sail To The Moon" and cop the idea but swap The Beatles for Radiohead). Anyways, Across The Universe is wondrously inventive and i loved it.
Parker's Take.

First let me preface this review by saying this: I am not a Beatles fan. I have never liked The Beatles, nor do I ever think I will. However, let me also say that I have a soft spot for musicals. So, bearing these two things in mind, I can confidently say I loved this movie. The movie did have some problems with coherency, as it tended to jump around in terms of time and location, but those flaws were overshadowed by how much fun it is. As a long time Beatles hater, believe me when I say it is not neccesary to like them to enjoy this movie.

The modern arrangements of these songs were perfectly suited to the film, and each of the actors delivered on their vocal performances. The visual imagery chosen by Julie Taymor fits each song so perfectly that it feels like the songs were written for these specific scenes. I can only think of one scene, involving strawberries, that I felt like the metaphors were stretched too far and made too obvious that I found it annoying. Overall, the movie was highly enjoyable and succeeded in bringing in a fresh and creative idea to the movie making table. Who knows? It may inspire me to revisit the music of The Beatles one day.

The Extras.

• Eight extended musical performances
• Deleted Scene: “And I Love Her” – with Dana Fuchs and Martin Luther McCoy
• Commentary from director Taymor and composer Elliot Goldenthal
• 5 featurettes:
• “Stars of Tomorrow” – an inside look at the cast of rising stars
• “All About the Music” – an inside look at the film’s unforgettable music
• “FX on the Universe” – exploring the film’s visual effects with VFX supervisor Kyle Cooper
• "Creating the Universe” – cast and crew discuss the making of the film
• “Moving Across the Universe” – a featurette on the choreography including an interview with choreographer Daniel Ezralow

Adam's Take.

The Across The Universe DVD has 2 discs of features, although I'm pretty sure it could fit on one. That's not to say there isn't much content here, but that it's not really enough to justify the whole "2-Disc Deluxe Edition" tag. That said, the features are pretty good. Each featurette tackles an aspect of behind the scenes. "Creating The Universe" is the best one here, supplying a captivating, general behind the scenes look, widening my apprecation for the movie. "Stars of Tomorrow" follows the young cast and is fairly interesting. "All About The Music" is a bit disappointing considering it's title. I was hoping for more in depth stuff, luckily this is made up for with the commentary. The commentary track is done by Julie Taymor and composer Elliot Goldenthal. Although it may be a bit slow and/or dull for some, I appreciated the insight into the process of adapting The Beatles to film. Overall, it's an above average set with quality stuff. But the DVD case is the normal plastic crap. Parker's Take.

It's very rare that a film is only released in a two-disc edition, so it leads one to believe that it must be an amazing DVD set. In this regard, I was a little disappointed. It's not to say the special features weren't good, it's just they weren't what they could have been. One feature, however, stood above the rest. "Creating The Universe" is an amazing feature that really showcases the scope of Taymor's artistic vision for the film. The other features, especially the one about the music, seemed glossed over. Especially for a movie in which the music plays such an integral part. Some of these shortcomings are picked up in the commentary, but by listening to the commentary, it makes the other features redundant. They had the right idea by trying to give the buyer more bang for their buck, and they are interesting, but a hardcore fan may demand more.

Audio/Video.

Adam's Take.

For a movie that depends on it's visuals and music it's a good thing it looks and sounds great. Although I have seen standard DVDs with an even clearer picture.Parker's Take.

Being a musical obviously the audio quality needs to be excellent. "Across The Universe" merely achieved the same quality of video and audio that most new releases have.

Overall DVD score.

Adam's Take.

The Movie is excellent, it looks and sounds great and the features are pretty good. Definitely a great DVD.Parker's Take.

Combining some interesting special features with a creative, fun movie makes "Across The Universe" definitely worth purchasing or at the very least worth renting.

The Bronze Verdict.Great.

New DVD Review: A Night At The Museum

Note: I was too lazy to review the special features but next time I review a DVD, I promise I will

A Night At The Museum was a big hit. It made lots of money and stayed at the top of the box office for weeks. For the most part it recieved positive reviews. Some people I know, including adults, saw it and told me it was pretty good. Thirty minutes into this movie, I wondered how any of these things were possible. At this point, I witnessed an agonizingly brutal movie. With no laughs in the first quarter of what was supposed to be a comedy, I was beginning to thinking ahead to the zero star review I would give it. However, not long after, there were a couple good jokes in a row. I began to warm up to the film. The comedy doesn't really get going until half way through. The two funniest things are probably Owen Wilson as a miniature cowboy and Mickey Rooney as an old security guard. The movie gets better every scene and ends up being a solid adventure comedy. It may start weak but for the most part, it finishes strongly. Overall, it is not the must-see comedy it was made out to be, but the good second half makes the terrible first half worth sitting through. There are worse ideas than spending A Night At The Museum.