Blu-ray New Release Jan 22

Saw IV (Blu-ray) Overall Grade

Lionsgate Home Entertainment / 2007 / 95 Minutes / Unrated
Street Date: January 22, 2008

Genres: Thriller

• Actors: Tobin Bell, Darrell Dennis, Ron Lea, Justin Louis, Angus MacFadyen

Plot Synopsis: When SWAT Commander Rigg is abducted and thrust into a game, the last officer untouched by Jigsaw has but ninety minutes to overcome a series of demented traps and save an old friend or face the deadly consequences.

The supplement packages for the Saw films have always been amusing in gleefully dissecting the sadism with self-referential humor. The same goes for the extras on 'Saw IV,' which offer little new information, but should be enjoyable for fans of the franchise. (Note that most of the extras are presented in full HD, but the majority of the source material is clearly low-quality video, so it’s likely an up convert.)

Disc Features:

• Audio Commentaries - Two tracks are included. The first, with director Darren Lynn Bousman and star Lyriq Bent, is a big disappointment. Bousman says upfront that he didn't want to do another Saw film, but was pressured by the suits and the success of the earlier films -- his lack of enthusiasm shows. Bent is also a bore, simply recapping what we're watching onscreen when he speaks at all. This one is a total snoozer.
  
  Much better is the second track with the producing team of Oren Koules, Mark Burg, Peter Block, and Jason Constantine. Though I had trouble figuring out who was talking, they are much more excitable and interested than Bousman. Though there are production specifics, they also talk at length about the continued appeal of the series, and yes, the inevitability of a 'Saw V' (it's already in production). It's a shame that Bousman didn't take part, perhaps some of the producers’ enthusiasm might have rubbed off on him.
• "Darren's Video Diary" (HD, 33 minutes) - Video diaries are not for everyone. Some like the fly-on-the-wall approach, whiles others long for the structure of a traditional documentary. I personally like the "cinema verite" feel, which works especially well for the 'Saw' flicks. The focus is haphazard -- we jump from pre-production leaks, to shooting, to wrap without a moment's hesitation -- but this one pulls no punches, with Bousman often coming off as petulant, unhappy, and even regretful of having to shoot yet another Saw flick. I admire Lionsgate for letting something this unflattering make the disc -- if you want to see a warts and all look at genre filmmaking, check this out.
  
• Featurette: "The Traps of 'Saw IV'" (HD, 17 minutes) - All eight of the grisly set pieces of 'Saw IV' are dissected here. It's as "breezy" as any look at deadly booby traps could be, and there is a weird sort of fun to be had in seeing how they created mechanisms that actually work -- however disturbing the implications may be. For my money, this is the best extra on the disc.
  
• Featurette: "The Props of 'Saw IV'" (HD, 8 minutes) - This visit with property master Jim Murray gives us a guided tour of the actual weapons and other objects of destruction that Jigsaw employs throughout the film.
  
• Deleted Scene (SD, 1 minutes) - There is but a single 1-minute scene here, dubbed "The Police Station." It's not a particularly notable scene, and since there’s no commentary or other context, it comes across as unnecessary. It is also presented in standard-def only.
  
• Music Video (SD) - A clip for the song "I.V." by X Japan, in standard-def only.
  
• Theatrical Trailers (HD) - Trailers are provided for 'The Condemned,' 'War,' 'The Descent' and the upcoming theatrical releases 'Rambo' and 'The Eye.' There is also video preview for 'Saw III,' and the theatrical trailer for 'Saw IV.'

The Game Plan (Blu-ray) Overall Grade

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment / 2007 / 110 Minutes / Rated PG
Street Date: January 22, 2008

Genres: Comedy, Family movie.

• Actors: Dwayne Johnson, Madison Pettis, Kyra Sedgwick, Roselyn Sanchez, Morris Chestnut
• Directors: Andy Fickman

Plot Synopsis: This hilarious and heartwarming family comedy is even more winning on Disney Blu-ray as one of sports' toughest players ever takes on his biggest challenge yet - fatherhood!

A superstar with an ego bigger than a football field, Joe Kingman (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) is getting ready for a run at the big championship game when the 8 year old daughter he never knew existed shows up at his not so family friendly bachelor pad. As the big game get closer, he begins to realize the most meaningful win he can achieve is the heart of the one little fan who counts the most.

Disc Features:

• Featurette: "Drafting the Plan" (HD, 20 minutes) - A pretty standard making-of, this one gives us film clips, behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with stars The Rock and Kyra Sedgwick, director Andy Fickman, and other crew members. After a bit too much plot recap, things really get going when the featurette dives into the film's football scenes, including a surprisingly rough ride for the Rock, who tore an Achilles tendon during the shoot.
  
• Deleted Scenes (HD, 26 minutes) - There are twelve scenes in all, each with an optional introduction by director Andy Fickman. Unfortunately, despite the sheer length, much of this material is comprised of extended versions of existing scenes, making it a bit redundant.
  
• ESPN Sports Center: "The Rock Learns to Play QB" (SD, 4 minutes) - This short features ESPN personality Sean Salisbury interviewing The Rock on the set as he learns to play quarterback and come across as a credible football player. This is the only video-based extra in 480i/MPEG-2 video only.
  
• Blooper Reel (HD, 3 minutes) - Your typical mix of flubs and gaffes, though in a nice touch, they’ve gotten sports commentator Marv Albert to do a "play by play" of the mistakes. Cute.
  
• Interactive Activity: "Peyton's Makeover Madness" (SD)- Strictly for the young ones, this little activity allows users to decorate a "virtual" version of the Joe's apartment set. As this was designed for the DVD format, the movements are very basic, and the design possibilities limited. Still, kids might get a few minutes of fun out of it.
  
• Theatrical Trailer (HD) - Wrapping it up are HD trailers for 'Enchanted,' 'Sleeping Beauty' and the upcoming Pixar film 'Wall-E.' There is no trailer for 'The Game Plan.'

In a nice surprise, Disney has gone the extra mile and produced a cool exclusive for the Blu-ray edition of 'The Game Plan.'

• "Chalk Talk" - Although not a true picture-in-picture commentary, Disney has taken the standard audio track format and added an interesting wrinkle. Sitting down to discuss the film, director Andy Fickman and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson are aided by Blu-ray technology allowing them to "draw" simple lines and shapes on the screen (like TV sports coverage) to illustrate key points of the discussion. Okay, so it’s a bit gimmicky, but this is a legitimately fun track that would have been a great listen even without the visuals. Fickman and Johnson whoop it up throughout, laughing about everything from the Rock's huge hair in vintage photos to fawning over shots of the actor's ripped body. Much to my surprise, I really enjoyed this track, and it's definitely the highlight of all the supplements.
  
• D-Box - 'The Game Plan' is also notable for being the first Disney title to feature D-Box-enhancement, which adds a little rumble to the flick if your home theater seats are so equipped.