Michael Clayton (Blu-ray) Warner Home Entertainment / 2007 / 113 Minutes / Rated R
Street Date: February 19, 2008
Genres: Drama, Thriller
Starring: George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton, Sydney Pollack
Director: Tony Gilroy
Plot Synopsis: Michael Clayton (George Clooney) is an in-house 'fixer' at one of the largest corporate law firms in New York. At the behest of the firm's co-founder Marty Bach (Sydney Pollack), Clayton takes care of Kenner, Bach & Ledeen's dirtiest work. Clayton cleans up clients' messes, handling anything from hit-and-runs and damaging stories in the press to shoplifting wives and crooked politicians. Though burned out and discontented in his job, Clayton is inextricably tied to Kenner, Bach & Ledeen; divorce, a crippling gambling habit and a failed business venture have left him with mounting debt. At the agrichemical company U/North, the career of in-house counsel chief Karen Crowder (Tilda Swinton) rests on the multi-million dollar settlement of a class action suit that Clayton's firm is leading to a seemingly successful conclusion. When Kenner, Bach & Ledeen's top litigator, the brilliant Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson), has an apparent breakdown and subsequently tries to sabotage the entire U/North case, Michael Clayton is sent to tackle this unprecedented disaster and in doing so comes face-to-face with the reality of who he has become...
Disc Features:
- Deleted scenes
- Audio commentary with writer/director Tony Gilroy and editor John Gilroy
In the Valley of Elah (Blu-ray) Warner Home Video / 2007 / 121 Minutes / Rated R
Street Date: February 19, 2008
Genres: Drama
Starring: Susan Sarandon, Jason Patric, Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron
Director: Paul Haggis
Plot Synopsis: A career officer (Jones) and his wife (Sarandon) work with a police detective (Theron) to uncover the truth behind their son's disappearance following his return from a tour of duty in Iraq.
Disc Features:
• Featurettes: "After Iraq" and "Coming Home"
• Additional Scene
Santana: Hymns for Peace - Live at Montreux 2004 (Blu-ray) Eagle Rock Entertainment / 2004 / 181 Minutes / Unrated
Genres: Music, Live performance
Plot Synopsis: In late 2003, Montreux Jazz Festival director Claude Nobs approached Carlos Santana about doing something special to honor the annual event's 37th year. Over the next six months, the pair would conceive a one-of-a-kind performance that would bring together a few dozen of Santana's "closest friends” for a three-hour jam session honoring the best protest songs of the last fifty years.
The result was 'Hymns for Peace.' Staged in front of a sold-out crowd for one night only on July 15, 2004, the guest list featured a virtual who's who of rock legends, with Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Patti Austen, Steve Winwood, Nile Rodgers and a host of other master musicians all joining Santana for a three-hour performance that felt like the biggest musical block party ever thrown.
At first glance, some may be disappointed by the setlist. This is no Santana solo show, and you won't find recent hits like "Smooth" among the 18 peace-lovin' tunes here. Where 'Hymns for Peace' excels is in the looseness of its performances -- this group cranks em out! Sure, there are plenty of incredibly talented guitarists fronting popular bands today, but Santana is, without argument, a true guitar god. I don't think I recognized more than a couple of songs on 'Hymns for Peace,' but I was never less than mesmerized by his playing. The man can truly captivate with the flick of a finger.
This is a long show, spanning more than three hours, with the average song running a good eight minutes. Improvs and extended jams are frequent, with the band simply inspiring awe as they seem to dream music up out of thin air, as if under the guidance of some higher force. The fun they seem to be having and the sheer joy displayed on stage, were clearly contagious, and by mid-set the band and the audience seem to become one, everyone swaying to the same universal groove.
Visually, 'Hymns for Peace' is a straightforward show, there are no pyrotechnics, no cavalcade of dancers, just a bunch of musicians up on stage, jamming for three hours in support of a cause they passionately believe in. At times, the show may become a tad self-indulgent, but when you have artists as mesmerizing and talented as these, who cares?
The 18-song setlist features the following songs: 01. Intro / 02. Afro Blue / 03. Adouma / 04. Redemption Song / 05. Exodus / Get Up Stand Up / 06. Blowin’ In The Wind / A Place In The Sun / 07. Just Like A Woman / 08. What’s Going On / 09. Peace On Earth / Boogie Woman / 10. Why Can’t We Live Together / 11. Light At The Edge Of The World / 12. Let Us Go Into The House Of The Lord / 13. Banana Boat Song / 14. Day Of Celebration / 15. Ah Sweet Dancer / In A Silent Way / 16. Jingo / 17. A Love Supreme / 18. Ode To Joy
Disc Features: Typical of the slim supplemental packages found on most music releases, Eagle Vision has included only a couple of extras on 'Santana: Hymns for Peace,' each of which originally appeared on the standard DVD and HD DVD editions. (Note that like the main feature, all supplements are presented in 1080i/MPEG-2 video and of very high quality.)- Bonus Tracks (HD) - There are three songs total: "One Love," "Imagine" and "Give Peace a Chance." Given that the main program already runs a lengthy 181 minutes, I can't help but wonder why they just didn't add these three tracks in, but regardless these three songs look great in 1080i, and the audio options are identical to the feature.
- Featurette: "An Interview with Carlos Santana" (HD, 8 minutes) - This short vignette incorporates a good amount of behind-the-scenes footage, as well as rehearsal clips with Santana talking about what drew him to stage the concert and choosing his collaborators, but it's still a bit too thin.
Deep Purple: Live at Montreux 2006 (Blu-ray) Eagle Rock Entertainment / 2006 / 186 Minutes / Unrated
Street Date: February 19, 2008
Genres: Music, Live performance
Plot Synopsis: One of the earliest and most influential heavyweights of hard rock, Deep Purple is a band haunted by dysfunction and dissatisfaction. Since the group's founding in 1968, it has survived a multitude of member changes, an eight-year hiatus, and decades of binge drinking and substance abuse. The band's most notorious lead guitarist, the ego-centric Ritchie Blackmore, was an overwhelming source of conflict who fled and rejoined the band on numerous occasions. Other band members who also thought themselves irreplaceable soon learned they were simply cogs in this fan-driven machine.
Despite the ever-evolving line-up, Deep Purple has managed to retain a tonal consistency that continues to keep the band in the public eye to this day. The group has sold 100 million records worldwide, and their latest major performance -- 'Deep Purple: Live at Montreux 2006' -- has now made its way to Blu-ray, bringing with it a nice amount of fan anticipation and excitement.
The band has appeared at Montreux many times in the past, but this show highlights a blend of old favorites and new songs from their acclaimed 18th studio album, 2005's "Rapture of the Deep." In its latest incarnation, the band's lineup features lead vocalist Ian Gillian, guitarist Steve Morse (who joined the band in 1994), newly appointed keyboardist Don Airey, original bassist Roger Glover, and drummer Ian Paice.
The group certainly doesn't waste any time in Montreux -- the set list includes classics like "Pictures of Home," "Strange Kind of Woman," "When A Blind Man Cries," "Lazy," "Space Truckin," "Highway Star," "Smoke on the Water," "Hush, "Too Much Fun," and "Black Night." It also includes songs from their newer albums like "Things I Never Said," "The Well Dressed Guitar," "Rapture of the Deep," "Wrong Man," and "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye." My only complaint with the selections is that there are just too many favorites (both old and new) that didn't make the cut. Of course, this also isn't a four hour concert, so it's a minor quibble -- the songs on tap cover a broad range, giving a nice overview of the band's musical history.
In terms of the band's performance, I can't deny the pure charisma that erupts on stage in front of the Montreux audience. The vocals are so intense that singer Gillian eventually strains his voice, but the band simply rolls with it. This is live performance at its purest, where technical mishaps and the limitations of the artists don't affect the musicians in the slightest.
The trade-off is that at times the music becomes so frenetic and unchecked that it fails to provide a certain familiarity to many of the band's best songs. In particular, fans who adore the early Blackmore hits will be disappointed to hear distinctly different versions of their favorite songs. While I could still recognize each rendition, I longed for the safety of a studio recording that would allow me to engage in the music, rather than just the energy of the performers on stage. Worse still, some of the guitar riffs and solos on the most revered classics sound like bar-stool imitations and I winced at the clumsiness of the fret work.
Disc Features: Both of the special features found on the standard DVD and HD DVD editions of 'Deep Purple: Live at Montreux 2006' have been ported over to this Blu-ray release. Together, they comprise a nice package for a live concert disc of this sort.
The most impressive extra is a full recording of a second Deep Purple performance at a British Hard Rock Cafe in 2005 (SD, 59 minutes). The show is arguably more rewarding than the main Montreux concert, with the band sounding more precise and on key as they barrel through spirited renditions of "Fireball," "I Got Your Number," "Strange Kind of Woman," "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye," "Lazy," "Rapture of the Deep," "Wrong Man," "Perfect Strangers," "Highway Star," and "Smoke on the Water." Granted, the audio quality leaves a lot to be desired (the setting is small and the acoustics are ugly), but it was proficient enough to keep me listening.
Next up is a collection of "Interviews" (SD, 24 minutes) in which the current band members discuss a variety of topics, including the song "Smoke on the Water," the change-over from keyboardist John Lord to Airey, their personal history with Montreux, and their fans. The best bits involve Gillian and their candid/feisty comments regarding Blackmore's exit from the band.
No comments:
Post a Comment