Blu-ray 13th May Release

Untraceable (Blu-ray)

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment / 2008 / 101 Minutes / Rated R
Street Date: May 13, 2008

Overall Grade




Genres: Action, thriller

Starring: Diane Lane, Zachary Hoffman, Joseph Cross
Director: Gregory Hoblit

Plot Synopsis: Untraceable fuses Saw with The Net in a perverse yet moralistic story about a psychopath who broadcasts acts of torture over the internet--all to better reveal the twisted underbelly of the American public, who hasten the victims' deaths simply by looking at the website. FBI agent Jennifer Marsh (Diane Lane, her mature-sexy mojo tamped down but still simmering in the corners of her eyes and the nape of her neck) launches a cyberhunt for the killer, only to find herself and her team caught up in his murderous scheme. It's hard to make tapping on a keyboard and staring at a computer screen exciting, but Untraceable does its best by making Marsh and her cybercrimebusting partner (Colin Hanks, King Kong) rattle off cascades of jaunty techno-jargon and do impressive bits of long-distance surveillance. The movie aims for the audience that flocked to see Ashley Judd in thrillers like Kiss the Girls and Double Jeopardy, but it's hard to say if fans of Lane's romantic fare like Under the Tuscan Sun or Must Like Dogs will enjoy the queasy violence. Nonetheless, the cast--including Mary Beth Hurt (The World According to Garp) as Marsh's mother--does a solid job and the movie clips along at an aggressive pace, maintaining tension throughout. [Amazon.com]

Disc Features:

• Audio Commentary - The track features director Gregory Hoblit, producer Hawk Koch and production designer Paul Eads, but it's a tad dull. 'Untraceable' was actually a modestly-budgeted thriller and not the big Hollywood studio flick one might expect, which created a host of production challenges. That's about all we learn about on this track, which is so focused on the production design, visuals, and locations that talk on the story and characters is thrifty. I would have liked to hear Hoblit discuss the more troubling aspects of the film, but no luck -- this one is for film students only.
  
• Featurette: "Tracking Untraceable" (SD, 16 minutes) - The first of four featurettes, all culled from the same rash of EPK interviews with Hoblit and Koch, plus producers Tom Rosenberg and Gary Lucchesi, screenwriters Mark Brinker and Robert Fyvolent, and the main production personnel. Brinker and Fyvolent are the focus, giving a good overview of the conception of the project, a frank look at the film's technological inaccuracies, and other production details.
  
• Featurette: "The Personnel Files" (SD, 15 minutes) - An overview of the film's cast, including snippets with Diane Lane, Colin Hanks, and Joseph Cross, who discuss what brought them to the project and their take on the characters.
  
• Featurette: "The Blueprint of Murder" (SD, 14 minutes) - More nitty gritty on the location and production design, costumes and visual style of 'Untraceable.'
  
• Featurette: "The Anatomy of Murder" (SD, 6 minutes) - Finally, a short look at the gruesome murder pieces. Gorehounds will likely be disappointed, however, by the lack of in-depth footage of the effects and make-up.
  
• Theatrical Trailers

Youth Without Youth (Blu-ray)

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment / 2007 / 125 Minutes / Rated R
Street Date: May 13, 2008

Genres: Drama, Science Fiction

Starring: Tim Roth, Alexandra Maria Lara, Bruno Ganz
Director: Francis Ford Coppola

Plot Synopsis: Francis Ford Coppola returns to the realm of his mastery with a new film about growing young. A bolt of lightning strikes Dominic Matei (Tim Roth) so close to death that he begins to age backwards. When he grows from 70 to 40 in a week, he draws the attention of the Nazis and the world. Now he's running for his life with a new love and no hope of knowing his phenomenal fate.

Disc Features:
• Audio Commentary with Francis Ford Copppola
• Featurettes: "


The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe (Blu-ray)

Disney Home Entertainment / 2005 / 143 Minutes / Rated PG
Street Date: May 13, 2008

Overall Grade Highly recommended





Genres: Fantasy action, family.

Starring: Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley
Director: Andrew Adamson

Plot Synopsis: Prepare to enter another world when Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media invite you to experience C.S. Lewis' timeless and beloved adventure as never before on Blu-ray Disc™. Join Lucy Edmund Susan and Peter four siblings who step through a magical wardrobe and find the land of Narnia. There they discover a charming once-peaceful kingdom that has been plunged into eternal winter by the evil White Witch Jadis. Aided by the magnificent lion Aslan the children lead Narnia into a tremendous climactic battle to be free of the Witch's glacial powers forever! And now the stunningly realistic special effects are even more breathtaking in the astounding clarity of high definition. Meet talking beasts dwarfs fauns centaurs giants and more! Meanwhile every sound -- from the roar of Aslan to the echo of battle trumpets and the gentle rustling of leaves -- comes alive with spectacularly enhanced audio quality. Live the adventure of a lifetime as if for the very first time with Disney Blu-ray -- Magic in High Definition.

Disc Features:

Disney produced so many extras for the original DVD editions of 'Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' that it needed two full discs to contain it. They haven't skimped on the Blu-ray, which also houses two actual Blu-ray discs (not just the lazy path of throwing in a second standard DVD with extras). Granted, none of the material is in full 1080 video, but the content here is still extensive and insightful. (Optional subtitles are provided on the supplements in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Chinese [both Traditional and Simplified].)

Disc One

• Audio Commentaries - Track one features director Andrew Adamson and the film's four main child stars, Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley and Anna Popplewell. It's a fun track, even if the kids often talk over each other and occasionally break down into slumber party-like ramblings. Adamson reigns it in, often explaining to the actors how certain scenes were accomplished (as the majority of the effects were created digitally), and recalling the events of specific shooting days.
  
  The second track features Adamson, producer Mark Johnson and (via phone) production designer Roger Ford. It doesn't have the youthful energy of the cast commentary, but there is far more production info imparted. Sequences are broken down, and the logistics of such a major, sprawling shoot are analyzed in technical (but not dry) detail. Listening to two commentaries for a single film is a bit much, but both of these tracks are rather good.
  
• "The Bloopers of Narnia" (SD, 5 minutes) - A standard set of bloopers, but given the young cast, big production and fanciful scenarios, this reel is actually much funnier than most.
  
• Discover Narnia Fun Facts - Introduced by co-producer Douglas Gresham (stepson of author C.S. Lewis), these factoids are almost solely about the original novel, the influences behind the story and characters, and Lewis' real-life background. Unfortunately, the pacing is way slow -- what seems like an eternity goes by between the pop-ups. The info is quite pithy, too, with maybe ten words at most per factoid.
  
• Theatrical Trailers (HD)

Disc Two

• Documentary: "Creating Narnia" (SD, 64 minutes) - The first of three sections on disc two, these comprehensive docs are excellent -- filled with tons of behind-the-scenes footage, cast & crew interviews, and biographical data and stills. "Chronicles of a Director" (38 minutes) profiles Adamson, who talks eloquently and at length about the entire production process, while "The Children's Magical Journey" (26 minutes) introduces us to Lucy, Peter, Edmund and Susan, including cute footage from casting sessions and on the set.
  
• Documentary: "Evolution of an Epic " (SD, 123 minutes) - This four-parter begins with "From One Man's Mind" (4 minutes), which is a far-too-short bio of C.S. Lewis. "Cinematic Storytellers" (55 minutes) is rather massive, chronicling just about every technical area of the movie, from costumes to locations to production design and editing. "Creating Creatures" (53 minutes) takes us into the magic shop for a look at the denizens of 'Narnia.' Finally, "Anatomy of a Scene: The Melting River" (11 minutes) is just that, breaking down one of the film's most impressive setpieces.
  
• "Creatures, Lands and Legends" (SD) - Not a doc per se, this is really three features geared more towards the kiddies. "Creatures of the World" (14 minutes) is a narrated montage of the various creatures of the film, sort of a like a Nature special on 'Narnia.' "Explore Narnia" allows for manual exploration of the film's mythical locations, while "Legends in Time" is a timeline of the entire 'Narnia' franchise, including the publication of the books and other events.

Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World (Blu-ray)

Fox Home Entertainment / 2004 / 138 Minutes / Rated PG-13
Street Date: May 13, 2008

Genres: Adventure, Drama, Historical

Starring: Russell Crowe, Paul Betthany
Director: Peter Weir

Plot Synopsis: The fate of an empire rests on the shoulders of one man. Academy Award winner Russell Crowe commands the screen in this spectacular, high-seas adventure directed by Peter Weir. After a sneak attack by a French warship inflicts severe damage upon his vessel, Captain "Lucky" Jack Aubrey (Crowe) is torn between duty and friendship as he embarks on a thrilling, high-stakes chase across two oceans to capture or destroy the enemy at any cost.

Disc Features:
• Deleted Scenes: "Weighing Anchor," "Shipboard Life," "Superstition," "Dentistry," "Articles of War"
• Theatrical Trailer (HD)


Shinobi (Blu-ray)

FUNimation / 2005 / 107 Minutes / Rated R
Street Date: May 13, 2008

Genres: Action, Drama, Fantasy, Foreign, Romance

Starring: Yukie Nakama, Jo Odagiri, Tomoka Kurotani
Director: Ten Shimoyama

Mrs. Doubtfire (Blu-ray)

Fox Home Entertainment / 1993 / 125 Minutes / Rated PG-13
Street Date: May 13, 2008

Genres: Comedy

Starring: Robin Williams, Sally Field, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Chris Columbus

Plot Synopsis: Daniel Hillard (Robin Williams) is no ordinary father, so when he learns his ex-wife (Sally Field) needs a housekeeper, he applies for the job. With the perfect wig, a little makeup and a dress for all occasions, he becomes Mrs. Doubtfire, a devoted British nanny who is hired on the spot. Free to be the "woman" he never knew he could be, the disguised Daniel creates a whole new life with his entire family.

Disc Features:
• Featurettes: "From Man to Mrs. The Evolution of Mrs. Doubtfire," "Aging Gracefully: A Look Back at Mrs. Doubtfire," "Meet Mrs. Doubtfire," "Original 1993 Featurette"
• 18 Deleted Scenes/4 Alternate Scenes
• Still Galleries: "Behind the Scenes," "Publicity," Theatrical Posters"
• Animation Studio • 3 Theatrical Trailers / 2 TV Spots

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (Blu-ray)

Fox Home Entertainment / 1969 / 110 Minutes / Rated PG
Street Date: May 13, 2008

Overall Grade






Genres: Western, action

Starring: Paul Newman, Robert Redford
Director: George Roy Hill

Plot Synopsis: Paul Newman and Robert Redford set the standard for the "buddy film" with this box office smash set in the Old West. The Sundance Kid (Redford) is the frontier's fastest gun. His sidekick, Butch Cassidy (Newman), is always dreaming up new ways to get rich fast. If only they could blow open a baggage car without also blowing up the money-filled safe inside... Or remember that Sundance can't swim before they escape a posse by leaping off a cliff into rushing rapids... Times are changing in the west and life is getting tougher. So Butch and Sundance pack their guns, don new duds, and, with Sundance's girlfriend (Katharine Ross), head down to Bolivia. Never mind that they don't speak Spanish - they'll manage somehow. A winner of four Academy Awards (including best screenplay and best song), here is a thoroughly enjoyable blend of fact and fancy done with true affection for a bygone era and featuring the two flashiest, friendliest funniest outlaws who ever called out "hands up!"

Disc Features:

• Audio Commentaries- A Robert Redford and Paul Newman commentary would have been a dream, but we do get a track with director George Roy Hill, lyricist Hal David, associate producer Robert Crawford and the late cinematographer Conrad Hall. It is a dry and pieced-together affair, but there are still plenty of juicy nuggets to be mined from it. Lengthy gaps of silence drag the pace, and some of the film's more famous passages come and go with no comments at all. Yet, there remains something compelling about what is said, a team of misty-eyed filmmakers recalling perhaps their most successful and beloved achievement. Despite the poor editing job, this commentary is cozy nostalgia.
  
  A second track is also included, with a solo turn by screenwriter William Goldman. Not be be personal, but Goldman is a rather uptight and dry presence. His negativity about some aspects of his own work just comes off as a bit snooty (if not ungrateful), though there is plenty of insight on the film's considerable fictionalization of the real story. Quite frankly, I just couldn't get through much of this track without cringing.
  
• Documentary: "All Of The Following Is True: The Making Of 'Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid'" (HD, 36 minutes) - A more current making-of (dating back to 2005), this culls most of the source interview material used on past laserdisc and DVD editions, but gives a more concise overview of the film. Paul Newman, Robert Redford, and Katherine Ross provide the star power in then-new interviews, along with Hill, Goldman, composer Burt Bacharach, and other key players. It's a solid overview of the main conception of the project, a few antecedents on choice scenes (including the "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" montage), and a few parting thoughts on the film's lasting legacy.
  
• Featurette: "The Wild Bunch: The Fact vs. Fiction of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (HD, 25 minutes) - Originally appearing on the old DVD, this is a History Channel-type special that illustrates who were the real Butch and Sundance, and how they compare to their movie incarnations. A host of scholarly types are interviewed, and there is an abundance of film clips. An interesting little history lesson.
  
• Deleted Scene (SD, 3 minutes) - A single scene is included, called "Tent." It's a perfectly fine scene but hardly a serious omission to the film. Hill offers optional commentary explaining its removal.
  
• Theatrical Trailers (HD) - A trio are included for 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,' all in rather poor, scratchy, and upconverted video.