Reviews (Continued)

Man of Violence (1970, aka Moon, after the name of the main character in the film) is a region-free Blu-ray from the BFI and appears in its Flipside series. The film is paired with The Big Switch (1968). Both films are the product of director Pete Walker, who basically got his start in the late 1960s with these sex/exploitation type films before moving into more horrific fare in the 1970s. The BFI Flipside series is intended to " rescue weird and wonderful British films from obscurity and present them in new high-quality editions". I'm not sure that "weird" and "wonderful" describe either of these titles, but the "rescue from obscurity" and "high-quality editions" sure fit. Both films are basically T&A fests wrapped around modest crime/thriller plots. Man of Violence is the more ambitious of the two. Its story deals with corruption in seemingly all levels - club owners, gangsters, even the law enforcement agencies - all revolving around a shipment of gold coming into England. Moon (Michael Latimer), a sort of private detective/fixer, is hired to do exactly what is rather unclear since he seems to be working for several sides at once, but ultimately he's in it for the gold himself. With its somewhat sleazy air though lacking any really explicit sexual content beyond topless nudity, the film is the sort of title usually confined to late night when the film's shortcomings (including questionable acting from some of the cast) can get overlooked and when dimmed senses allow one to accept the plot convolutions and general silliness to the point where one almost grants the film guilty pleasure status. BFI's Blu-ray is restored from the original 35mm negative and the 1.33:1 transfer looks very strong indeed. The colour saturation is particularly impressive, although it does accentuate the fake blood effects at times. Blacks are very deep and detail levels are strong. Some modest grain is present and a few scratches and speckles remain. The overall look does the film proud. The PCM mono audio is quite adequate; some hiss and the odd crackle can be heard but the dialogue clarity is not compromised. Some minor audio synch issues are evident but they are inherent in the original production. The disc's main supplement is the inclusion of The Big Switch, a more rudimentary crime melodrama whose chief claim to fame is its climactic though rather crudely choreographed and shot shoot-out sequence on the now-destroyed Brighton West Pier. The film is actually presented in its original British theatrical version and in a 9-minute-longer, more explicit export version. The original 35mm negative was the source for BFI's 1.33:1 transfers and both versions are again strong, though perhaps a tad behind that for Man of Violence in terms of colour saturation. Other supplements include the theatrical trailers and an informative 26-page booklet of essays on the films and Walker. The effort put in by BFI on these titles certainly warrants a rental (if that's possible from North American sources), even if the films themselves are not the stuff of collections.



Misery has been previously reviewed on The Bits (see Adam Jahnke's review here), but I wanted to add my own recommendation for MGM's quality Blu-ray release. The studio has chosen to deliver the film alone on the Blu-ray disc and has added a separate standard DVD of the 2007 Collector's Edition so that you have access to all that release's supplements. It's perhaps an unorthodox way of doing it (some would likely say "lazy") and a bit inconvenient for Blu-ray aficionados, but if that's what it takes to ensure that all the DVD supplements are available in the Blu-ray purchase, so be it. Better that than shortchanging Blu-ray purchasers. The 1.85:1 transfer is a quite noticeable improvement over the DVD version, offering bright accurate colour, some noticeable depth of field, and excellent image detail. There is some modest grain evident, and digital sharpening appears to have been curtailed. The DTS-HD audio is equally good, notable particularly for its subtlety during the film's quieter scenes. Among the supplements, some of the stalking featurettes I could do without, but there is a fine making-of documentary and director Rob Reiner's audio commentary is a good one. Recommended.



Director Sam Raini has certainly spread his talents over various genres and in 1995's The Quick and the Dead, he extends his efforts to the western with a fine degree of success. You may not appreciate the surreal image of the sun shining through a bullet-hole in someone's forehead, but you've got to give points for imagination. But lest you think the film is just an exercise in directorial expression, let me add that the film is otherwise an enthusiastic embracing of western conventions centred on the western shoot-out. Mysterious gunfighter Sharon Stone enters a shoot-out contest orchestrated by town powerbroker and gunfighter himself Gene Hackman. Also in the contest are the likes of Russell Crowe, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Lance Henriksen. The survivor will face Hackman in the climactic confrontation. The film's blend of action, suspense and even some off-beat humour makes for a pleasing hour and three-quarters of entertainment, particularly with all the cast principals clearly enjoying themselves. Sony's 1.85:1 Blu-ray is a noticeable advance on the standard DVD, offering a solid transfer highlighted by strong detail and accurate colours. There is some grain evident and the film looks very clean (aside from a curiously dirty opening sequence). Overall, this is a strong effort by Sony despite some slight edge effects being apparent. The Dolby TrueHD audio is solid offering crisp dialogue and a good immersive experience during quieter ambient sequences as well as the more dynamic gunfights. The film's score by Alan Silvestri, which enhances the proceedings well, is solidly delivered. The only supplements are a raft of trailers (but none for The Quick and the Dead) and a movieIQ feature that offers details about selected scenes (although I can't imagine anyone interested in watching the film wanting to interrupt it for some of the "nuggets" offered). Recommended.



The Proposal is one of several films that made 2009 a good year overall for Sandra Bullock. It's a quite amusing if not entirely original romantic comedy in which the controlling Margaret (Bullock) is on the verge of losing her job and being deported to Canada. The solution is to get married, so she seizes on her unsuspecting assistant Andrew (Ryan Reynolds) with whom she blithely announces she's engaged. Unfortunately for Margaret, Andrew has ideas of his own and with a suspicious immigration agent to be persuaded, the couple head for Alaska to win over Andrew's family and carry out the nuptials. Reynolds and Bullock make for quite a winning couple and their chemistry together is the main thing that makes the film work, but the film is also enhanced by the supporting cast that portrays Andrew's family, including Craig T. Nelson and Mary Steenbergen as his parents and Betty White as his delightfully inappropriate grandmother. The film is a very amiable timepasser and can easily be enjoyed multiple times. Disney's 2.35:1 transfer is a little inconsistent, but comes down on the plus side of the ledger overall. Image detail and image sharpness are the strong points, while colour brightness and fidelity (especially skin-tones) varies. Black levels are quite deep and visible digital manipulation is not a problem. The DTS-HD audio does the job well, but offers nothing particularly earth-shattering. Some decent surround activity is evident for ambient effects, otherwise the dialogue-driven film is confined to the fronts which deliver crisply. Among the supplements, the disc trumpets an alternate ending that's interesting to see, but also clearly inferior to the ending finally used. Recommended as a rental.



At 2 hours and 19 minutes, The Negotiator is a long film, but it never seems like it. The 1998 film is an intriguing and exciting thriller about police hostage negotiator Danny Roman (Samuel L. Jackson) who is framed for stealing funds from the police disability fund. When he attempts to confront an internal affairs officer (J.T Walsh) whom he suspects of being involved, he is forced by circumstances to take some hostages of his own, hoping that the situation will enable him to determine the real culprits. When his fellow officers attempt to negotiate with him, he demands an independent negotiator (Kevin Spacey), fearing that some of his own colleagues are among the guilty. Both Jackson and Spacey deliver dynamic and persuasive performances that drive the film throughout, but there is a very strong supporting cast including David Morse, John Spencer, Paul Guilfoyle, and Ron Rifkin. Director Gary Gray maintains a high level of suspense that helps to obscure a couple of holes in the otherwise strong script. Warners' 2.40:1 Blu-ray transfer is a strong effort with superior detail and an accurate colour palette that makes the most of the isolated colour that inhabits the frequently dark sequences. Evidence of digital manipulation is essentially non-existent and a modest level of grain provides a nice film-like feel. The Dolby TrueHD audio tends to be rooted in the fronts, but delivers a well-balanced sound that emphasizes clear dialogue. There is some surround activity that is noticeable more for its occasional interjection into the sound field than its intrinsic power. The supplement package is slim, being made up of two featurettes (one of which deals with the stories of real negotiators) and the theatrical trailer. Recommended.

Barrie Maxwell
barriemaxwell@thedigitalbits.com