Johnny Depp appears in Ricky Gervais’ “Life’s Too Short”

Probably something that we never saw coming… Especially how Ricky Gervais dissed Johnny Depp (and Angelina Jolie) for their film “The Tourist”.

For those who don’t remember, when Gervais was the host and doing his monologue, he said, “It seems like everything this year was three dimensional – except the characters in The Tourist”. And when the camera panned on Depp, let’s just say, he wasn’t looking too thrilled.

But of course, Depp is known to take those jokes in stride and in Gervais’ upcoming show “Life’s Too Short”, Depp confronts Gervais’ on what took place at the Golden Globes.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides – 2-Disc Combo Pack (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

“The Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” continues the fun adventures of Jack Sparrow and as expected, wonderful visuals, plenty of action and beautiful cinematography and music.  But for those wanting to purchase this film on Blu-ray, it’s important to note that the majority of the special features are included on the 5-disc version of “On Stranger Tides” as opposed to the 2-Disc version. 

Images courtesy of © 2011 Disney. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides – 2-Disc Combo Pack

FILM RELEASE: 2011

DURATION: 136 minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (2:40:1), English, French and Spanish 7.1 DTS-HD HR, English DVS 2.0 Dolby Digital, Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish

COMPANY: Walt Disney Home Entertainment

RATED: PG-13 (Some Intense Sequences of Action/Adventure Violence, Some Frightening Images, Sensuality and Innuendo)

Release Date: October 11, 2011

Directed by Rob Marshall

Screenplay by Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio

Characters by Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, Stuart Beattie and Jay Wolpert

Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer

Executive Producer: John DeLuca, Ted Elliott, Chad Oman, Melissa Reid, Terry Rossio, Pat Sandston, Mike Stenson, Barry H. Waldman

Music by Hans Zimmer

Cinematography by Dariusz Wolski

Edited by David Brenner, Michael Kahn, Wyatt Smith

Casting by Lucy Bevan, Kathy Driscoll, Francine Maisler

Production Design by John Myre

Art Direction by Drew Boughton, John Chichester, Robert Cowper, Zack Grobler, Tomas Voth

Set Decoration by Gordon Sim

Costume Design by Penny Rose

Starring:

Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow

Penelope Cruz as Angelica Teach

Geoffrey Rush as Barbossa

Ian McShane as Blackbeard

Kevin McNally as Joshamee Gibbs

Sam Claflin as Philip

Astrid Berges-Frisbey as Svrena

Stephen Graham as Scrum

Keith Richards as Captain Teague

Richard Griffiths as ing George

Greg Ellis as Groves

Damian O’Hare as Gillette

From Disney and producer Jerry Bruckheimer comes all the fun, epic adventure and humor that ignited the original. Johnny Depp returns as Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. A tale of truth, betrayal, youth, demise — and mermaids! When Jack crosses paths with a woman from his past (Penélope Cruz), he’s not sure if it’s love or if she’s a ruthless con artist using him to find the fabled Fountain of Youth. Forced aboard the ship of the most feared pirate ever, Jack doesn’t know who to fear more —Blackbeard (Ian McShane) or the woman from his past. Directed by Rob Marshall, it’s filled with eye-popping battle scenes, mystery and all-out wit.

If there is one thing that is consistent with “Pirates of the Caribbean”, you know that this film will make a ton of money in the box office.

And while many thought that the “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” was finished with the third film in the trilogy, “At World’s End” would be the last we would see of Jack Sparrow.  But the truth is, that no matter how film critics have shown their declining interest in the film, the audience have not.

And with the release of the fourth film “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”, once again, the audience have shown their love for this film as it became the 8th highest grossing film of all time (worldwide), the third highest grossing film of 2011 and following “Dead Man’s Chest” and “Toy Story 3″, the third highest grossing film for Disney.  The film  which cost anywhere between $150-$250 million to make, earned over $1 billion in the box office.

And now “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” makes its debut on Blu-ray and DVD for the very first time in Oct. 2011 courtesy of Walt Disney Home Entertainment.

The fourth installment, “On Stranger Tides” begins with a man being found in the sea  by the Spanish who knows about the “Fountain of Youth”.  Immediately, the Spanish make their trip to locate the “Fountain of Youth”, while the British have arrested Jack Sparrow (played by Johnny Depp) and brings the pirate before King George II (played by Richard Griffiths). There are rumors that Jack Sparrow is recruiting men to search for the Fountain of Youth, but it appears it is someone else who is using his name that is recruiting people, not the real Jack Sparrow.

King George wants Jack Sparrow to help the British find the Fountain of Youth but heading the expedition is Jack’s nemesis, Captain Hector Barbosa (played by Geoffrey Rush, who was the antagonist of the first film, “The Curse of the Black Pearl”).  Barbosa is now a privateer working for the British Navy after losing his leg and his ship, the Black Pearl (which Jack lost in the last film “At World’s End”).

But Jack refuses to work under Barbosa and escapes from British custody.  While he is chased around by the British, he is saved by his father Captain Teague (played by Keith Richards) who warns Jack and tells him about the tests that are needed in order for the Fountain of Youth to work.

Meanwhile, Jack encounter the person responsible for impersonating him, it’s his old girlfriend Angelica (played by Penelope Cruz) who happens to be the daughter of the ruthless pirate Blackbeard (played by Ian McShane), a legendary pirate known for his supernatural powers and to sue voodoo magic.

Angelica meanwhile has captured Jack and he is stuck on Blackbeard’s ship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge and Blackbeard expects Jack Sparrow to use his knowledge and help them find the two silver chalices (which once belonged to Juan Ponce de Leon) that are needed to activate the Fountain of Youth, but also needed is a tear from a living mermaid.  How it works is that one must be a sacrifice and drink one chalice, while that person’s life is transferred to the drinker of the mermaid’s tear, extending their life.

So, now it’s a race against time as the Spanish, Blackbeard along with Jack Sparrow and the British under Captain Barbosa try to get their hands on the chalices to activate the fountain of youth.  Who will succeed?

VIDEO:

“Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” is presented in 1080p High Definition (2:40:1).  And as one can expect from Disney, the picture quality is fantastic.  The majority of the film is shot outdoors, at sea or during day or night and for the most part, detail is high, skin tones are natural and blacks are deep and inky.

And once again, cinematographer Dariusz Wolski should receive credit for his spectacular cinematography, from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” films to “Alice in Wonderland”, Wolski is an expert in shooting in the darkest of scenes, underwater, in smoke and chaotic sequences and there is no artifacts, banding or any problematic situations in the picture quality at all.

Overall, “On Stranger Tides” is a fantastic looking film and looks absolutely wonderful on Blu-ray!

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

What best than to present this film with a lossless English, French and Spanish 7.1 DTS-HD HR presentation.  The surround channels are heavily used in Hans Zimmer’s wonderful score to the swordfights, the sound of boots walking on the deck, the sound of blasts, the growl of the mermaids and scenery ambiance, and throughout all this immersive sound, dialogue is crystal clear and understandable.

The LFE for the film is wonderful and like the wonderful picture quality of the film, the lossless audio soundtrack is also fantastic!

Subtitles are presented in English SDH, French and Spanish.

SPECIAL FEATURES

“Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” comes with the following special features:

• Disney Second Screen – Viewers can watch the film simultaneously through their iPad or computer.
• Disney Second Screen Bloopers of the Caribbean – (3:25) Outtakes rom the making of “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”.
• Audio Commentary – Featuring audio commentary by director Rob Marshall and executive producer John DeLuca discuss the cast members, the making of the film and its challenges during production and more.
• LEGO Animated Shorts: Captain Jack’s Brick Tales – (5:19) Featuring five Lego animated shorts for “Captain Jack’s Brick Tales”.

When it comes to popcorn action films “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” manages to incorporate the fun, swashbuckling action of Jack Sparrow and Johnny Depp does a wonderful job of playing Jack Sparrow.  But one’s enjoyment is subjective, especially whether or not you have felt that your passion for the film series is starting to wane a bit.

After the third “Pirates of the Caribbean” film, I have to say that “At World’s End” left me feeling bitter because it was not a great film to end the trilogy.  But because these films make a tremendous amount of money, there is no way that we are going to see an end to this film series.  In fact, a fifth film is being planned and Johnny Depp is returning, so as long as the audience continues to come out to see the films, I don’t see why Disney should stop.  People still love “Pirates of the Caribbean”.

Personally, I enjoyed the film but unlike previous “Pirates of the Caribbean” films, it felt a bit light when it came to Jack Sparrow because there is so much emphasis on other characters.  In fact, I found myself enjoying scenes with the Christian Philip  (played by Sam Claflin)and the mermaid Syrena (played by Astrid Berges-Frisbey), which for me was the replacement characters for Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann (Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley’s characters for the previous films).  But unfortunately, where Turner and Swann had staying power for three films, not sure if we are going to see Philip or Syrena ever again.

While “On Stranger Tides” continues to be a fun, adventurous popcorn action film, I did enjoy seeing Penelope Cruz playing the character of Angelica Teach, a compassionate/cutthroat ex-lover of Jack Sparrow and Ian McShane as the legendary dark pirate Blackbeard was quite fun to watch as well.  And seeing Barbosa, it was no surprise to see his return to the film as well.

But “On Stranger Tides” tries to showcase many other characters as well and truth be told, aside from Gibbs who has a place in the PotC films, everyone else didn’t.  For example, in the first film, there was a sympathetic feeling towards Sparrow and his crew, but this time around, you really had no sympathy for anyone’s crew.  If anything, you just wondered when will Jack Sparrow be back on his ship instead of being Indiana Jones/Blackbeard’s grunt.  This is one side of Jack Sparrow that we have not seen in previous films and I’m not sure if I like him in such a non-commanding role.

But however one feels about “On Stranger Tides”, similar to films like “Transformers”, these are popcorn action films that people come to see and have a good time, not for anything deep or mind-blowing.  You get action and a ton of special effects and in that sense, “On Stranger Tides” does not disappoint.

But when it comes to this Blu-ray release, one thing that does disappoint is the fact that we are getting far less than the five disc version when it comes to special features.  Picture and lossless audio is fantastic but I was surprised to see only three special features including the audio commentary included with this release.  But it appears that Disney really is pushing for the 3D 5-disc version which has nine special features over its 2-disc counterpart which has only three minus the second screen.

Overall, “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” is a fun film and from the crew fight on the Queen Anne’s Revenge, Jack Sparrow’s escape from British custody to the encounter with the mermaids, there are many fun action scenes in this film.  But in terms of story, I still prefer the first original film, but there is no doubt that the visuals and overall production design is much improved in this latest film.

If you are a fan of the series and own the trilogy on Blu-ray, or you are just a big fan of the film or its talent, you’re definitely going to want this film in your collection.   But if you are wanting the best version of this film released on Blu-ray, you may want to look into the 5-disc version over this 2-disc combo pack as Disney chose to include most of the bonus features on the 5-disc release.

Platoon (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

“Platoon” is one of the best war films ever made.  Based on writer/director Oliver Stone’s own Vietnam War experience and wanting to capture the authenticity of what he saw and experienced, “Platoon” will always be Stone’s masterpiece.  If you enjoyed the film, it is highly recommended on Blu-ray!

Images courtesy of © 1986 Orion Pictures Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Platoon

FILM RELEASE DATE: 1986

DURATION: 120 minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (widescreen 1:85:1), English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English 4.0 Dolby Surround, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 DTS, Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

RATED: R

COMPANY: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc./Twentieth Century Fox

RELEASE DATE: May 24 2011

Written and Directed by Oliver Stone

Produced by Arnold Kopelson

Executive Producer: John Daly, Derek Gibson

Co-Producer: A. Kitman Ho

Music by Georges Delerue

Cinematography by Robert Richardson

Edited by Claire Simpson

Casting by Pat Golden, Warren McLean, Bob Morones

Production Design by Bruno Rubeo

Art Direction by Rodell Cruz, Sherman Williams

Starring:

Charlie Sheen as Chris

Tom Berenger as Sgt. Barnes

Willem Dafoe as Sgt. Elias

Keith David as King

Forest Whitaker as Big Harold

Francesco Quinn as Rhah

Kevin Dillon as Bunny

John C. McGinley as Sgt. O’Neill

Reggie Johnson as Junior

Mark Moses as Lt. Wolfe

Corey Glover as Francis

Johnny Depp as Lerner

Chris Pedersen as Crawford

Bob Orwig as Gardner

Corkey Ford as Manny

David Neidorf as Tex

Richard Edson as Sal

Tony Todd as Warren

Kevin Eshelman as Morehouse

Terry Mclivain as Ace

J. Adam Glover as Sanderson

Paul Sanchez as Doc

Dale Dye as Captain Harris

Peter Hicks as Parker

Basile Achara as Flash

PLATOON tells the extraordinary journey of Private Chris Taylor (Sheen), a young, naive American who arrives in Vietnam and quickly discovers he must battle the Viet Cong alongside the gnawing fear, physical exhaustion and intense anger growing within him. His two commanding officers (Oscar-nominated Tom Berenger and Willem Dafoe) draw a fine line between the war they wage against the enemy and the one they fight with each other. Meanwhile, the conflict, chaos and hatred permeate Taylor, suffocating his realities and numbing his feelings to man’s highest value: life.

For screenwriter and filmmaker, Oliver Stone, there is always a film that sparks intrigue among critics and audiences.

As a writer, Stone has had success with “Midnight Express” (1978), “Conan the Barbarian” (1982) and “Scarface” (1983) but as a filmmaker, Stone had not had a hit.  In fact his film “Salvador” was a failure in 1986 and dejected with the failure of the film, he would have to work on “Platoon”, a Vietnam war film that had challenges, especially because of its low budget of $6.5 million.

But as an infantryman in Vietnam, Stone had wanted to create a film based on his experience but to counter John Wayne’s “The Green Berets” film from 1968 (which was created to counter the anti-war atmosphere and social discontent in the U.S.).

And because the film showcased the atrocities, the discontent with the soldiers and the confusion of what took place in the battlefield, it was well-received by film critics and audiences.

The low budget film would be a box office success earning over $138 million and would be nominated for eight Academy Awards and take home four Oscars for “Best Director”, “Best Film Editing”, “Best Picture” and “Best Sound”.  In 2007, the film would be placed at #83 by the American Film Institute for “AFI’s 100 Years… 100 Movies” poll.

And now “Platoon” will reach its 25th year and to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the film, Twentieth Century Fox will be releasing a special 2-Disc Set on Blu-ray.

“Platoon” is a film that focuses on Chris Taylor (played by Charlie Sheen), a young college student who quit school to volunteer and fight in the war in 1967.  But once he arrives to Vietnam, he starts to realize that it was a big mistake.

Upon arriving, dead bodies of Americans in body bags are lying on the ground and now being loaded into the plane he just arrived in.  As a member of Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment near the Cambodian border, the conditions are harsher than he had imagined.

The veteran soldiers look at him as weak, he is constantly being bitten by red ants and not exactly handling being in the jungle all that well. While making friends with various soldiers, he begins to respect Sergeant Elias (played by Willem Dafoe), a man who cares about his soldiers unlike Sergeant Barnes (played by Tom Berenger), who is more like a bully and is often at odds against Elias.

But with each day, he notices soldiers counting the days when they can go back home.  For Chris, with regrets of being in Vietnam, each day he is constantly writing to his family of how much he hates being there and also begins the countdown to when he will go back because each day in the jungle, chances of being killed continue to rise.

In fact, friends he would make are killed and he begins to realize that for many of these soldiers who don’t want to be in Vietnam, the atrocities he sees from war, the killing and rape of innocent Vietnamese in villages start to weight down on him and he starts to find himself losing it.

And to make things worse, he starts to suspect a superior of killing the one true friend he had on the battlefield.

As the platoon continues to go back to the ambush areas, what will happen to the soldiers that are left and will Chris survive at all?

VIDEO:

“Platoon” is presented in 1080p High Definition (Widescreen 1:85:1).  At first, because of the older titles, I was thinking that this film was going to look aged, especially since this was a low budget film that was shot in the ’80s and I tend to be critical on the PQ of many ’80s films released on Blu.

As for “Platoon”, I was quite impressed by the look of the film and how clean the print was.  Granted, it’s not going to come close to anything released in the last five years but for a 25-year-old film, “Platoon” looks very good on Blu-ray.  The amount of detail and clarity especially the vibrant colors featured in the film were quite noticeable this time around watching it in HD versus on DVD.   You can see the grime, sweat, blood and just overall detail of the jungle.   Also, the blacks are nice and deep and there is a good amount of grain.

Robert Richardson (“Shutter Island”, “Inglorious Basterds”, “Kill Bill” films)  did a fantastic job with the cinematography, from vignettes during sundown to capturing the fears of the soldiers eyes.   Overall, PQ for “Platoon” is very good!

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Platoon” is presented in English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English 4.0 Dolby Surround, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and French 5.1 DTS.  There is no doubt that Georges Delerue’s (“The Man for All Seasons”, “Twins”, “The Day of the Jackal”) music is one of the most memorable themes in a movie.   The music for “Platoon” captures ’60s music but also a score that I have always look forward to listening to each time I watch the film.

But with this lossless soundtrack, it is known that Oliver Stone really pushed the buttons for sound and would easily frustrate the sound crew because he wanted authenticity down to the insects and lizards (especially a gecko).  But while ambiance for the film is rather strong, whenever you get to scenes of an ambush, where there is firing both ways especially during the final half hour of the film, there is really good panning of the audio but unfortunately, it’s not as much as I would have liked.

For the most part, dialogue is clear as with the sounds of ammunition being discharged and sounds of people running into the plants and so forth.  Don’t expect too much though as it’s not the most immersive soundtrack that utilizes the surround channels or LFE but still, it’s a major upgrade compared to the original DVD release.

Subtitles are in English SDH, Spanish and French.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Platoon” comes with the following special features:

• Audio Commentary by Director Oliver Stone – Director Oliver Stone talks about his own Vietnam War experiences, how Chris Taylor was loosely based on his experiences and more.
• Audio Commentary by Military Advisor Dale Dye – For this commentary, retired US Marine Capt. Dale Dye gives is in-depth information of the conflict in Vietnam and really impressive details of the war.
• Deleted and Extended Scenes with Optional Commentary by Olive Stone – (11:31) A total of eleven scenes with Oliver Stone explaining why he cut them, why he regrets cutting some of them and some he just found really lame.
• Flashback to Platoon: Snapshot in Time: 1967-1968 – (19:15) Interviews with Oliver Stone and other veterans and historians about the Vietnam War and how America lost the war.
• Creating the Nam – (12:04) A featurette on how Oliver Stone wanted authenticity and the pains that it took to create that authenticity in the Philippines, especially with a low budget and how much stress it put on the cast and crew.
• Raw Wounds: The Legacy of Platoon – (17:19) A featurette on how successful the film was and how veterans reacted to the film.
• One War, Many Stories Documentary – (25:32) Oliver Stone and Vietnam War veterans talk about their experiences and how it was similar or different from what was shown in “Platoon”.
• Preparing for ‘Nam – (6:36) A featurette about those who signed up for the military and went to boot camp before the Vietnam War.
• Caputo & The 7th Fleet Vignette – (1:38) Phillip Caputo talks about leaving Saigon in a helicopter and many anti-aircraft were being shot at them.
• Dye Training Method Vignette - (3:23) Captain Dale dye talks about training the actors to be a soldier in the film.
• Gordon Gekko Vignette - (1:06) A story from the editor of how the name Gordon Gekko came up.
• TV Spots – Three TV spots (Action, Critical Acclaim and The Director).
• Theatrical Trailer – (1:44) The original theatrical trailer for “Platoon”

EXTRAS:

“Platoon” comes with 2-Discs, one is the Blu-ray and the other is a DVD version of the film presented in widescreen (1:85:1).  The DVD is presented in English 5.1 Dolby Digital and Spanish Dolby Surround and subtitles are in Spanish and French.   Also, the Blu-ray release comes with a slip cover.

I had the opportunity to watch “Platoon” in the theater several times and since its release back in 1986, I have watched this film many times on video and on cable and what I love about the film is that it doesn’t glorify war or patriotism, it was an honest portrayal of war and the fears that took place among the soldiers.

Many of us grew up reading or hearing that the Vietnam War was an unpopular war which we lost politically but yet during the early ’80s, the films that were shown about the Vietnam War were Chuck Norris “Missing in Action” films or Sylvester Stallone’s “Rambo” and nothing that covered the truths about what happened during the war.

So, two films during the mid-’80s would showcase those fears experienced by soldiers and less about American machismo…”Platoon” (1986) and “Full Metal Jacket” (1987).  Interesting enough, while these two anti-war films would capture the attention of the fears of soldiers fighting in the Vietnam War, “Top Gun” (also from 1986) would inspire many people to join the military.  As films would showcase the fears of World War III as tension between Americans and Russians still existed, suffice to say, films such as “Platoon” and “Full Metal Jacket” were war films that would ask Americans, “What are we fighting for?”.

As mentioned, Stone’s film was a counter to John Wayne’s “The Green Berets” but there was no sugarcoating America’s involvement in the Vietnam War, no focus on heroics but pretty much the feeling that young men were being sent in on a suicide mission. and as constantly mentioned in the film, many wondered why they were sent there and what are they fighting for and all one can answer to those questions… “It’s all politics!”.

Also, it’s important to note that “Platoon” is the first film of Oliver Stone’s Vietnam Trilogy which was followed by “Born on the Fourth of July” (1989) and “Heaven & Earth” (1993).

And this leads me to the 25th Anniversary Blu-ray release of “Platoon”, there are featurettes that really further explain what happened during the Vietnam War and most importantly, why it was unpopular and how we lost.  I’ve read books and tried to understand the war back then and to tell you the truth, I couldn’t grasp it.  Especially having the mindset of the United States being so strong and powerful, how can we lose?

And fortunately, there are featurettes in this film, especially “Flashback to Platoon: Snapshot of Time: 1967-1968″ that really explains to the viewer of what happened.  And there are so many other featurettes included in this Blu-ray release that while many may have seen these in previous DVD releases, it’s great to have these special features once again for the Blu-ray release.

And in 2011, while we hear so much about an older Charlie Sheen and his “Tiger’s Blood”, back in 1986, his performance as Chris Taylor, the soldier who is struggling to understand the war and knowing his mistake of volunteering was done very well.  You can sense Taylor’s fear and watch him slowly as he loses it but at the same time, trying to bring a moralistic attitude towards other soldiers when they start wanting to obliterate and destroy everything they see in Vietnam, even if the villagers are innocent.

“Platoon” also has many visual moments (the shot of Sgt. Elias trying to get back to the helicopters is one of my favorite scenes in cinematic history) and one thing I was surprised to see that back during the Vietnam War, there were certain live video feeds that people had the opportunity to see of Americans wounded in battle, bloodied or losing body parts or dead, it made the war real.  You can tell that Oliver Stone wanted to bring that realism to the viewer but to also show how many people were killed.  Many people that you start to care for or root for, you realize that these individuals have no chance.

And those who survive, knowing what we do now, many of the survivors would have a hard time when they arrived back in the U.S.   No hero’s welcome!  For some, it was deep depression, health problems due to Agent Orange or Post-Traumatic Stress and if anything, show us that war sucks!

“Platoon” for me is a classic war film.  A film that tries not to be anything sugarcoated but to really show how moral was for soldiers back then.  Oliver Stone experienced this and he saw others experience this sense of confusion and not knowing if they are going to live or die each day.  They just hope they can make it long enough to get back home.

For me, that was enjoyable and in 2011, what is even more enjoyable is to see the number of talent who starred in this film and made a great career for themselves afterward.  Aside from Oliver Stone who would go on to make “JFK”, “Any Given Sunday”, “Nixon” and “Natural Born Killers”, the film would feature talent such as Keith David (“Death at a Funeral”, “Crash”), Forest Whitaker (“The Last King of Scotland”, “Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai”), Kevin Dillon (“Entourage”, “The Doors”), John C. McGinley (“Scrubs”, “Se7en”, “The Rock), Johnny Depp (“Edward Scissorhands”, “Sweney Todd”, “Pirates of the Caribbean”), Tom Berenger (“Inception”, “The Big Chill”, “Training Day”), Willem Dafoe (“Spider-Man”, “The Boondock Saints”, “Antichrist”) and Charlie Sheen (“Two and a Half Men”), “Wall Street”, “Major League”).

So, there are many components to the film that you can’t help but be impressed by.  Well-directed, well-written, well-performed and to think that this film was a low-budget film made for only $6.5 million and would make over $138 million.  It’s a testament to the film’s efficacy and how it struck a chord for many viewers and to this day, many continue to rewatch this film over and over because it’s a wonderful film.

If you are a fan of “Platoon”, owned various video versions of this film or even if you haven’t watched it before, this 25th anniversary Blu-ray release is worth buying, worth owning and worth having in your Blu-ray collection.  Highly recommended!

 

Benny & Joon (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

“Benny & Joon” is a romantic comedy that remains honest, fun and enjoyable after all these years.  Johnny Depp’s performance as the Buster Keaton loving Sam is fantastic!  If you have never watched this film before, definitely give this Blu-ray release a chance!

Images courtesy of © 1993 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Benny & Joon

FILM RELEASE DATE: 1993

DURATION: 98 Minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition, Widescreen (1:85:1), English 2.0 Surround DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish Mono, French Dolby Surround

COMPANY: MGM/Twentieth Century Fox

RATED: PG (Theme, a Scene of Mild Sensuality and line use of Harsh Language)

RELEASE DATE: April 5, 2011

Directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik

Story by Barry Berman and Lesley McNeil

Screenpay by Barry Berman

Produced by Susan Arnold, Donna Roth

Executive Producer: Bill Badalato

Associate Producer: Lesley McNeil

Music by Rachel Portman

Cinematography by John Schwartzman

Edited by Carol Littleton

Casting by Risa Bramon Garcia, Heidi Levitt

Production Design by Neil Spisak

Art Direction by Pat Tagliaferro

Set Decoration by Barbara Munch

Costume Design by Aggie Guerard Rodgers

Starring:

Johnny Depp as Sam

Mary Stuart Masterson as Juniper “Joon” Pearl

Aidan Quinn as Benjamin “Benny” Pearl

Julianne Moore as Ruthie

Oliver Platt as Eric

CCH Pounder as Dr. Garvey

Dan Hedaya as Thomas

Joe Grifasi as mike

William H. Macy as Randy Burch

Liane Curtis as Claudia

Oscar Nominee Johnny Depp, Mary Stuart Masterson (TV’s Law & Order SVU) and Aidan Quinn (Practical Magic) star in this hilarious, quirk comedy.  Wildly eccentric Joon (Masterson) can be very charming – especially when she takes her medicine.  Long under the thumb of her overprotective  brother, Benny (Quinn), Joon craves her independence.  During an unusual poker game, Joon loses her hand – but wins Sam (Depp), a whimsical misfit who soon charms his way into her heart.  Now if they can only find a romantic interest for her brother, love just might stand a chance in the charming, delightful film that also features Oliver Platt (“Frost/Nixon”) and Academy Award Nominee Julianne Moore.

In 1993, the romantic comedy “Benny & Joon” became a hit for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.  The film would showcase the physical comedy of Johnny Depp (fresh from his hit film “Edward Scissorhands”) and its theme song “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles” by the Proclaimers.

And while there was a little backstage drama behind-the-scenes as Winona Ryder who just broke up with Depp was supposed to play “Joon” and Woody Harrelson was to play the role of “Benny”. The roles were re-cast and Aidan Quinn would be playing “Benny” and Mary Stuart Masterson as “Joon”.

The film would also feature talent who would eventually become popular stars years later with William H. Macy as Randy, Oliver Platt as Eric and Julianne Moore as Ruthie.

Directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik (“Burn Notice”, “Gossip Girl”, “The Avengers”, “Chuck”) and a screenplay by Barry Berman (“Waterproof”, “The Adventures of Pinocchio”), “Benny & Joon” would earn $23 million and also earn Johnny Depp a Golden Globe Award nomination.

“Benny & Joon” revolves around a mechanic named Benjamin “Benny” Pearl (played by Aidan Quinn) who takes care of his mentally ill sister, Juniper “Joon” Pearl (played by Mary Stuart Masterson).

Joon is an intelligent young woman, an avid painter but unfortunately has problems handling her anger and also is used to a certain rhythm of daily routines.  While Benny is busy at his auto shop and managing his workers, he has been dealing with various housekeepers who seem to quit their job as they are unable to deal with Joon’s outbursts.

Her doctor, Dr. Garvey (played by CCH Pounder) recommends that Benny put Joon in a group home because no housekeeper is willing to work there at his home and he is unable to manage her.  And Benny doesn’t want to because he is all she has.  We see a flashback of Benny and Joon when they were younger and they witnessed their parents being killed in a car accident and he has made sure that he has given his life and even his happiness to take care of his sister.  But one day, her anger is taken out on Benny that he realizes, maybe the doctor is right, he can’t take care of her.

In fact, even his good friend Eric (played by Oliver Platt) sees how Benny has turned down women for dates because he’s stuck caring for sister and tries to convince him to put Joon in a group home.  But Benny is not sure what he wants to do.

One night, as Benny & Joon visit a few friends for a night of gambling, his friend Mike (played by Joe Grifasi) has told him about a friend’s nephew who has moved in with him and he can’t stand him. The nephew is named Sam, a cinemaphile who is a big Buster Keaton fan (to the point that he dresses like the silent film actor and behaves like him) and we also learn that he is illiterate and is trying to learn how to read and write.

During another night of gambling, Joon wants to play and bet against Mike (without Benny being there) and Joon bets for whoever wins will paint her house and Mike bets that if he wins, she must take in his roommate Sam (played by Johnny Depp), that he can’t stand.  Sure enough, Mike wins and now Benny & Joon must take in Sam.

Eventually Sam and Joon start to know each other.  Despite an outburst from Joon one day, after Sam tries to clean the whole kitchen, he comes back by giving her a jack-in-a-box.  Eventually, this surprises Joon as this guy is not bothered by her and if anything, he sees her as normal.  She helps Sam with his writing and Sam cooks ham and cheese sandwiches for the family (via a clothes iron) and as odd as he may be, Benny can see how happy Joon is.

And needless to say, both Sam and Joon want to make Benny happy, so the two hook Benny and a woman named Ruthie (played by Julianne Moore) together.  Ruthie is currently a waitress and apartment manager but also was a former actress that is recognized by Sam and the two become friends as Sam has recognized every dialogue from a slasher film she appeared in.

And while Benny and Susie become attracted to each other, Benny has a hard time dealing with his emotions as he doesn’t know how to get close to her because of his duties of caring for Joon. Meanwhile, Sam & Joon are becoming closer and closer and eventually they fall in love.

Now that Joon has found happiness, will Benny end her happiness by putting her in a group home?

VIDEO:

“Benny & Joon” is presented in 1080p High Definition (widescreen 1:85:1).  As part of the catalog titles that are being released by MGM/20th Century Fox, I can say that this film does look better than its DVD counterpart but at the same time, does feature dust and speckles from time to time.  For the most part, the film does look very good.  The outdoor scenes are vibrant, the darker outdoor scenes or vignette type scenes have really good inky blacks.

And while colors are vibrant and there is good contrast for this film on Blu-ray, I do believe a lot of these catalog titles which include “Benny & Joon” are most likely sourced from an old HD master which was originally used for the DVD release.  But it does look better than its DVD counterpart and that is a plus.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Benny & Joon” is presented in English 2.0 Surround DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish Mono and French Dolby Surround.    Dialogue is clear and understandable and the music, including the Proclaimers “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” comes clear through the front channels.  But it’s a decent lossless soundtrack that is appropriate for this film.

Subtitles are in English SDH, Spanish and French.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Benny & Joon” comes with the following special features:

• Audio Commentary – Featuring audio commentary by director Jeremiah Chechik.  Chechik talks about the timelessness of the film and not so much of the technical parts of the film.  We learn how the photo of a young Aidan Quinn and Masterson was created, how the film was shot on location and more.
• Deleted Scenes – (5:12) Featuring two deleted scenes: audition and mutilator.
• Costume, Make-Up Test and Stunt Reel - (18:45)Featuring various costume and make-up tests with the talent and a commentary track.
• Music Video – (3:40) Featuring the music video “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by The Proclaimers.
• Theatrical Trailer - (2:01) Featuring the original theatrical trailer to “Benny & Joon”.

It has been nearly 20-years since I have watched “Benny & Joon”, a romantic comedy that was pretty cool for it’s time because it didn’t have the typical displays of banality of a romantic comedy.  And the fact that you have a female character who is mentally ill and a young man who probably lived his life watching movies and literally transformed himself to be a hybrid Buster Keaton/Charlie Chaplin type of actor.  And then you throw in the older brother who has not been able to live his life because he had to care for his younger sister.

“Benny & Joon” was a film that felt natural and when I first watched it, I found it intriguing, enjoyable and hilarious.  I also credit the film for introducing me Buster Keaton and eventually making me become a silent film fan at a younger age.  But “Benny & Joon” is a film that is timeless.  Nearly 20-years-later and sure, the talents are much older but the film doesn’t look like it has aged.  The storyline remains fun, relevant, enjoyable and I have not grown tired of it yet.

I felt that the younger Johnny Depp showed an amazing brilliance of what kind of actor he would later become in this film.  The physical comedy and capturing that Keaton/Chaplin-esque style was fantastic and the same can be said with the brother and sister chemistry between Aidan Quinn and Mary Stuart Masterson.

As for the Blu-ray release, there is nothing new added to this Blu-ray release and as mentioned, I wouldn’t be surprised if the HD master was what was prepped for the DVD release.  Fortunately, PQ is good and I didn’t find any artifacting and for the most part, if you loved the film on DVD, it’s worth upgrading to Blu-ray.

Overall, “Benny & Joon” is a romantic comedy that remains honest, fun and enjoyable after all these years.

While I enjoyed the film a lot back then and even now, I do wish the Blu-ray release had a better HD transfer and newer special features but if you really enjoyed “Benny & Joon” and have not owned it on DVD or LD prior, then definitely give this Blu-ray release a chance!

The Tourist: Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

“The Tourist” is visually stunning and Venice, Italy has not looked this great since David Lean’s 1955 film “Summer Time”. And the film looks magnificent on Blu-ray!  If you are looking for a fun, popcorn action thriller, definitely give “The Tourist” a try!

Images courtesy of © 2010 GK Films, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: The Tourist: Blu-ray and DVD Combo Pack

FILM RELEASE DATE: 2010

DURATION: 103 Minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (2:40:1), English and French 5.1 DTS-HD MA, English – Audio Description Track 5.1 Dolby Digital, Subtitles: English SDH, English, French and Spanish

COMPANY: Spyglass Entertainment/Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

RATED: PG-13 (For Violence and Brief Strong Language)

RELEASE DATE: March 22, 2011

Directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

Screenplay by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, Christopher McQuarrie, Julian Fellowes

Based on the motion picture “Anthony Zimmer” by Jerome Salle

Producer: Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum, Jonathan Glickman, Tim Headington, Graham King

Executive Producer: Ron Halpern, Lloyd Phillips

Line Producer: David Nichols

Co-Producer: Denis O’Sullivan

Music by James Newton Howard

Cinematography by John Seale

Edited by Joe Hutshing, Patricia Rommel

Casting by Susie Figgis

Production Design by Jon Hutman

Art Direction by Susanna Codognato, Marco Trentini

Set Decoration by Anna Pinnock

Costume Design by Colleen Atwood

Starring:

Johnny Depp as Frank Tupelo

Angelina Jolie as Elise Clifton-Ward

Paul Bettany as Inspector John Acheson

Timothy Dalton as Chief Inspector Jones

Steven Berkoff as Reginald Shaw

Rufus Sewell as The Englishman

Christian De Sica as Colonnello Lombardi

Alessio Boni as Sergente Cerato

Daniele Pecci as Tenente Narduzzi

Giovanni Guidelli as Tenente Tommassini

Raoul Bova as Conte Filippo Gaggia

Bruno Wolkowitch as Capitaine Courson

Igor Jijikine as Virginsky

Vladimir Orlov as Lebyadkin

Vladimir Tevlovski as Liputin

Alec Utgoff as Fedka

Frank (Johnny Depp), a mild-mannered American on vacation in Venice, Italy, is befriended by Elise (Angelina Jolie), a breathtakingly beautiful woman with a mysterious secret. Soon, their playful romantic dalliance turns into a complicated web of dangerous deceit as they are chased by Interpol, the Italian police, and Russian hit men in this suspense-filled, international action thriller.

Trailer

Have you ever watched a film that made you want to travel to that country because it looks so beautiful onscreen?  That is how I felt while watching “The Tourist”.   Venice, Italy in a movie has never looked so beautiful until I watched this film and how glamorous and breathtaking this film makes you want to be there.

“The Tourist”, an action thriller which was nominated for three Golden Globes (as a comedy) was written and directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, well-known for his 2006 critically acclaimed film “The Lives of Others”.

The German filmmaker along with writers Christopher McQuarrie (“The Usual Suspects”, “Valkyrie”, “The Way of the Gun”) and Julian Fellowes (“Gosford Park”, “Tomorrow Never Dies”, “Shadowlands”) would create an engaging thriller starring Johnny Depp (“Edward Scissorhands”, “Alice in Wonderland”, “Pirates of the Caribbean” films), Angelina Jolie (“Salt”, “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”, “Wanted”) and Paul Bettany (“Master and commander: The Far Side of the World”, “Abeautiful Mind”, “Iron Man”, “The Da Vinci Code”).

While the film met with negative reviews from film critics, the public turned out to support the film as the $100 million film earned over $258 million in the box office worldwide and now “The Tourist” will be released on Blu-ray and DVD in March 2011.

The film begins with a woman named Elise Clifton-Ward (played by Angelina Jolie) being trailed in Paris by the French police working together with Scotland Yard (UK police) who are hot on the trail of a criminal named Alexander Pearce, Elise’s boyfriend.

She secretly receives a letter from a courier which tells her to depart to Venice, Italy by train and to find a man with the same height and build, in order to throw the police off and finally, to burn the letter.  Meanwhile, we are shown a mystery man also watching Elise.

The police try to get the letter but Elise has burned it.  As they try to follow her, she times it perfectly with the oncoming rush of workers and easily escapes from them.

Elise makes it to the train which is en route from Paris to Italy and as she walks to find a man with the same build as Alexander Pearce, she spots a man sitting alone.  His name is Frank Tupelo (played by Johnny Depp) who is a school teacher from Wisconsin, reading a spy novel and smoking an electronic cigarette.

Frank is allured by Elise’s style as she doesn’t get into conversations but tells him that if he enjoys spy novels, to imagine why she’s on the train off to Italy and asks Frank to give her a scenario.  Frank does just as she asks but then she requests for Frank to ask her out to dinner, but not in a form of question. Frank finds this mysterious woman so alluring and strong that he enjoys his time sitting with her and now about to have dinner with her.

As the two eat, Frank seems to feel that two men are watching them (which they are and the police take a picture of Frank to send to Scotland Yard).  Back at Scotland Yard, Inspector John Acheson (played by Paul Bettany) tries to figure out if Frank is Alexander Pearce and contacts Interpol to await the arrival of Frank, who may be Alexander Pearce.  As for John, he is under intense pressure to finish this case which has been costing them a lot of money and his boss, Chief Inspector Jones (played by Timothy Dalton) wants him to finish this investigation soon.

Meanwhile, at Scotland Yard, as an employee is researching Frank Tupelo, a person inside the division secretly contacts a gangster named Reginald Shaw (played by Steven Berkoff) that both Elise and Frank (who he believe is Alexander Pearce) are arriving in Italy and for Shaw, he wants Alexander badly because Pearce stole two billion dollars from him.

Elise takes Frank to a beautiful hotel right near the canal and together, they have dinner together.  Frank learns that Elise is a woman that is very much in love with her dear Alexander but the two have not seen each other in two years and have been communicating via letters.  As the two arrive back home, when Elise opens the balcony, she sees a man watching their hotel room and realizes that she must do what Alexander has said and make the authorities think Frank is Alexander.  So, when Alexander comes to join her on the balcony, she kisses him.

The man takes a photo of the two kissing and sends it to the police, meanwhile at a distance, watching them kiss are Shaw’s men.

The kiss literally makes Frank want even more.  As she goes to sleep, part of Frank wants to join her but he decides not to.  When he wakes up the following morning, room service has arrived and Frank is surprised that Elise has left and ordered for him.  When he goes to check her room, she is not there.  Meanwhile, Shaw’s men break into the hotel room and when Frank sees the gun, he runs into the bathroom and locks the door and escapes from the back window.  Running from roof tops to avoid the men with guns and shooting at him, he tries to escape. Why are these men after him?

Frank manages to escape but is detained by Italian authorities.  Frank tells the investigator his story but it seems a bit far-fetched that a man meets a beautiful woman, she takes him to her hotel room and men start shooting after him.  It doesn’t make sense, especially since he’s just a teacher from America.  But as the investigator locks him up for the night to look into his story, he finds out that there is a bounty on Frank’s head.

The investigator sneaks Frank out of the jail and tells him that there is a bounty on his head because there are people who think he is Alexander Pearce.  A wanted man!

The investigator tells Frank he needs to get him out too safety and drives him by boat to a mystery area…but waiting for the investigator are Shaw’s men who have paid the investigator to deliver the man they think is Alexander Pearce.  Shocked and confused, Frank doesn’t know what to do…  until a boat pulls up right next to his, driven by Elise who comes to save him.

What will happen to Frank… the Tourist?

VIDEO:

“The Tourist” is presented in 1080p High Definition (2:40:1).  There is nothing but positive I can say about the cinematography and overall look of “The Tourist”.  Glamorous and breathtaking, director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck has really shown us the beauty of Venice, Italy through this film.  It was a big deal with David Lean’s “Summer Time” when we saw the beauty of Venice onscreen but with the wide shots courtesy of James Newton Howard (“The Sixth Sense”, “Unbreakable”, “The Fugitive”) the look and feel of Venice’s beauty and the decrepit buildings also show its age, as well as scenes showcasing its darkness.

The Blu-ray release of “The Tourist” showcases the detail of the Italian locations and facial textures, skin pores, hair, clothing textures, you name it…the Blu-ray releases shows off it’s clear details with efficacy and as expected, the day scenes are vibrant, the night time scenes are spot on with its inky blacks.

The picture quality for “The Tourist” achieves perfection!

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“The Tourist” is presented in English and French5.1 DTS-HD MA and English – Audio Description Track 5.1 Dolby Digital.  Similar to the excellent picture quality, “The Tourist” sounds great via its lossless soundtrack.  Because the film has its fair share of action, from the jet engines of the boats during its chase scene, the sound of guns shooting, broken glass to radio chatter, the presentation is crystal clear.  But it’s important to note that this film does not have an immersive lossless soundtrack.

I will say that “The Tourist” is more of a front and center-channel driven soundtrack, there is use of the surround channels but it is not as immersive as one would hope and I don’t recall hearing the LFE used as much throughout the film as well.  But considering the film focuses more on dialogue and character development than continuing action, the lossless soundtrack is adequate for this film.  So, it’s not exactly a soundtrack that will win over audiophiles but the lossless soundtrack works for this film.

Subtitles are presented in English, English SDH and Spanish.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“The Tourist” comes with the following special features in standard and high definition (audio in stereo, subtitles in English):

• Audio Commentary – Director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck goes into great detail of the style he wanted to accomplish for the film, working with the cast members and the technical details for the film.  Especially differences that were made for the chase scene and more.
• Canal Chats – (8:01) A featurette with the director and cast while driving through the canal in Venice talking about the film and their character.
  
• A Gala Affair – (7:12) Director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck wanted a glamorous ball and we get to see how the set design was made for this film, including the location of where this ball was shot in.
• Action in Venice – (8:28) A featurette on the boat chase and the type of shots used for this scene.  Also, how director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck wanted this scene to be different than other chase scenes for other films.
• Bringing Glamor Back – (9:08) Director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck wanted glamor and elegance for the film.  Also, the locations of where “The Tourist” was shot in Venice.
• Tourist Destination: Travel the Canals of Venice - (3:12) The director, producers and cast talk about the beauty of Venice and shooting in the canals.
• Alternate Animated Title Sequence – (2:14) An alternate title sequence created for the film.
• Outtake Reel - (1:26) Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie and Paul Bettany talk about how they kept cracking up throughout the shooting of this film and footage of them laughing and joking around on set.

“The Tourist” did not receive the best reviews from film critics and when it received three Golden Globe nominations for best comedy film and comedy roles for both Depp and Jolie, it even furthered the flame for those who disliked the film.  But while critics disliked it, moviegoers came out to see this film starring two of America’s big-draw talents, Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie.

Johnny Depp’s role was to play a writer Frank, who is trying to get by with life and enjoy traveling through Europe.  Not an assertive man but because he found a woman, so strong and not down-to-Earth, needless to say, he is automatically smitten by her and starts to care for her deeply.

Meanwhile, Angelina Jolie plays the girlfriend of the criminal that everyone is going after.  Far different from her character role in “Salt”, Jolie’s Elise is a mystery, but Jolie knows how to bring sexual attraction and seduction to the big screen, as masterful as Depp who is able to fill in any characters shoes and do it with so much efficacy.

Some reviewers felt the two didn’t have the right chemistry onscreen but I don’t blame the chemistry, without spoiling too much of the story, as we learn about Elise’s past, you would tend to expect more action on her part.  As for Depp’s Frank, I’m not sure anyone would expect a school teacher to become an action star, so in some way, pacing seems a bit off and you feel that there are a bit of holes in the screenplay.

What the filmmakers did do right is include a third character that would catch the audience’s attention and that third character is the city of Venice itself.  When showcasing Venice, its canals, the hotel, the ballroom, director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck was able to showcase the beauty of the city and it shows on film, so much emphasis was given to achieving glamor and elegance, as much as I enjoyed watching it onscreen, it does take away from any action-driven plot that the film could accomplish.

But considering the challenges that this film had gone through since it was first created, the film originally had Lasse Hallstrom and Charlize Theron, then later Bharat Nalluri, Tom Cruise and then Sam Worthington.  The director was in it, then left and then returned to re-write it and next thing you know, while shot in 58 days, the film was shot quickly because Depp was only available for a short time as he had to film the fourth upcoming “Pirates of the Caribbean” film.  Also, making things limited for its action scenes are the rules that the film crew had to abide in Venice.  And because they were strict on how fast the boats can go during the chase scene, once again, the film crew had to make some compromises.

Needless to say, with a quick rewrite, quick shooting schedule and many challenges to begin with, director Florian Henckel Von Donnersmarck literally had to pull a rabbit out of his had and deliver.

And while the film is not action-packed as one hoped it would be, I do feel that the film did manage to capture the elegance and glamor of the city and while cinematography can’t be a film’s sole savior in entertaining viewers, for me, the overall style of the film was quite captivating.

The Blu-ray release of “The Tourist” does capture that beauty and there is no doubt about it, the picture quality of “The Tourist” is magnificent and the special features were also fun to watch (focusing heavily on the beauty and darkness of Venice, Italy).

Overall, I did enjoy “The Tourist” and by no means did I feel bored by it.  It may have its share of plot holes but I feel that Depp and Jolie were quite enjoyable onscreen and while others may find their pairing to be bland, I didn’t feel that way at all.  I felt there was a good balance of being an action thriller/comedy but had its own limitations through pacing issues but by no means did I feel this film was terrible.

One thing you will notice is that those who do enjoy the film always comment on the visuals of the film and the beauty and glamor of Venice, Italy and I do believe that because Director Florian Henckel Von Donnersmarck wanted to showcase the city the way he did for this film, it was the primary factor in enhancing one’s enjoyment for this film.  Shot anywhere else and I don’t think this film could have achieved the same result.

If you are looking for a popcorn action thriller on Blu-ray, definitely give “The Tourist” a chance.

The Tourist debuting on Blu-ray, Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack and DVD March 22

Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie Star in the
$205 Million Worldwide Box Office Hit
THE TOURIST
Extensive Bonus Materials Include Behind-the-Scenes Featurettes,
Outtake Reel and Director’s Commentary

Debuting on Blu-ray™, Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack and DVD March 22

CULVER CITY, CALIF. (January 31, 2011) – Two of Hollywood’s hottest properties, three-time Academy Award® nominee Johnny Depp (Best Actor, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, 2003; Finding Neverland, 2004; Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, 2007) and Academy Award® winner Angelina Jolie (Best Supporting Actress, Girl Interrupted, 1999), star in the sexy action-adventure caper The Tourist, debuting on Blu-ray™, Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack and DVD March 22nd from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. A mysterious woman (Jolie) and a mild mannered American (Depp) become involved in an international web of intrigue, romance and danger in the spectacular city of Venice, Italy. From Florian Henckel Von Donnersmarck, the director of the Academy Award® winning film The Lives of Others (Best Foreign Language Film, 2006), the film also stars Paul Bettany (The Da Vinci Code, The Young Victoria), Timothy Dalton (The Living Daylights, License to Kill), Steven Berkoff (A Clockwork Orange), and Rufus Sewell (The Holiday).

The DVD and Blu-ray are loaded with bonus materials, including an outtake reel, director’s commentary and two featurettes: “A Gala Affair” and “Bringing Glamour Back.” Blu-ray exclusive materials include three additional behind-the-scenes featurettes: “Action in Venice,” “Canal Chats,” and “Tourist Destination Travel the Canals of Venice.” The Tourist will be available in the Combo Pack for $38.96 SRP, on Blu-ray™ for $34.95 SRP and on DVD for $28.95 SRP.

SYNOPSIS:
During an impromptu trip to Europe to mend a broken heart, Frank (Johnny Depp) unexpectedly finds himself in a flirtatious encounter with Elise (Angelina Jolie), an extraordinary woman who deliberately crosses his path. Against the breathtaking backdrop of Paris and Venice, their whirlwind romance quickly evolves as they find themselves unwittingly thrust into a deadly game of cat and mouse.

Directed by Florian Henckel Von Donnersmarck from a screenplay by Florian Henckel Von Donnersmarck, Christopher McQuarrie, and Julian Fellowes. Graham King, Tim Headington, Roger Birnbaum, Gary Barber, and Jonathan Glickman produced, with Lloyd Phillips, Bahman Naraghi, Olivier Courson, and Ron Halpern acting as executive producers.

DVD and Blu-ray Bonus Features Include:
§  Featurette: “A Gala Affair”
§  Featurette: “Bringing Glamour Back”
§  Alternate Animated Title Sequence
§  Director Commentary
§  Outtake Reel

Blu-ray Exclusive Bonus Features Include:
§  Featurette: “Action in Venice”
§  Featurette: “Canal Chats”
§  Featurette: “Tourist Destination Travel the Canals of Venice”
§  MovieIQ

The Tourist has a runtime of approximately 103 minutes and is rated PG 13 for violence and brief strong language.

Once Upon a Time in Mexico (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

The final film of the “El Mariachi” trilogy.  “Once Upon a Time in Mexico” is a film that delivers in action, guns, explosions…you name it.  And to hear this film on Blu-ray is fantastic.  But compared to the other two films (“El Mariachi” and “Desperado”), the film delivers as a popcorn action-flick but the focus of the film is not all about El Mariachi.  Otherwise, an essential film to own if you have enjoyed the trilogy and worthy of upgrading to Blu-ray, if you own the original DVD.

Images courtesy of © 2003 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Once Upon a Time in Mexico

FILM RELEASE DATE: 2003

DURATION: 102 Minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (1:78:1), English, French, Portuguese 5.1 DTS-HD MA, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital,  Subtitles: English SDH, French, Portuguese and Spanish

COMPANY: Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

RATED: R (For Strong Violence and for Language)

Release Date: January 4, 2011

Written and Directed by Robert Rodriguez

Produced by Elizabeth Avellan, Carlos Gallardo, Robert Rodriguez

Co-Producer: Sue Jett, Tony Mark, Luz Maria Rojas

Music by Robert Rodriguez

Cinematography by Robert Rodriguez

Edited by Robert Rodriguez

Casting by Mary Vernieu

Production Design by Robert Rodriguez

Art Direction by Melo Hinojosa

Set Decoration by Eva Castro, Patrice Laure

Costume Design by Graciela Mazon

Starring:

Antonio Banderas as El Mariachi

Salma Hayek as Carolina

Johnny Depp as Sands

Mickey Rourke as Billy

Eva Mendes as Ajedrez

Danny Trejo as Cucuy

Enrique Iglesias as Lorenzo

Marco Leonardi as Fideo

Cheech Marin as Belini

Ruben Blades as Jorge FBI

Willem Dafoe as Barillo

Gerardo Vigil as Marquez

Pedro Armendariz Jr. as Advisor

Leaping back into action, gun-slinging, guitar-toting hero “El Mariachi” is back in town in ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO, as director Robert Rodriguez delivers the epic final chapter of his pulp Western trilogy. Starring Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Johnny Depp, Mickey Rourke, Eva Mendes, Enrique Iglesias and Willem Dafoe ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO is a full-frontal assault.

Ten Minute Cooking School

Ten Minute Flick School

The Anti-Hero’s Journey

In 1993, filmmaker Robert Rodriguez debuted with his Spanish independent film “El Mariachi” created for $7,000.

Although the film did not make a huge earning in the box office, the film went on to make $1.5 million in video sales and for Robert Rodriguez, his dreams of becoming a filmmaker came true as he went on to make two TV movies in 1994 and the sequel to “El Mariachi” titled “Desperado” which would cost $7,000,000 and became a box office hit.

Since “El Mariachi”, Robert Rodriguez has inspired filmmakers who have dreamed of getting a shot in Hollywood and his story of his adventures in making “El Mariachi” was written in his book “Rebel Without a Crew” and he has become a hero among upcoming filmmakers who have been inspired by his story of doing all it takes to get your film noticed and eventually making your dream come true of becoming a successful filmmaker.

From the first two films of the “Mariachi Trilogy”, Rodriguez went on to create the “Spy Kids” trilogy and direct films such as “The Faculty” and “From Dusk Till Dawn”.  But the film that helped him get established needed its final conclusion for the trilogy and by 2003, he would go on to create “Once Upon a Time in Mexico”. The trilogy would feature an all-star cast with Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Johnny Depp, Mickey Rourke, Eva Mendes, Danny Trejo, Enrique Iglesias, Cheech Marin, Ruben Blades, Willem Dafoe, Marc Leonardi and more!

It was the most expensive film in the trilogy with a budget of $29 million but earned its money and more with over $98 million in the box office.

With successful sales on VHS, LD and on DVD of the first two films, the trilogy will now be released on Blu-ray in January 2011 (“El Mariachi/Desperado” as a dual feature and “Once Upon a Time in Mexico” as a standalone).

“Once Upon a Time in Mexico” features El Mariachi (played by Antonio Banderas).  El lives in a small Mexican town where people make their living building guitars.  But one day, Cucuy (played by Danny Trejo) shows up with his men and start questioning some of the guitarmakers of the whereabouts of El Mariachi.  Because they are protecting him, one is killed.  To prevent further bloodshed, El gives himself up to Cucuy and his men.

El is taken to meet with CIA agent Sheldon Sands (played by Johnny Depp).  El is hired to kill General Emiliano Marquez (played by Gerardo Vigil), a leader of a guerrilla force who has been hired by Mexican drug lord Armando Barillo (played by Willem Dafoe) to assassinate the President of Mexico (played by Pedro Armendariz Jr.) and overthrow the Mexican government who is clamping down on drug dealers.

For El, this is what he has been waiting for as we see his history and we learn that he and Carolina (played by Salma Hayek) fought against corruptness together (after the events of “Desperado”) and in a shootout, ended up wounding General Marquez.   A few years later, El and Carolina are happily married with a young daughter but one day, in retaliation for getting shot by El/Carolina, the General killed Carolina and his daughter in cold blood and even left El for dead.

So, El wants revenge against General Marquez and knows he will need to bring some friends, Mariachi and weapons experts Lorenzo (played by Enrique Iglesias) and Fideo (played by Marco Leonardi).

Meanwhile, Sheldon Sands shows a sign that he is a corrupt CIA agent and uses his plan to bring FBI Agent Jorge Ramirez (played by Ruben Blades) out of retirement to exact his revenge against the Mexican drug lord Barillo who murdered his partner.  Also, Sheldo is working with AFN operative Ajedrez (played by Eva Mendes) to follow Barillow.

Throughout the film, we see allegiances shift between characters who are dedicated to helping CIA agent Sands and those loyal to the Mexican drug lord Armando Barillo.  As for El, his main goal is for revenge and that is to avenge Carolina and his daughter by killing General Marquez.  Who will die and who will survive in this final “El Mariachi” film?

VIDEO:

“Once Upon a Time in Mexico” is presented in 1080p High Definition (1:78:1).  Of the three films in the “El Mariachi” trilogy, as one would expect from a film created in 2003 versus the previous two from the early-to-mid ’90s, this film looks absolutely great on Blu-ray.  The colors are vibrant, there is detail that can be seen with the characters, their surroundings and the picture quality looks much clearer.  The blacks are nice and deep, the reds, browns and ambers are brilliant and for the most part, you can see details such as grime on the faces of characters (especially the child that helps out CIA agent Sands) and more detail on the weapons and surroundings much better on Blu-ray than its DVD counterpart.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Once Upon a Time in Mexico” is presented in English, French and Portuguese 5.1 DTS-HD MA and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital.  Where “Desperado” definitely shined with its guns ablazing lossless soundtrack, “Once Upon a Time in Mexico” is an action driven film that features many gunshots, many rifle shots, bullets whizzing, explosions galore.  If you thought “Desperado” was action-packed, “Once Upon a Time in Mexico” is a tour-de-force when it comes to action and weapons being shot in full force within this trilogy.

Dialogue and music is clear through the center and front channels but there is such a wonderful use of the surround channels and LFE that audiophiles should be happy with the lossless soundtrack.  It sounds absolutely wonderful in HD especially when you compare it to the original DVD, the Blu-ray packs a wallop in terms of audio!

Subtitles are in English, English SDH, French, Portuguese and Spanish.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Once Upon a Time in Mexico” special features are presented in standard definition, English Stereo and with Portuguese and Spanish subtitles.  Special features include:

• MovieIQ – If your Blu-ray player is connected to the Internet, while watching the film, you can access facts, trivia and movie information about “Once Upon a Time in Mexico”.
• The Cutting Room – Select certain video clips and edit and share them with other friends via Blu-ray live.
• Robert Rodriguez Audio Commentary - Like the previous films, Robert Rodriguez audio commentaries are wonderful as he goes into detail of how scenes were shot and cost-cutting corners that he used in editing and more.  Just a wonderful commentary for those who want to become a filmmaker.
• Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary – Featuring a total of eight deleted scenes with optional audio commentary by director Robert Rodriguez.
• Ten-Minute Flick School – (9:04) Robert Rodriguez shares a few of his filmmaking techniques employed into “Once Upon a Time in Mexico”.
• Inside Troublemaker Studios – (11:22) Robert Rodriguez gives a tour inside of his studio, Troublemaker Studios.
• Ten-Minute COOKING School – (5:48) Robert Rodriguez teaches viewers how to cook puerco pibil.
• Film is Dead: An Evening with Robert Rodriguez – (13:18) Robert Rodriguez and Danny Trejo talking to the audience about “Once Upon a Time in Mexico”.
• The Anti-Hero’s Journey – (18:03) Director Robert Rodriguez and cast of the trilogy talk about the journey and the making of the films and how they embraced Rodriguez’ vision.
• The Good, the Bad and the Bloody: Inside KNB FX – (19:03) Behind-the-scenes of the visual effects of “Once Upon a Time in Mexico”.