6.8 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
A dealer in outsider art threatens the equilibrium of her middle-class in-laws in North Carolina. Madeline is a go-getting art gallery owner from Chicago, recently married to George, a near-perfect Southern beau. When Madeline needs to close a deal with a reclusive North Carolina artist, George introduces her to his family: prickly mother Peg, taciturn father Eugene, cranky brother Johnny, and Johnny's pregnant, childlike wife Ashley, who is awe-struck by her glamorous sister-in-law. Madeline's presence exposes the fragile family dynamics as hidden resentments and anxieties surface.
Starring: Embeth Davidtz, Alessandro Nivola, Scott Wilson, Ben McKenzie, Celia WestonDrama | Insignificant |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (224 kbps)
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Phil Morrison's award-winning "Junebug" (2005) arrives on Blu-ray boasting an excellent transfer, personally supervised by the director of the film. The disc contains a number of great supplemental features, including an audio commentary with Amy Adams and Embeth Davidz, ten deleted scenes, an exclusive interview and Q&A session with Amy Adams, etc. All of the supplemental features are perfectly playable on North American players. Courtesy of UK-based Eureka Entertainment. Region-Free.
Thinking
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Phil Morrison's Junebug arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of UK-based Eureka Entertainment.
This is an excellent transfer! Eureka have delivered an unfiltered and unmanipulated transfer that retains the intended by director Morrison's occasionally soft and washed-out look of the film (Junebug was shot in 16mm). Furthermore, there is plenty of healthy grain that looks excellent when Junebug is projected on a large screen. Edge-enhancement and macroblocking are most definitely not an issue of concern. On the contrary, the Eureka Entertainment transfer looks notably healthy and stable. For the record, I did not detect any digital sharpening either. This being said, I would like to make it very clear that Junebug has plenty of depth and detail that I don't see on the DVD release of the film, which I now have with me. Yes, there is a notable gap in quality between the Blu-ray transfer and the DVD transfer. To sum it all up, the folks at Eureka Entertainment have once again done a terrific job with a film I enjoyed tremendously. (Note: This is a Region-Free disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).
There are three audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and English Dolby Digital 2.0. I opted for the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and later on did a few random comparisons with other two tracks for the purpose of this review.
Simply put, the audio presentation is as solid as the video presentation. The English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is not overly active – you certainly won't hear a great deal of movement in your surround speakers – but it is incredibly well mixed. Those of you who are familiar with Yo La Tengo know that their music is incredibly subtle and atmospheric. As far as I am concerned, the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track treats it notably well. This being said, the dialog is crisp, clear and very easy to follow. Additionally, I did not detect any disturbing pops, clicks, or hissings to report in this review. My only complaint here is the lack of optional English subtitles. Other than that, the audio treatment is top notch.
The English Dolby Digital 2.0 track is not as convincing as the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. Some of you may think that because Junebug isn't an overly active film, the two tracks are comparable. Simply put, they are not. Listen to the music score and you should be able to hear how notably stronger the dynamics are on the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. The English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 is practically identical to the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track.
Commentary - two of the film's stars, Amy Adams and Embeth Davidtz, deliver a terrific commentary with plenty of information about their characters, the film's production history, its quirky script, etc.
Deleted Scenes - a gallery of ten deleted scenes. Not subtitled in English. (22 min, 480/60i).
Behind The Scenes - five very short pieces - "Places and Faces", "Singing a Hymn", "Meerkats Gone Wild", "Ashley", and "All About Peg" - where cast members recall their work their involvement with Junebug. (480/60i).
Amy Adams Q&A - the star talks about her role and contribution to the film. The session was recorded in London, at the Soho Hotel, on March 12, 2006 especially for this release. (22 min, 480/60i).
Casting Sessions - two sessions, one with Amy Adams (14min) and one with Ben McKenzie (8 min). (480/60i).
Ann Wood - The character David Wark's paintings are the work of Ann Wood, a trained painter, who worked from the script and with the director to imagine how Wark might paint. Here, you could see a number of the artist's paintings. (480/60i)
Booklet - a 16-page booklet containing a "Q&A with director Phil Morrison and writer Angus MacLachlan. In addition, there are some interesting notes about the production of the film.
A terrific film and a terrific release by Eureka Entertainment! The Blu-ray transfer is very good - pure and unfiltered. Frankly, this is exactly what we want to see studios give us. Region-A cinephiles would also be delighted to know that Junebug is Region-Free. Of course, we Highly Recommend it.
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