As a filmmaker, Quentin Tarantino has a following similar to that of a presidential nominee. Half of those who see his films praise his ability to seamlessly integrate over-the-top action sequences with stylized dialog in order to tell a compelling story. The other half see his efforts as a vacuum of originality that is simply a conglomerate of styles borrowed from classic films. But as Ben Williams points out in his review, "Whatever your opinion of Tarantino might be, it's hard to argue with the pure entertainment value that he brings to cinemas." Plus, anyone who can make John Travolta look cool is a genius in my book.
Today film fans are rewards for their long wait with two superb Blu-ray releases of Tarantino's '
Kill Bill: Volume 1' and '
Kill Bill: Volume 2'. Disney has done an absolute amazing job (once again) representing the look of film in their digital presentation. Colors pop to the eye and blacks are inky voids that are enhanced by amazing contrast. The soundtrack, too, has benefited from Blu-ray release with a stunning PCM soundtrack.
There will be some fans who will refuse to purchase these films in hopes that 'The Whole Bloody Affair' will soon be released. Tarantino has been talking about this uncut and combined version of 'Kill Bill' since it hit theaters, and fan have been waiting patiently on the edge of their seats. After watching these films back-to-back on Blu-ray, I'm not sure this cut will ever see the light of day. The pacing of the films is radically different, and unless Tarantino wanted to recut the entire four hours to a single pace, it would still feel like two different films, only on one disc instead of two. Only time will tell.
Last Thursday was the kick-off of the NFL regular season, so how appropriate it is that today Sony would release what is considered by most film aficionados the best Football-related film of all time, '
Rudy'. Before Sean Astin battled the demons of Middle Earth, he played a small football player with a huge heart and a love for Notre Dame football. This story is so compelling and so well acted that you don't have to be a sports fan to find this film entertaining. Video and audio presentations are top notch given the source, and its an easy purchase for any film fan.
Also coming today, Warner delivers two classics in '
How the West Was Won' and '
Cool Hand Luke', while Fox brings the two horror films '
Night Watch' and '
Day Watch' from Director Timur Bekmambetov of '
Wanted' fame.
For a complete listing of all the Blu-ray titles released today,
click here.