During the 60th Annual Academy Awards, it was almost unthinkable that an independently produced film would manhandle the top studio films of that year, but that is exactly what happened. Documenting the life of Pu Yi, '
The Last Emperor' won nine Oscars, winning ever category it was nominated. Today, Criterion provides fan with an absolutely stunning Blu-ray release of this historically important title.
I am increasingly impressed with the titles released by Anchor Bay, and today's release of '
Righteous Kill' is no different. The video is sharp, the audio is crisp, and the menu system is very clean and effective. It seems that with ever passing month, they are are learning more and more about the Blu-ray format and translating that knowledge to their Blu-ray releases. I absolutely can't wait to see what they do with 'Hellraiser'.
Sony today releases the comedy '
Pineapple Express', which stars Seth Rogan and James Franco as two druggies who get mixed up in an ongoing gang war. I didn't care for the movie itself (apparently, I'm in the minority on this one), but the disc itself is wonderful. Video is sharp and crisp (as one would expect from a new release) and audio is very clear. If you care a fan of the film, definitely pick up this disc.
I'm personally excited about the release of the Shaw Brother's film '
Opium & The Kung Fu Master', which hit store shelves today. For those unfamiliar with Kung Fu films, the Shaw Brother's library contains some of the best martial arts films ever created. They recently remaster much of the collection, and the DVD releases have been spectacular, so I'm eager to see how it looks in high definition. I haven't see this title yet, so if you picked it up today, let me know what you think.
Another historically important film is being released today, though, this one is important for a completely different reason. Image Entertainment releases the extremely controversial film '
Caligula: The Imperial Edition', which is set to be the most complete release of the film to-date. If you aren't familiar with this title, you may want to do a bit of research before making this purchase.
You'll notice that the majority of films mentioned come from smaller studios, but that's not to say that the majors didn't contribute as well. Universal releases the popular football film '
Friday Night Lights', while Lionsgate releases '
Bangkok Dangerous' and Fox releases '
Babylon A.D.' On the TV front, Paramount delivers the first season of the critically acclaimed Showtime series '
Dexter'.
For a complete listing of all the Blu-ray titles released today,
click here.