While Hollywood continually adapts to the demands of an ever-changing audience, there is one thing it can always rely upon - funny is funny. Whether it is the unlikely mannerisms of '
Dr. Strangelove', the mischievous plots of '
Ferris Bueller', or the life of a '
40 Year-Old Virgin', audiences of all ages are left in uncontrollable laughter. Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau spent their decades-long careers making audiences laugh, and on occasions when they appeared opposite each other - like on today's Blu-ray release of '
Grumpy Old Men' - the results were classic.
John Gustafson (Jack Lemmon) and Max Goldman (Walter Matthau) are neighbors who have been locked in a bitter rivalry ever since John married Max's childhood sweetheart. When an attractive older woman moves into the neighborhood, the two grumpy old men fight for her heart, a comedic rehash of the conflict that initially set the two at odds so many years ago.
While the story may be predictable and obviously constructed for the two comedy legends, Lemmon and Matthau nonetheless provide stellar performances. Their ability to play off each other is an obvious result of the many years spent working together, and is an absolute treat to watch - both on comedic and dramatic levels. While obviously aimed at an older audience, the film does have enough off-the-wall humor (usually supplied by Burgess Meredith's “Grandpa Gustafson” character) to keep even the youngest viewer smiling.
The Blu-ray disc suffers from a rather timid video transfer, but it is unlikely that 'Grumpy Old Men' jumps ahead of 'Dr. Strangelove' on any restoration list. Thankfully, Warner also includes a 2.0 Dolby TrueHD soundtrack, providing the original soundtrack in all its glory. The biggest issue I had with the Blu-ray release of '
One Flew Over the Cuckcoo's Nest' was the lack of a lossless track because of only having a mono soundtrack (which I was quite vocal about), so I'm elated to see Warner provide a lossless track for this release.
On the new release block, Summit Entertainment is releasing Alex Proyas' latest film '
Knowing' today. I am a fan of Proyas' work (which includes '
The Crow', '
Dark City' and '
I, Robot') but loath anything with Nicholas Cage (with the exception being 'Matchstick Men'), so I'm torn on this film. Staff reviewer Martin Liebman, however, couldn't say enough good things about the Blu-ray release: "It's superbly paced, well-acted, fabulously directed, and delivers plenty of spine-tingling and thought-provoking moments. Summit Entertainment's Blu-ray release sparkles from a technical perspective. Offering a reference-quality soundtrack and a bold, clear, and sparkling transfer, Knowing makes for a visual and aural treat for the senses that stands toe-to-toe with the highest-quality discs currently on the market."
The rest of the line-up is a little thin this week, catering more towards enthusiast than the general population. Horror fans will no doubt pick up a copy of Universal's '
The Unborn', while documentary fans will gravitate more towards '
The Universe: The Complete Season 2'.
For a complete listing of all the Blu-ray titles released today,
click here.