For actor Billy Bob Thornton, the greatest complement he could receive for his magnificent performance in '
Sling Blade' is that if it wasn't for his name in the credits, you would have never known he was in the film. Thornton's portrayal of Karl is so absolute that it is difficult to connect his performance in this film to any of his previous performances. Today, we have the privilege of re-experiencing this film in high definition on Blu-ray.
After being released from a mental institution, Karl Childers (Thornton) returns to his home town and finds it difficult to adjust to a world he hardly knew as a child. With the abundant innocence representative of his youth, Frank Wheatley (Black) sees past the obvious defects and quickly finds in Karl a friend he can confide in. When Karl discovers that his new friend has an abusive home life, he finds himself in a situation where only his heart can give him the answers.
Disney has provided Blu-ray fans with a wonderful video and audio presentation that will not disappoint the film purists. All the grittiness and character of the film remains, only with more detail than ever before. The film's dialog-driven soundtrack is never going to push your system's limits, but what is there has never sounded better. Its a must own Blu-ray title.
After a redefining performance in 'Iron Man', Robert Downey, Jr. teamed up with Jamie Foxx to bring the heart-wrenching story of Nathaniel Ayers (Foxx), a homeless man whose skills at a cellist are hampered only by an aggressive case of schizophrenia in '
The Soloist'. As staff reviewer Martin Liebman comments in his review, "Serving up a wonderful transfer, and equally strong lossless soundtrack, and a fine serving of extras, The Soloist earns an easy recommendation."
The 80's were known for excesses, and '
Big Trouble in Little China' might be the peak of that trend in filming. Take one of the hottest actors of that time in Kurt Russell, and mix in some wholesome American highway trucking and out-of-this-world martial arts, and you get either a cult classic or a film abomination, depending on your tastes. Luckily, Fox is releasing this film on Blu-ray today, so you can relive all the cheesiest in high definition.
For a complete listing of all the Blu-ray titles released today,
click here.