Over the past decade, spoof films have become somewhat of a Hollywood sure-thing. If you're all out of unique idea, call up a Wayans brother and ask them to star in a spoof of the latest hot property (look for 'Vampire Movie' next summer – just kidding – I hope). This is unfortunate, as the genre has produced some of the funniest films of all time (including 'Airplane', the
Austin Powers series, and anything written by
Mel Brooks). The most successful of which can stand firmly on their own, with references to other films only adding to the film's enjoyment, rather than creating it. Films like '
Shaun of the Dead' and '
Hot Fuzz' – both being released on Blu-ray today – at very least fit this category, if not help to define it.
Both films show how a strong passion for a genre – in this case zombie and action films – combined with a profound awareness of its self-imposed vanity can generate films which can eclipse those they are attempting to parody. Of the two, I find myself watching 'Hot Fuzz' more, if not only because of my personal preference for action films over horror, but both are blind-buy worthy if you have yet to experience them for yourself.
Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) is a extremely dedicated police officer man who is sent to the crime-free town of Sandford after making his fellow, less attentive officers look bad. Once there, he's teamed-up with the inspector's son, Danny Butterman (Nick Frost), who suffers from the same nonchalant work ethic as the London officers he left behind. When a series of "random accidents" appears not so random nor accidental, the two must work together to stop the slaughtering of the town's population.
While humor has always been a part of action films, it has never been utilized to this extent while at the same time successfully elevating action sequences to beyond the realms of realism. The gun-toting grandparents, an extended "Michael Bay shot", and on-screen one-liner critiquing are so memorable, you'll find yourself integrating the film's lines and themes into your own life as much as a Simpsons or Seinfeld episode. I'm not sure there is a better complement than that.
The Blu-ray presentation from Universal is just as epic. The video presentation is beautiful, with even dark scenes reproduced clearly on the screen. The DTS-MA soundtrack complements the film perfectly, with a soundtrack that is just as enveloping as the film itself. There is no way around it, this is a great Blu-ray release that every action or comedy fan should own.
Fans probably don't need a reminder, but today Paramount is releasing a huge catalog of Star Trek material. First up is '
Star Trek: The Original Series, Season 2' which will be followed closely by '
Season 3' which is schedule to be released in December. Fans of the Star Trek films will be able to pick up either the '
Star Trek – The Next Generation Movie Collection' which features Star Trek 7-10 (and complements the previously released '
Star Trek: Original Motion Picture Collection'), or pick up the individual releases of '
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan', '
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home', '
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country' and '
Star Trek VIII: First Contact'.
One of the few DVDs I've purchased since Blu-ray was announced was a compilation of Wallace and Gromit shorts, for sole the reason that I didn't think they'd ever make it to Blu-ray. In this instance, I'm glad to be wrong, and am excited to get my copy of the '
Wallace & Gromit: The Complete Collection' today. It even features the latest short "A Matter of Loaf and Death" which was broadcast last year.
Warner is releasing the Seth Rogen film '
Observe and Report', a film that Staff Reviewer Kenneth Brown calls "one of the funniest comedies of 2009". Based on box office take, it appears that many will be seeing this film for the first time on Blu-ray, which is fortunate because, as Ken continues, "With an excellent video transfer, a strong TrueHD audio track, and a solid supplemental showing (composed almost entirely of exclusive content), this is a Blu-ray comedy worth owning."
Finally today, Criterion is releasing '
The Complete Monterey Pop Festival' (which is also available individually as '
Jimi Plays Monterey & Shake! Otis at Monterey' and '
Monterey Pop') and Jean-Luc Godard's '
Pierrot le fou' on Blu-ray. For the later, Staff Reviewer Dr. Svet Atanasov proclaims the cinematographer-approved transfer as a "fantastic upgrade over the existing SDVD release of the film that will certainly please even the most demanding amongst you."
For a complete listing of all the Blu-ray titles released today,
click here.