Director Michael Bay makes films for only one person: Michael Bay. For
critics, his films provoke philosophical discussions on whether an excess of
entertainment value can outweigh a lack of artistic value. But for fans who
share his love for over-the-top action sequences and snappy one-liners,
no one can do it better. The sequel '
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen' does not stray far
from this truth, and it is sure to break Blu-ray sales records (again) with its
release today.
As you are probably aware at this point, the number of review copies for
'Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen' was severely limited. We here at Blu-
ray.com were honored to be selected as one of the few websites receiving
a copy, and I believe the highly-detailed review by Martin Liebman is clear
indication why. I encourage you all to read the full
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Blu-ray
review, but here is a clip to wet your beak with:
"Featuring a brilliant film-like picture quality, one of the best lossless
soundtracks yet, and a plethora of bonus materials that truly convey the
grand scope of the herculean effort that goes into making a movie like this,
the technical specifications make this package a winner, even if the movie
could have been better."
Forty years after its initial release, '
Easy Rider' continues to
be recognized as a significant film in the history of American cinema. As a
low-budget, artsy film (with more time spent showing the scenery than
telling a story), its critical and financial success forced a monumental shift
in the way Hollywood would operate in the years to come.
The film follows two bikers (played by Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper) as
they travel across country after making a large drug deal. On their way to
New Orleans with a gas tank full of money, they realize that the fiscal
freedom they had hoped to obtain with the deal introduces new obstacles
to achieve their dream.
This Blu-ray release retains the grainy nature of the film source better than
any DVD release before it, a testament outstanding work Sony is doing
with regards to their high definition mastering for Blu-ray release. Audio
too is strong, with an expansive soundtrack that anyone from that era (or
a fan of classic rock) will quickly recognize and enjoy.
Criterion brings the Golden Lion award-winning film '
Monsoon Wedding' to Blu-ray today, another addition to
the ever-growing Blu-ray library of Indian films. Staff reviewer Dr. Svet
Atanasov recently sat down with the release, and commented, "Mira Nair's
Monsoon Wedding is a wonderful film, full of life! As expected, Criterion's
Blu-ray treatment is solid."
With the Vampire-genre still in full swing, Sony is releasing the live-action
film '
Blood: The Last Vampire' on Blu-ray today, a film which is
based on an Anime of the same name. No, there isn't anything special
here, but it is another solid release from the studio. As staff reviewer
Martin Liebman puts it, "Sony's Blu-ray release of Blood: The Last Vampire
is of typical Sony quality, delivering strong high definition picture and
sound presentations, accompanied by a few extras."
Speaking of Anime, Bandai today releases '
Escaflowne: The
Movie', which is basically a retelling of the television series of the
same name. Of course, if you're looking for something more in the category
of "films that often are regarded as the biggest disasters in Hollywood
history", today's release of '
Waterworld' may be
more up your alley.
For a complete listing of all the Blu-ray titles released today,
click here.