Anytime you hear the words "bachelor party" and "Las Vegas" in the same sentence, you know that something crazy is about to unfold. A countless number of Hollywood films and trashy daytime talk shows have told the tales of things gone wrong when bachelor (or bachelorette) parties get out of the control. Add in Las Vegas, a city that hasn't been in control since the mob moved in, and you typically get a collection of hilarious misadventures and wrongdoings. Director Todd Phillips used that concept to capture what can only be described as one of the funniest things-gone-wrong adventures to ever hit theaters. After a record-breaking theatrical run, Warner Brothers today releases '
The Hangover' on Blu-ray.
Of course, when a film generates over $450M worldwide at the international box office, it can mean only one of two things. Either the film really is that good or it has been over-hyped to be better than reality. In the
Blu-ray review of 'The Hangover', staff reviewer Ken Brown feels the later, concluding, "The Hangover failed to worm into my brain like it did with so many others, but I honestly blame the endless hype it's received. I wish I could go back and watch it without any interference. Sadly, its Blu-ray release doesn't help matters. While its video transfer delivers a faithful presentation, its TrueHD audio track is a bit too underwhelming and its supplemental package is a complete misfire."
One week since first watching the Universal Blu-ray release of '
Inglourious Basterds', I have still yet to develop an opinion on the film. As someone who thoroughly enjoys earlier Tarantino works such as '
Reservoir Dogs', 'Pulp Fiction', and '
Kill Bill', I had a blast watching the unique story unfold before my eyes in the gruesome detail that only Tarantino can convey. But, as someone who disliked 'Jackie Brown' for its predictability and sluggish pacing, I disappointingly found these same qualities in 'Basterds'. Dialog is strong and acting is Oscar-worthy, but for as long as each scene took to develop, the payoff felt weak and overly simplistic. I wanted Tarantino to drop nuclear bombs, but he only brought firecrackers to the fight.
Unlike the film, the quality of the Blu-ray release is unarguable. Video is very strong throughout, with even dark scenes (like when the Basterds are meeting their contact in a German bar) come across strong and full of detail. When the dialog comes to a close and the action picks up, the soundtrack flexes its muscles and sounds amazing. Dialog seemed a bit muted in some scenes, but nothing that a quick turn of the volume nob couldn't fix. No disappointments here.
Today, Paramount is releasing '
Star Trek: The Original Series - Season 3', the third and final season of the popular sci-fi series. Like the previous season releases, the set includes both the original and remastered versions of the episodes in high definition. Those Star Trek fans who are just now getting into Blu-ray will be happy to know that there is a '
Star Trek: The Original Series, Three-Season Pack' which brings together all three season box sets into a single offering.
In the
Blu-ray review of 'Star Trek: The Original Series - Season 3', staff reviewer Martin Liebman found the video for this classic series more than adequate: "Every episode features solid and inky blacks and nicely rendered flesh tones, as well as a somewhat thick layer of natural grain and only the occasional speckle of dirt over the print, though appearing noticeably heavier during effects-heavy shots where speckles can remain static over the image for several seconds."
Those venturing to Best Buy today should keep a look-out for their exclusive Blu-ray release of '
Boogie Nights', which is out today. Like previous Warner Brothers retail exclusive Blu-ray releases, this title will eventually making its way to all retailers, but if you are a fan of Paul Thomas Anderson's dramatization of the adult film industry, you can use the Store Pickup function to pick up the title today.
For a complete listing of all the Blu-ray titles released today,
click here.