Days after we reach the half-way point in Tom Hanks' latest historically inspired series,
The Pacific, Universal is today releasing on Blu-ray the film which initiated the actor's infatuation with documenting and revisiting the past –
Apollo 13. Documenting one of NASA's "finest hours", the film shows the near fatal voyage of astronauts Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, and Jack Swigert on their trip to the moon.
After the first man set foot on the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission, and the return trip during Apollo 12, the American public's infatuation with the space program was fading fast. The Apollo 13 mission (which launched at 13:13 CST) was generally viewed as a routine mission, and didn't even have its mid-mission broadcast televised. When an explosion on the craft puts the astronauts' lives at risk, Americans once again tune in, not to see the wonders of a man on the moon, but rather to see if the space travelers will survive.
Universal's Blu-ray release of
Apollo 13 ends up being a mixed bag. The video, while showing an increased level of detail and color representation, retains the graininess and softness of the original film. For purists, like yours truly, this is great news and a welcome departure from the standard "clean it up" mentality, but for those looking for an eye-popping experience, you won't find it on this disc. Likewise, the audio is extremely strong during the launch sequence (hold on to your hats), but the rest of the film feels muted in comparison as dialog takes center stage. It's a great representation of the film, but again, not the dramatic difference from DVD that some consumers look for.
Also out today is the original
A Nightmare on Elm Street, which will see its remake hit theaters in just over two weeks. Many of these 1980's horror films seem tame in comparison to their modern day revivals, but for classic Freddy fans, it doesn't get much better.
For the
Blu-ray review of A Nightmare on Elm Street, staff reviewer Martin Liebman commented, "Longtime fans of the franchise should be thrilled with this Blu-ray release. New Line has delivered a picture quality that's nothing short of excellent while also featuring a loud and aggressive lossless soundtrack and a wonderful array of extras."
And finally, the Philip Seymour Hoffman film
Pirate Radio hits Blu-ray today after a weak showing at the box office. I'm not sure if this film was victim of poor advertising or a disinterested audience, but it's definitely a Blu-ray you should add to your rental queue, if you haven't done so already.
For a complete listing of all the Blu-ray titles released today,
click here.