Chanukah Gift Ideas: Ian White's 8 Blu-rays of Chanukah
By Ian White
Put on your yarmulkes folks because it's time to celebrate Chanukah again. The festival of lights is just around the corner and let's be serious for a moment; do you really need another menorah or scarf from your Bubie? 2011 was a great year for home video releases on Blu-ray and nothing would be better during those eight crazy and intestinally challenged nights than eight Hollywood blockbusters on Blu-ray. Until crazy Mel releases his forthcoming film about the Macabees, you will have to settle for these.
Paramount and Pixar had really strong years in 2011 and have some great new titles coming out in 2012; Pixar has really taken the Blu-ray 3D reigns and run with them, giving the cynical among us something to chew upon. Other than that, Blu-ray 3D titles were a bit of a disappointment in 2011; primarily because most of the live action titles were especially dreadful films, but also because most of the "3D" movies released in 2011 were actually upconverted from 2D film stock, with decidedly variable results. Animated films have given the format some degree of hope, though I am personally dying for 2D 4K to arrive and crush 3D altogether.
The release of Star Wars on Blu-ray was the biggest news of the year, but sadly it wasn't the droids...I mean release some of us were hoping for. With the release of The Phantom Menace 3D in theaters only a few months away (and the other 5 films to follow), we suspect that the definitive box set of the Star Wars saga on Blu-ray (3D or Blu-ray 4K, or 4K Digital copy?) is many years away. George Lucas will get the "Greedo" thing right eventually.
Imagine the joy (and confusion) when your spouse or children rip open their presents and discover that they own the Blu-ray 3D version of something. Just don't forget to buy a 3D HDTV and glasses first. Latkes are certainly miraculous but they can't do everything.
Peter Gabriel: New Blood - Live in London Blu-ray 3D
One of the most interesting and engaging releases of 2011 from Eagle Rock, Peter Gabriel puts on a great show in London in front of a very enthusiastic crowd. Not only will the musical selections appeal to fans, but the genuine HD 3D production is one of the best live-action Blu-ray 3D discs available. The image quality is fantastic and the lossless surround mix is one of the best we've heard so far from any Blu-ray.
If you really dislike his new world music, you will be pleased to know that it doesn't really dominate the concert (which was performed without guitars or a drum kit) and that all of his best songs from the 70s and 80s are present. The rumble in your belly may be from all of the greasy latkes, but the bass on "Biko" will drown out any noise your stomach makes.
Breakfast at Tiffany's
Paramount Pictures had a very strong year on Home Video and this classic from Blake Edwards was one of the best of the bunch. Audrey Hepburn was such a classy lady and a genuine trendsetter; has anyone looked better in a hat or pair of sunglasses? The film has not lost any of its charm after all of these years and it proves that solid writing and genuine chemistry always wins out when it comes to a romantic comedy.
The Blu-ray transfer is drop-dead gorgeous (even better than Star Wars to be honest) and the lossless mix breathes new life into an already great soundtrack. If you hated "Moon River" before, you'll dislike it even more now, but how can anyone hate Hepburn's rendition on the balcony with the schmatta on her head.
I Saw the Devil
I must confess that I have a certain soft spot for Korean cinema and while nothing could possibly top
OldBoy in my book, this film comes dangerously close. Not only is the story engaging but the tension is worse than when my daughter pushed in the tweeter of a really expensive speaker I had in-house for review once. Korean dramas are intense films and the violence is certainly not for the timid; it often borders on graphic torture and I've had more than one guest walk out on a film. Choi Min-sik (
OldBoy) is utterly evil in this one; he's so much more frightening than Hannibal Lecter, it's almost unnerving.
Want a glorious looking Blu-ray to show off your fancy new HDTV (purchased via Amazon)? This may be one of the best looking films so far on Blu-ray with incredibly deep black levels and tremendous levels of detail visible. The audio is not in the same league as the image quality, but the lossless Korean mix still sounds quite good. A great family film (not) for the holidays, but just don't put kimchee on those latkes. I've taken one for the team on that one.
Rush: Moving Pictures
Okay, so this isn't really a great concert video with reference level image quality, but it does have one of the best lossless mixes you will ever hear, and Geddy Lee does spin the dreidel every single year. One of the greatest bass players in the history of the universe is really a nice Jewish boy from Downsview, Ontario so how can one not recommend this disc? Rush's best-selling album featuring the timeless bar classics "Tom Sawyer," "Limelight," and "YYZ" is still cool (not according to my wife, but what does she know...she's from Staten Island) for those of us who can't stop pretending to be Neil Peart (usually while standing in front of our spouse's closest friends...why did she marry him???).
The accompanying music videos look worse than when they aired on MuchMusic and MTV (did MTV ever play Rush?) in the early 80s, but the audio quality will tell you just how good your system is (or how badly it sucks) and is worth owning just for that. The ultimate gift for the spouse or male friend in your life who still hasn't figured out that it's okay to listen to something other than Rush.
Fiddler on the Roof
If I had some pepto, I could survive eight days of donuts and latkes and not have to do the Tevye shuffle all day long.
Fiddler on the Roof is an uplifting film with a truly unforgettable soundtrack, but it is not really for young kids; unless they are truly mature and want to understand how horrible it was to be Jewish in Europe for a few centuries. Topol (who is still going strong in Israel) wasn't the first to play Tevye; that honor belonged to Zero Mostel, but he was the perfect casting decision for the film version of the play and if you close your eyes, you can hear him shuffling down that dirt road bellowing "Tradition".
The Blu-ray transfer is a dramatic improvement over the DVD, although there are some issues with video noise and color banding. The film's colors are muted, but the black levels and detail are vastly improved on this transfer. The DTS-HD Master Audio lossless mix is very impressive and worthy of at least two shots of schnaps; just don't forget the schmaltz herring.
Shock Corridor
Criterion Collection released a lot of really exceptional films on Blu-ray in 2011, but this noir drama by Samuel Fuller was one of the best. Crazy people? The film is loaded with them. It is also how you might be once the holidays are over and all of those relatives finally leave. It is certainly debatable if
Shock Corridor was a better film about insanity than
One Flew Over the Cukoo's Nest, but it was also made for a lot less money and had far more subversive themes running beneath the faded walls of the asylum. The B-cast does a great job and how can anyone not love Constance Towers? The interview with her in the bonus content (she still looks great) is a lot of fun and Fuller die-hards will love it.
The transfer would have made Fuller quite proud as it looks great and the mono mix has better clarity than it ever did on DVD. The black levels are are a huge step-up over the DVD and it is really one of the best films from a truly brilliant and courageous director.
Captain America: The First Avenger
If ever a superhero needed to be Jewish, it was Captain America. Created to defeat Hydra and punch out the Fuhrer, Steve Rogers (AKA - Shmuel Robinovitch) hailed from Brooklyn and was transformed from a skinny nudnik into a Nazi-killing superman. Chris Evans is far more likable than even Robert Downey Jr. in this prequel to the upcoming
Avenger film which is one of the best films from Marvel so far. Hugo Weaving is always great when he has to play the bad guy and his Red Skull is certainly memorable. The film was vastly superior to
Thor (how many nordic Jewish superstuds have you met?) which was truly boring and hopefully Marvel will have the brains to milk Captain America for more films which is not something you can say about too many superhero characters; with the exception of Nolan's Dark Knight.
The Blu-ray 3D transfer looks okay (most live-action 3D still sucks), but the 2D version looks rather solid; minus some noise and some edge enhancement. The best part of this transfer is the DTS-HD Master Audio mix which is engrossing and full of tremendous punch. Your neighbors may hate you, but your kids will be screaming for more.
The Ten Commandments
Even if you don't accept the historical accuracy of DeMille's masterpiece, it still stands as the best Chanukah movie ever made; which is even more impressive as it was about Passover. The story of Moses, the exodus from Egypt, and an Egyptian Pharoh who gave the Hebrews a really hard time is mandatory viewing once each year (perhaps twice if you can get me drunk on Purim), and absurdly fun to watch. The casting agent on this film deserved his own star on Hollywood Boulevard and what's not to like. The four-hour runnning time without commercials just blows by and how about those plagues. Those were some plagues. Moses will likely be remembered as Charlon Heston and not the other way around.
The Blu-ray transfer was the best of 2011 and Paramount Pictures should take a well deserved victory lap; just not on one of Rameses' chariots as we all know how well that worked out. Bold technicolor and completely enveloping lossless surround sound makes this the best disc of the year. So let it be written. So let it be done.
