Big Picture Big Sound

Portions of this review have been previously published.

The Films

Universal has brought together three films in this collection all thematically held together by one theme -- they deal with gangsters and organized crime.  Each film has a slightly different perspective on its subject matter and each deals with a different variety of that monolith of crime known as "the mob", but in its own way each film, respectively, is engaging and quite entertaining.

The oldest, and arguably strongest film in the set is the 1995 Martin Scorsese film Casino. If you've seen Martin Scorcese's 1990 film Goodfellas, you might think you're suffering from a severe case of déjà vu when you sit down to watch Casino. Treading most of the same ground, thematically and cinematically, Casino's screenplay was even written by the same author who penned the book and screenplay for Goodfellas. Casino is set in a Las Vegas of the 1970's, before "Sin City" became the corporate tourist trap it is today; when it was ruled by the vicious corrupting influences of organized crime. Based on real-life characters, the story follows small-time gangsters Sam "Ace" Rothstein (Robert De Niro) and Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci), childhood friends from Chicago who make the move to Las Vegas seeking legitimacy doing the things they would otherwise be instantly thrown in jail for elsewhere in the nation. As Sam becomes the behind-the-scenes head of the Tangiers casino, Nicky violently protects the mob's profits and stranglehold on business in Las Vegas.

Also set in the 1970's is director Ridley Scott's American Gangster. Based on the true story of Frank Lucas, a self-made Harlem drug lord who would become one of the most powerful crime figures New York City has ever scene, the film is set in the waning years of the 1960's and the first half of the 1970's when the war in Vietnam was raging, inner city crime and unemployment was rampant and a heroin epidemic was sweeping through the minority population. Lucas (Denzel Washington), mentored by Bumpy Johnson (Clarence Williams III), inherits Johnson's "business", for lack of a better word, when Johnson dies and uses his street smarts and keen sense of business know-how to expand and best his competition. Hitting upon the idea of getting his heroin supply directly from the source in Vietnam, Lucas begins smuggling the purest, cheapest heroin into the US and pushes out most of the competition. New Jersey cop turned prosecutor Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe) begins to investigate Lucas' crime syndicate, but he runs into complications of his own -- corrupt New York City police, and officials who refuse to believe that a black man could have built up such a powerful and well organized crime syndicate even more successful than the Italian mafia.

Finally, moving to a more contemporary setting is Eastern Promises, from director David Cronenberg. Focusing on the Russian mob in London, Eastern Promises begins when a young girl named Tatiana dies in childbirth, leaving behind a diary describing all manner of horrific things that were done to her, Anna (Naomi Watts), a midwife, is drawn into the world of the Russian mob as she investigates the young girl's apparent rape in an effort to find out the girl's identity and save the baby from entering foster care. Her investigation leads her to the Trans-Siberian restaurant where she encounters the restaurant's owner, godfather-like crime boss Semyon (Armin Mueller-Stahl) his son Kirill (Vincent Cassel) and their "driver" Nikolai (Viggo Mortensen).

Things take a dangerous turn when Anna begins to suspect that Tatiana may have been killed by Kirill or Semyon himself and finds unexpected help in the form of their mysterious henchman Nikolai, as Anna and Nikolai develop a near romance that, due to their circumstances, can never manifest itself and must remain unrequited.

Although Eastern Promises has its share of violence and brutally bloody scenes, not the least of which is Viggo Mortensen's infamous bathhouse knife fight, mostly Cronenberg tempers the brutality for an approach that relies more on character study than the violence and expletives we've come to expect from Hollywood gangster films. Eastern Promises may have been the best "mob" film to come along in a while had Cronenberg and Knight actually fully succeeded in diving into the motivations behind these characters, but they fall somewhat short. The script is cleverly written with its reserved dialogue and suspenseful threats bubbling just under the surface, but as an exploration of the Russian mob in London it barely scratches the surface.

The Picture

All three films in the Gangster Collection appear in their original theatrical aspect ratio in 1080p/24 VC-1 high definition transfers.

Appearing in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1 in a 1080p/24 VC-1 encoding, Casino's sparkling color palette of glittering Las Vegas neon lights and desert pastels is captured here superbly in a transfer that has excellent color saturation with accurate flesh tones. Contrast is somewhat hot and blacks sometimes crush, losing detail in some darker scenes, but the overall aesthetic is still quite pleasing to see.  The biggest flaws with the transfer are just a slight bit of softness pervasive in the transfer causing some background details to be smoother than one would like and some areas where dirt and specs on the source are apparent. Casino definitely could have been cleaned up just a bit more, but it still looks quite good for a film that is 13 years old.

American Gangster is available in both the Theatrical version and an Unrated Extended Edition on this release. Both versions come in a 1.85:1 1080p/24 high definition VC-1 encoding. It's ultimately impossible to tell if the problems with the picture quality are due to the source itself or the VC-1 encoding, but American Gangster appears soft and lacking in detail. The film's color palette is purposely muted with an emphasis on dull earth tones, like browns and tans, but blacks are washed out and contrast is somewhat dark. In fact, I'm astonished to say that this Blu-ray release of American Gangster doesn't look any better than the 1080i MPEG-4 broadcast from DIRECTV's Starz on Demand that I watched only a few weeks ago. In fact, that broadcast looked just a little bit sharper, which just shouldn't be.

Other than its softness, dull appearance and low contrast, the transfer doesn't display any other errors such as macroblocking or processing effects like edge enhancement, but that’s not enough to save this release from being far less than reference.

Eastern Promises lives in a world of shadows and bright reds with hints of reflected moonlight or the warm glow of lamplight and it is all presented quite well in this transfer. The film's 1.85:1 framing is captured in a 1080p/24 VC-1 encoding with solidly deep blacks, natural flesh tones, good shadow detail and a fine level of grain that imparts a natural, film-like quality throughout. The transfer is free of compression and processing artifacts such as macroblocking and edge enhancement and its source is clear and spotless.

The Sound

Each of the releases comes with an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack as its main option in addition to dubbed versions in other languages. Of the three films, American Gangster has the liveliest, most dynamic mix but they are all relatively well done.

Casino comes with a plethora of available audio and subtitle options; so much so that it almost seems like a Sony release, for they are the studio that is typically known for packing their BD releases with a wide array of language selections. This time out, however, Universal has done it and they offer English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless in addition to Castilian Spanish, French Canadian, German, Italian, Japanese, and Latin American Spanish dubbed versions in DTS 5.1.

The English DTS-HD MA soundtrack is subtle but effective. Most lively during the film's numerous casino scenes, the surrounds come alive with various ambient effects of the sounds of the casino -- roulette wheels, slot machines, glasses clinking, chattering patrons. Dialogue is always full and clear and the mix shows good range of dynamics. The film's running musical soundtrack, populated by classic rock of the '50, '60's, '70's, and even some early-'80's numbers, comes alive with solid, but not overdone, use of the LFE and just the right amount of reverberant effects mixed into the surround channels. It's not a mix that is likely to wow a lot of people with bombast, but it serves the material well.

In stark contrast to the less than spectacular picture quality, American Gangster comes with a high quality English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless mix. Additionally, the Theatrical version also offers a French DTS 5.1 dubbed soundtrack. The lossless soundtrack is clean and dynamic with effective use of directionality in the surround and front left and right channels. The sounds of the New York City streets fill out the surround channels with traffic and the low hum of crowd noise. The film's multitude of gunshot effects sound natural and easy on the ears with good support from the LFE. Dialogue is crisp and full, never lost in the mix even during the film's louder sequences. The mix could stand to use just bit more ambience to fill out the somewhat dry sounding dialogue, but other than that there's not much to find fault with.

The sound mix is most effective at bringing American Gangster's retro-soul 1970's influenced soundtrack to life and that is where the use of the LFE really comes into play as the lower frequencies of in the original and classic songs are smooth, warm and solid.

Eastern Promises' mostly dialogue-driven soundtrack is made available here in English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless, and French and Spanish DTS 5.1 options. The lossless soundtrack is adept at handling the film's mostly front heavy dialogue, which is anchored to the center channel and conveys a proper sense of realism during the few livelier scenes, such as the scene of the rowdy football fans in the streets after the match.  This scene is one of the few times the soundfield opens up and the surrounds really come alive. Otherwise, the clear dialogue is supported with only mild ambience in the rear channels, which are populated with the reserved use ambient sound effects.

The Extras

None of these releases is exceptional as far as supplemental material is concerned. They all seem to fall under the category of less-than-informative promotional style "making-of" featurettes, redundant audio commentaries, and deleted scenes that add nothing to the strength of the story. Of the three, American Gangster seems to come with the strongest supplements.

This BD release of Casino comes with a negligible amount of supplemental material in relation to the scope of the film itself. Some of it is rather redundant, and the Deleted Scenes, in particular, add no value whatsoever. Still, the two television specials provided do offer some interesting, if not in depth, information on the history of organized crime in Las Vegas and the evolution of the story behind the novel and film Casino.

The extras provided on this release are:

• Deleted Scenes (4:3/standard definition/windowboxed) -- A few very brief deleted scenes that add nothing to the story.
• Vegas and the Mob (4:3/standard definition) -- This is an NBC News "investigative report" that plays more like a promo for the film Casino. It outlines the history of the connections between Las Vegas and organized crime.
• History Alive: True Crime Authors: Casino with Nicholas Pileggi (4:3/standard definition) -- A television program from The History Channel with the author and screenwriter for the film and novel Casino exploring the real-life figures who inspired the story.
• Moments with martin Scorsese, Sharon Stone, Nicholas Pileggi and More -- An audio commentary from various members of the cast and the producers. Rather than one set commentary on the minute details of the production, as most audio commentaries are, this is a series of disconnected audio commentaries of people offering their thoughts on the film, various anecdotes, etc.
• U-Control -- Universal's "U-Control" branded BonusView (Profile 1.1) picture-in-picture content. Much of the commentary herein can be gleaned from the standard audio commentary, which will provide the same information without taking up a huge chunk of the screen and blocking the picture.

American Gangster comes with quite a bit of extras, all in standard definition, that delve into the film's production and the true events that the film is based on. Unfortunately, there is plenty of overlap in the information offered, so sitting through all of the supplements can become a bit tedious and monotonous. Anyone interested in the history of the events surrounding the American Gangster story and Frank Lucas will find Tru Blu: The Real Story to be the highlight offered here, but, again, much of the ground covered in this mini-documentary is gone over many more times.

The extras provided on this release are:

• Commentary with Director Ridley Scott and Writer Steven Zaillin -- This audio commentary is available only during the Theatrical version of the film and, unlike most audio commentaries, is focused far less on the particulars of the film's production than it is with going over the factual, historical details that the film is based upon.
• Deleted Scenes (1.85:1/standard definition) -- Very brief alternate and deleted scenes from the film that add nothing to the narrative:
  • Alternate Opening
  • Frank and Eva's Wedding
• Fallen Empire: Making American Gangster (1.78:1/standard definition) -- This is a series of four behind-the-scenes featurettes on the film's production and one mini-documentary on the real-life figures of Frank Lucas and Richie Roberts, and the 1970's drug scene on the East Coast of the United States.:
• Tru Blu: The Real Story -- This delves into the true story of Frank Lucas, Richie Robberts and the growing heroin problem on the East Coast in the 1970's.
• Killer Threads: Costumes -- Costume designer Janty Yates discusses her work designing American Gangster's 1970's style wardrobe and the differences in the style of the different characters.
• Crime War: Production -- In this segment, the evolution of the project is explored, including casting decisions, preproduction, etc. Actors and filmmakers speak in brief interview segments and the director speaks to the challenges faced filming on location in areas that have changed so dramatically from the era they were trying to capture on film.
• Into the Arena: Ali vs. Frazier -- The film crew discuss setting up filming for the Ali vs. Frazier fight scene in the movie. Interestingly, 1500 inflatable bodies were used, intermingled with live people, to fill out the crowd scenes in the backgrounds.
• Rhythm of the Street: Sound, Music, and Editing -- Music supervisor Kathy Nelson and music producer Hank Shocklee speak about putting together an authentic, 1970's soul musical soundtrack for the film and Shoklee's reworking of the 70's song "Do U Feel Me" for the film's soundtrack, which is sung by Anthony Hamilton who makes a cameo in the film to perform the song as well.
• Case Files (1.78:1/standard definition) -- Divided into three segments, "Script Meeting",  "Heroin Test Show & Tell" and "Setting up the Takedown", these behind-the-scenes pieces find director Ridley Scott consulting with the police, Richie Roberts, and screenwriter Steven Zaillin to work out the factual details of historical events, the proper ways to test the purity of heroin, and to set up the films dénouement where Lucas' crime organization is taken down by the police.
• Hip-Hop Infusion featuring Common and T.I. (1.78:1/Standard definition) -- The Hip-Hop artists Common and T.I. discuss their roles in American Gangster and the film's impact in the black community.
• The BET Special: The Making of American Gangster (4:3/standard definition) -- Promotional television special from BET, featuring interview segments with the actors and director Ridley Scott.
• Dateline NBC: American Gangster First Look (4:3/standard definition) -- Another promotional television special, this time from the NBC network's Dateline, hosted by Matt Lauer. Matt interviews Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe in a sit down setting as they discuss the historical events surrounding Frank Lucas and Richie Roberts as well as their experience filming American Gangster.
• Music Videos (4:3/standard definition)
  • "Do You Feel Me (Remix)" Performed by Anthony Hamilton featuring Ghostface Killah -- This music video features a slightly remixed version of the "Do You feel Me" theme song as performed by Anthony Hamilton from American Gangster.
  • "Blue Magic" from Jay-Z's Album American Gangster.
• Theatrical Trailer (4:3/windowboxed/standard definition)
• U-Control -- BonusView (Pofile 1.1) picture-in-picture commentary with behind-the-scenes looks at the filming relevant to the particular scene being shown. Most of the information here can be found elsewhere in the supplements without the distraction of the huge secondary window taking up a big chunk of the screen.

Eastern Promises comes with only a small amount of supplemental materials limited to brief "making of" featurettes.  There is some topical discussion on the Russian mob and the trafficking of young girls in England for the sex trade, but it is only briefly explored.

The extras available on this release are:

• Secrets and Stories (1.78:1/high definition) -- In a series of interview segments with director David Cronenberg, writer Steven Knight and the various actors from the film, this quick behind-the scenes "making of" featurette briefly discusses the problems with the Russian mob in England and the trafficking of young girls for the sex trade. In addition, there is some focus on the evolution of the script and some footage of location filming.
•  Marked for Life (1.78:1/high definition) -- This brief featurette focuses on one element central to the film -- the tattoos used by the vory v zakone (thieves in law), or Russian mob to display their rank. It was the film's star Viggo Mortensen who came across the information of the importance of tattoos in the Russian crime world and brought it to the attention of David Cronenberg who then made the tattoos a more prominent element in Eastern Promises' story.
• Two Guys Walk into a Bathhouse (1.78:1/high definition) David Cronenberg discusses filming the bathhouse fight scene from the film, most notable for its brutality and Viggo Mortensen's nudity.
• Watts on Wheels (1.78:1/high definition) -- This completely unnecessary supplement is but a brief interview segment with Naomi Watts discussing how this movie was the first time she ever rode a motorbike.

Final Thoughts

These are three strong films that deal with different facets of organized crime in an honest and entertaining way. With the exception of American Gangster, all of the films here have good picture quality and all three have good lossless audio mixes, with American Gangster's being the standout. This Gangster Collection would make for a good several hours viewing time for a crime-themed movie night.

Where to Buy

• The Gangster Collection on Blu-ray Disc (Amazon.com)
  

Product Details

• Actors: Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci, James Woods, Frank Vincent, Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts
• Directors: Martin Scorsese, David Cronenberg, Ridley Scott
• Audio/Languages: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, French, French Canadian, Castiliian Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, and Latin American Spanish DTS 5.1
• Subtitles: English SDH, French, French Canadian, Italian, German, Castillian Spanish, LA Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Swedish, Danish, Finnish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese, Traditional Mandarin
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1; 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 3
• Rating:R 
• Studio: Universal Studios
• Blu-ray Disc  Release Date: October 14, 2008
• Run Time: 615 minutes
• List Price: $61.95
• Extras:
  • Casino
    • U-Control
    • Moments with Martin Scorsese. Sharon Stone. Nisholas Pileggi and More!
    • Deleted Scenes
    • Vegas and the Mob
    • History Alive: True Crime Authors: Casino with Nicholas Pileggi
  • American Gangster
    • U-Control
    • Feature Commentary with Director Ridley Scott and Writer Steven Zailiin
    • Deleted Scenes including an Alternate Opening
    • Fallen Empire: Making American Gangster
    • Case Files
    • Hip-Hop Infusion featuring Common and T.I.
    • The BET Special: The Making of American Gangster
    • Dateline NBC: American Gangster First Look
    • Music Videos
  • Eastern Promises
    • Secrets and Stories
    • Marked for Life
    • Two Guys Walk into a Bath House
    • Watts on Wheels