H D - S E N S E IA view on Hi-def DVDs by Gary W. Tooze |
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Introduction: Hello, fellow Beavers! I have been interested in film since I viewed a Chaplin festival on PBS when I was around 9 years old. I credit DVD with expanding my horizons to fill an almost ravenous desire to seek out new film experiences. I currently own approximately 7500 DVDs and have reviewed over 3000 myself. I appreciate my discussion Listserv for furthering my film education and inspiring me to continue running DVDBeaver. Plus a healthy thanks to those who donate and use our Amazon links.
Although I never wanted to become one of those guys who
focused 'too much' on image and sound quality - I
find HD is swiftly pushing me in that direction. So be
it, but film will always be my first love and I list my
favorites on the old YMdb site now accessible
HERE.
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88 Minutes [Blu-ray]
(Jon Avnet, 2008)
Review by Gary Tooze
Studio:
Sony Pictures Discs: Region: A Feature Runtime: 1:47:29 Chapters: 24 Feature film disc size: 31.5 Gig (dual-layered) Case: Standard Blu-ray case Release date: September 16th, 2008
Video: Aspect ratio: 2.35:1 Resolution: 1080p
Audio:
English: TrueHD 5.1, DUBs: French: TrueHD 5.1 Supplements:
• Commentary with director Jon Avnet • Featurette: The Character Within (SD)
Product Description: Al Pacino stars in this riveting thriller about a forensic psychologist who receives a phone call threatening that he only has 88 minutes to live. As the clock ticks away, tension mounts, suspicions rise and blood flows. With a serial killer he helped to convict awaiting execution and a copycat killer on the loose, Jack Graham has 88 minutes to solve the biggest murder of his career: his own.
The Film: Al Pacino looks startled through much of 88 Minutes, as though taken by surprise at being cast in a thriller that must've first passed across the desks of Clint Eastwood and Harrison Ford. Still, Pacino brings his usual oomph to the role of a Seattle forensic psychiatrist, whose testimony secured the death sentence for a crazy serial killer (Neal McDonough). Wouldn't you know it, the very day the killer is sentenced to die, a copycat "Seattle Slayer" is on the loose, and Pacino starts getting ominous phone calls telling him the exact time of his own death. Tick tock: it's 88 minutes away.
The film then serves up more red herrings than a Stalingrad fish fry, as possible culprits pop up every five minutes or so (among them an attractive group of med-school students played by Alicia Witt, Leelee Sobieski, and Benjamin McKenzie). Lapses in logic abound, but if you hunker down and zone in on Pacino's weary-eyed, poufy-haired professionalism, you can enjoy the goings-on. (They even make him run up flights of stairs, which one would have thought beyond him now.) Seattle's frequent stunt double, Vancouver, B.C., stands in as a location, and Jon Avnet supplies the slick direction. The cast is talented (including Amy Brenneman), leading you to guess that a lot of people will do anything just to work with Al Pacino. And you've got to admire Pacino's chutzpah at sharing the screen with statuesque actresses such as Brenneman and Sobieski; they tower over him, but he still holds his own... Excerpt from Amazon located HERE
Image : NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were ripped directly from the Blu-ray disc. This dual -layered Blu-ray is fairly mediocre as far as 1080P transfers go. Which really is not that big of an insult as it looks consistent and acceptable for the majority of the film. All prominent factors, like detail, color etc., are all a healthy stance above SD-DVD but don't approach the extravagance of quality that we hope, and expect, from Blu-ray. There is noise, maybe a shade more than I would have expected from dual-layering but it wasn't overly impinging upon my viewing experience. I think this transfer quality is healthy enough to encourage those interested in the film to indulge. Decent approaching 'strong' but not quite making it. More on the film itself later but there is no DNR or edge enhancement that I could detect. The screen captures (linked to full-resolution versions) can hopefully give you an idea of what they will look like on your system.
Audio & Music:
Extras:
Bottom line:
Gary Tooze September 12th, 2008
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Gary Tooze
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