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S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

(aka 'Green Planet' or 'The Green Effect')

 

directed by M. Night Shyamalan
USA 2008

 

For some time the thought has been gathering at the back of my mind that we are in the final act. We have finally insulted the planet so much that it can no longer sustain us. It is exhausted. It never occurred to me that vegetation might exterminate us. In fact, the form of the planet's revenge remains undefined in my thoughts, although I have read of rising sea levels and the ends of species.

What I admire about "The Happening" is that its pace and substance allowed me to examine such thoughts, and to ask how I might respond to a wake-up call from nature. Shyamalan allows his characters space and time as they look within themselves. Those they meet on the way are such as they might indeed plausibly meet. Even the TV and radio news is done correctly, as convenient cliches about terrorism give way to bewilderment and apprehension.

I suspect I'll be in the minority in praising this film. It will be described as empty, uneventful, meandering. But for some, it will weave a spell. It is a parable, yes, but it is also simply the story of these people and how their lives and existence have suddenly become problematic. We depend on such a superstructure to maintain us that one or two alterations could leave us stranded and wandering through a field, if we are that lucky.

Excerpt from Roger Ebert at The Chicago Sun-Times located HERE

Posters

 

Theatrical Release: June 11th, 2008

More Apocalypse-related films on Blu-ray and DVD reviewed (click review buttons to also see

comparisons where applicable) from our article Films From The End of the World:

Reviews                                                          More Reviews                                                          DVD Reviews

 

 Comparison:

20th Century Fox Pictures - Region 1 - NTSC vs. 20th Century Fox Pictures - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

(20th Century Fox Pictures - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT vs. 20th Century Fox Pictures - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - RIGHT)

Box Covers

  

Re-issued September 2015:

Distribution

20th Century Fox Pictures

Region 1 - NTSC

20th Century Fox Pictures - Region 'A' Blu-ray
Runtime 1:30:15 1:30:22
Video

1.8:1 Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 7.17 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC, 25.7 Gig
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Audio English Dolby Digital 5.1, DUBs: Spanish, French 2.0

English DTS-HD Master, English Dolby Digital 5.1, DUBs: Spanish, French 5.1 

Subtitles English, Spanish, none English SDH, Spanish, Chinese (simplified + traditional), Korean, none
Features Release Information:
Studio: 20th Century Fox Pictures

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 1.85:1

Edition Details:

Four Deleted Scenes with Introductions by director M. Night Shyamalan (15:43)
Featurette: "The Hard Cut" (9:01)

Featurette: "I Hear You Whispering" (4:17)
Featurette: "Making of... Visions of The Happening" (11:53)

Featurette: "A Day For Night" (6:45)
Featurette: "Elements of a Scene" (10:10)
• Gag Reel (2:51)


DVD Release Date: October 7th, 2008
Keep Case

Chapters 29

Release Information:
Studio: 20th Century Fox Pictures

Aspect Ratio:
Original - 1.85:1

1080P Dual-layered, MPEG-4 AVC encode, Feature - 25.7 Gig

Edition Details:

Four Deleted Scenes with Introductions by director M. Night Shyamalan (15:43)
Featurette: "Train Shooting"
Featurette: "The Hard Cut" (in HD)

Featurette: "Forces Unseen"
Featurette: "I Hear You Whispering"
Featurette: "Making of... Visions of The Happening"

Featurette: "A Day For Night"
Featurette: "Elements of a Scene"
• Gag Reel

Enhanced for D-Box Motion Controls
Disc 2

Digital Copy of The Happening for portable Media Players

 

DVD Release Date: October 7th, 2008
Standard Blu-ray case

Chapters 29

 

 

 

Comments

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were obtained directly from the Blu-ray disc.

First and foremost - my Sony BDP-S300 Blu-ray Disc Player required the 4.2 firmware update to play this disc (from v3.95).

The 1080P image quality was strong. The captures of Wahlberg, Deschanel and the blowing grass (that is an exact frame) seem to be most telling in the vast superiority of the Blu-ray over the SD-DVD. Not only detail but rendering of colors is vastly improved in high-definition. SD-DVD tend to make skin tones a motley orange that is most unbecoming.

As usual, the resized images don't tell the whole story but you may click the Blu-ray to full-size to get a better indication of how much, or little, the improved resolution exports the visual value of the film's digital presentation. As a positive I don't see obvious evidence of any DNR filters or edge enhancement to drastically alter the desired cinematic 'look'.

Audio-wise the Blu-ray has a English DTS-HD Master that is surely an improvement. SD and Blu-ray include optional English, and Spanish subtitles but the Blu-ray includes Chinese and Korean.

In terms of supplements the Blu-ray offers a bit more with at least one featurette in HD. It also has an enhanced for D-Box Motion Controls  exclusive Blu-ray feature and a second disc with the digital copy of The Happening for portable Media Players. Again no commentary on a Shyamalan film and the extras seem pretty standard. 

I fully realize I'm in the minority but I love M. Night's cinema and I even liked this film which still may be his weakest effort to date. I won't blame Wahlberg for any sub-standard presentation - it just didn't seem as well-developed as some of Shyamalan's other films. His strength is in conceptual ideas and The Happening is another great example. He crafts his films so well - great pacing and it maintains the suspense element very strongly. His storytelling is very adept even though this film's major disappointment is it was too short and should have developed the two main characters further. Still, I was very entertained and hope to play the Blu-ray on my plasma system soon.   

 -Gary Tooze

 



DVD Menus / Extras
 

 


 

Screen Captures

(20th Century Fox Pictures - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. 20th Century Fox Pictures - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM)

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

 


(20th Century Fox Pictures - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. 20th Century Fox Pictures - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM).

 

 


(Tartan (UK) - Region 2 - PAL - TOP vs. 20th Century Fox Pictures - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. 20th Century Fox Pictures - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM)

 

 


(20th Century Fox Pictures - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. 20th Century Fox Pictures - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM)

 

 


(20th Century Fox Pictures - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. 20th Century Fox Pictures - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM)

 


(20th Century Fox Pictures - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. 20th Century Fox Pictures - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM)

 

 


(20th Century Fox Pictures - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. 20th Century Fox Pictures - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM)

 

 

 


 

Report Card:

 

Image:

Blu-ray

Sound:

Blu-ray

Extras: Blu-ray

 
Box Covers

  

Re-issued September 2015:

Distribution

20th Century Fox Pictures

Region 1 - NTSC

20th Century Fox Pictures - Region 'A' Blu-ray

More Apocalypse-related films on Blu-ray and DVD reviewed (click review buttons to also see

comparisons where applicable) from our article Films From The End of the World:


 





 

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Gary Tooze

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