Production:
Theatrical: Focus Features
Blu-ray: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Disc:
Region: FREE!
Runtime: 2:00:32.225
Disc Size: 41,432,547,006 bytes
Feature Size: 31,668,332,544 bytes
Video Bitrate: 27.908 Mbps
Chapters: 20
Case: Standard Blu-Ray Case
Release date: December 15th, 2009
Video:
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Resolution: 1080P / 23.976 fps
Video codec: VC-1
Audio:
English DTS-HD Master Audio 3357 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 3357
kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
French DTS Audio 768 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit
Spanish DTS Audio 768 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit
English Dolby Digital Audio 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps
/ DN -4dB / Dolby Surround
Subtitles:
English, French, Spanish, None
Extras:
• Deleted Scenes (11:05)
• Peace, Love, and Cinema (19:22)
• Commentary with Ang Lee and Jason Schamus
• No Audience Required: The Earthlight Players (3:47)
Description: A generation began in his backyard…From Academy
AwardŽ-winning director Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain) comes
Taking Woodstock, the comedy inspired by the true story of
Elliot Tiber (Demetri Martin) and his family, who
inadvertently played a pivotal role in making the famed
Woodstock Music and Arts Festival into the happening that it
was. When Elliot hears that a neighboring town has pulled
the permit on a hippie music festival, he calls the
producers thinking he could drum up some much-needed
business for his parents' run-down motel. Three weeks later,
half a million people are on their way to his neighbor’s
farm in White Lake, New York, and Elliot finds himself swept
up in a generation-defining experience that would change his
life–and American culture–forever.
The Film:
Luckily I saw “Woodstock” again in April, so it was fresh in
my mind while watching “Taking Woodstock,” Ang Lee’s
entertaining film about the kid who made it all possible —
in Woodstock, anyway. This is Elliot Teichberg, a young
interior designer who leaves a New York career to return
home to upstate New York and help his parents bail out their
failing, shabby motel.
He’s already held outdoor “music festivals” at the motel,
which have involved people sitting on the grass and
listening to him play records. Now he learns a nearby town
has refused a permit to the organizers of a proposed August
1969 rock concert. As the head of the tiny Bethel Chamber of
Commerce, near Woodstock, he calls them and offers a permit.
And history is made. What if Woodstock had been named after
the town that turned it down, Wallkill?
Excerpt of review from Roger Ebert located HERE
Image:
NOTE:
The below
Blu-ray
captures were taken directly from the
Blu-ray
disc.
The image quality for the release is quite good. Many of the
shots are intentionally done in soft focus, but the image
clarity rarely, if ever, suffers for it. The colors look
quite vibrant, but really shine during the outdoor shots and
the acid trip towards the end of the film (see capture 10).
There's no sign of artificial manipulations or damage (not a
surprise for a film that was released last year). Over all,
there's really no fault to find in this surprisingly clear
and sharp VC-1 encoded 1080p transfer.
Audio & Music:
You have a number of options to choose from on the audio
front, with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track being the
obvious choice. If you want to listen to the film with
Spanish or French dialogue, then you can still do so in a
non-HD 5.1 track. Additionally there's an English language
version that's done in stereo. The film sounds great,
however, with the HD track, there aren't any imaginable
complaints. The music comes to life in the film (though if
memory serves, there's surprisingly little taken from the
concert itself) with tracks like Arlo Guthrie's "Coming Into
Los Angeles" and Crosby, Stills, and Nash's "Wooden Ships"
sounding gorgeous. The film also comes with optional
English, French, and Spanish subtitle choices.
Extras:
Extra wise, we first get a few deleted and/or extended
scenes that were all generally enjoyable, but were obviously
trimmed to keep the run time down. Next, there's a twenty
minute documentary called "Peace, Love and Cinema" that
features interviews with the cast and crew. Additionally,
there's a short look at the actors that play the oft-nude
theater troop that lives in Elliot's barn called "No
Audience Required: The Earthlight Players". All of the
documentary shorts are presented in HD and are charming in
that they tend to capture some of the same jovial and
carefree attitude of the feature. Finally, there's a
commentary with Lee and screenwriter Jason Schamus that is
mostly about the film's production.
Bottom line:
Going into the film, I was a little cautious. I've long
admired Lee, but the trailer made the film look atrocious.
Thankfully, the final product is much better than the
promotional material made it out to be. Instead of the wacky
slapstick that the trailer implied, the film was a small,
intimate, and lighthearted look at the lives of one family
who finds themselves swept up in one of the decade's biggest
events. While the film doesn't rank amongst Lee's best work,
it is nevertheless an enjoyable and worthwhile experience.
Definitely recommended.
August 3rd, 2010