One of the greatest movies of all-time finally gets a DVD treatment worthy of its legendary status. I have held out on getting Seven Samurai on DVD since I first got my DVD player, sometime in 2000. The original barebones DVD was felt by many to be worthy of purchase for the film alone, no matter what its quality was, as long as it was watchable, afterall, it was Seven Samurai. However, I held off because I heard of rumours of a re-release with new features, new subtitle translation, and improved audio and video quality. Fast forward to September 2006 and our prayers were finally answered as the best DVD production company in the world, the Criterion Collection, finally releases a new 3-disc DVD of Seven Samurai, with upgraded video quality, and a smattering of quality extras.
About the movie (the simple version): Set in 16th century Japan, a small village hires a group of samurai to help protect themselves from bandits who have stolen and ransacked their village, killing some villagers in the process. The movie is long (almost 3.5 hours), but it's never boring, and I found myself sucked into this deeply engrossing movie. Like all great movies, it just gets better everytime you watch it. And everytime you watch, you find something new to like about it that you didn't catch before.
Criterion's DVD features a brand new restoration that simply looks incredible compared to previous releases. It's not perfect, but for a film made in 1954, it has never looked any better. But don't take my word for it, here's some comparisons of screen captures from various DVDs of the film at DVD Beaver. The audio is presented in original Japanese mono or Dolby Surround. The score is conveyed well but voices can seem harsh and tinny at certain times. Again, technological limits at the time of its making limit the quality it could've been. That being said, it's not a big deal and remains very listenable and watchable.
Extras include two informative full-length commentaries, one by Japanese film expert Michael Jeck, and another featuring a roundtable of several film scholars. Also included is a lengthy documentary on the making of Seven Samurai filled with much insight by surviving cast and crew. It does not include any comments from Kurosawa himself as it was made after his passing in 1998, however that slight is belayed by the inclusion of a two hour interview with Akira Kurosawa where he recounts nearly his entire career in filmmaking. Finally there is also an hour long documentary called "Seven Samurai: Origins and Influences" which looks at the film's influences from other cinema, as well as the Samurai tradition and lifestyle.
You ever see those DVDs that scream at you "HOURS AND HOURS OF EXTRA FEATURES" and when you finally see them, it's either grossly inflated, or complete dreck? With this release, you not only get quantity, but you also get quality. Criterion's releases tend to be more pricey than the average DVD release, but they're worth it. It's obvious that this company is made up of people who love movies. Each movie they release is done with the utmost care and respect, with quality being their primary goal.
For people who owned previous versions of this movie, this is well-worth the upgrade, and for those who've never owned this movie, a true movie lover's collection is not complete without it.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Monday, October 23, 2006
The Hit List: Video Games Galore
I like to consider myself a Jack of All Trades, a world traveler of sorts who enjoys the many various forms of entertainment, so with some movie, comic, and music reviews already done, I figured it was time to review some video games.
Lego Star Wars II (On All Major Systems) - the original Lego Star Wars was one of those fantastic games that not only thrived on concept, but in execution. The game not only appealed due to its idea, Legos + Star Wars, but it was also a pretty damn fun game! The second is even better, if only for the fact that it's based on the Star Wars movies that didn't suck. This is also one of the funniest games I've played in a while, as I was playing through the levels not only to progress further, but to see the great cutscenes the gamemakers made that reproduced memorable Star Wars scene but with lego and no dialogue.
Dead Rising (XBox 360) - why has it taken so long to make this game? A zombie survival game no doubt inspired by (IMO and many others) the best zombie movie of all-time, Dawn of the Dead. So much so in fact, that there's a disclaimer on the game cover that says that the makers of the game were not affiliated with George A. Romero or the producers of Dawn of the Dead in any way. Ok, so you're this photojournalist stuck in a mall full of zombies for 72 hours. This game is oh, so great, but could've been so much better (sequel anyone?). There is so much you can do in the game, but what really kills is what you CAN'T do in the game. That combined with some really moronic A.I. (you've gotta rescue other survivors), and a really ass-backwards save system stop this game from being a classic. And don't get me started on Survival mode. In said mode, you must survive for as long as you possibly can while your health slowly diminishes and food items DO NOT respawn. Now when I first unlocked this mode, I salivated at playing this because it seemed like the real meat and bones, something I could really sink my teeth into. But sadly, there is one major showstopper to this mode: You CAN'T save. You've gotta keep playing for 12+ hours straight with no breaks. I would've played this mode to death, but I'm not prepared to sit on a couch for an entire day to do it. Besides, if I kept my 360 on that long, it would probably melt. That being said, it's still a very good game, and a sequel that fixed said problems would be unbelievably welcome.
Kingdom Hearts II (PlayStation 2) - let's get this out of the way up front, the first Kingdom Hearts, a perfect marriage of Square's Final Fantasy and Disney's animated characters and worlds, is one of my favorite games of all-time. So it is to my dismay that this sequel is so fantastic in some ways, but drops the ball in one of the biggest departments. First, the good, the art and recreations of the many classic disney worlds is fantastic. The 3d-ifications of the 2d animated worlds is spot-on and looks incredible. Particularly, the Mulan, Tron (TRON!!!!), The Nightmare Before Christmas (I would love a standalone game made in the art style of these levels) and black and white Steamboat Willie inspired worlds standout. Now the bad, the gameplay, the battles are just too simple and easy. Now, while it may seem that you are given many options and types of attacks to perform during battles, you could literally button mash your way through this game. That being said, this is still a worthy game, especially for those who love the classic animated disney films.
Clubhouse Games (Nintendo DS) - this is one of those DS games that you will want to keep and play forever. It's made up of a large (40+) collection of various simple board, card and other games such as billiards and bowling. One of the best pick up and play games, you can play it for 5 minutes, or you can play it for hours. Some of the games, especially the non-board and card games have quirky stylus-based controls that aren't very effective and sometimes very annoying. Despite that, this game is still a winner. Not only can you play these games by yourself, but also with others, both online and offline. One of my favorite features of the Nintendo DS is the ability for people to play multiplayer games off a single cartridge, and this game is no exception, as 8 players with DS systems can play off a single game card. In addition, you can also play online over Nintendo's free Wifi service. In addition +1, this game's new in-game pictochat is really fantastic and makes me wish it was the standard pictochat on every DS. Overall, a very robust package, one I'll keep for a good while.
Lego Star Wars II (On All Major Systems) - the original Lego Star Wars was one of those fantastic games that not only thrived on concept, but in execution. The game not only appealed due to its idea, Legos + Star Wars, but it was also a pretty damn fun game! The second is even better, if only for the fact that it's based on the Star Wars movies that didn't suck. This is also one of the funniest games I've played in a while, as I was playing through the levels not only to progress further, but to see the great cutscenes the gamemakers made that reproduced memorable Star Wars scene but with lego and no dialogue.
Dead Rising (XBox 360) - why has it taken so long to make this game? A zombie survival game no doubt inspired by (IMO and many others) the best zombie movie of all-time, Dawn of the Dead. So much so in fact, that there's a disclaimer on the game cover that says that the makers of the game were not affiliated with George A. Romero or the producers of Dawn of the Dead in any way. Ok, so you're this photojournalist stuck in a mall full of zombies for 72 hours. This game is oh, so great, but could've been so much better (sequel anyone?). There is so much you can do in the game, but what really kills is what you CAN'T do in the game. That combined with some really moronic A.I. (you've gotta rescue other survivors), and a really ass-backwards save system stop this game from being a classic. And don't get me started on Survival mode. In said mode, you must survive for as long as you possibly can while your health slowly diminishes and food items DO NOT respawn. Now when I first unlocked this mode, I salivated at playing this because it seemed like the real meat and bones, something I could really sink my teeth into. But sadly, there is one major showstopper to this mode: You CAN'T save. You've gotta keep playing for 12+ hours straight with no breaks. I would've played this mode to death, but I'm not prepared to sit on a couch for an entire day to do it. Besides, if I kept my 360 on that long, it would probably melt. That being said, it's still a very good game, and a sequel that fixed said problems would be unbelievably welcome.
Kingdom Hearts II (PlayStation 2) - let's get this out of the way up front, the first Kingdom Hearts, a perfect marriage of Square's Final Fantasy and Disney's animated characters and worlds, is one of my favorite games of all-time. So it is to my dismay that this sequel is so fantastic in some ways, but drops the ball in one of the biggest departments. First, the good, the art and recreations of the many classic disney worlds is fantastic. The 3d-ifications of the 2d animated worlds is spot-on and looks incredible. Particularly, the Mulan, Tron (TRON!!!!), The Nightmare Before Christmas (I would love a standalone game made in the art style of these levels) and black and white Steamboat Willie inspired worlds standout. Now the bad, the gameplay, the battles are just too simple and easy. Now, while it may seem that you are given many options and types of attacks to perform during battles, you could literally button mash your way through this game. That being said, this is still a worthy game, especially for those who love the classic animated disney films.
Clubhouse Games (Nintendo DS) - this is one of those DS games that you will want to keep and play forever. It's made up of a large (40+) collection of various simple board, card and other games such as billiards and bowling. One of the best pick up and play games, you can play it for 5 minutes, or you can play it for hours. Some of the games, especially the non-board and card games have quirky stylus-based controls that aren't very effective and sometimes very annoying. Despite that, this game is still a winner. Not only can you play these games by yourself, but also with others, both online and offline. One of my favorite features of the Nintendo DS is the ability for people to play multiplayer games off a single cartridge, and this game is no exception, as 8 players with DS systems can play off a single game card. In addition, you can also play online over Nintendo's free Wifi service. In addition +1, this game's new in-game pictochat is really fantastic and makes me wish it was the standard pictochat on every DS. Overall, a very robust package, one I'll keep for a good while.
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Graphic Novel Review: Pride of Baghdad
Written by Brian K. Vaughan, Art by Niko Henrichon.
Suggested For Mature Readers.
Brian K. Vaughan is no doubt one of the most prolific and best comic book writers out there. With the apoalyptic Y: The Last Man, politically-savvy Ex Machina, an extended run on Ultimate X-Men, and my personal favorite about a ragtag group of teenage superheroes, Runaways, he is no doubt one of my favorite writers in the biz, one who can almost write any kind of comic book and in any style. So when it was announced that he had an original graphic novel to be published recently, I jumped in not knowing anything about what the book was about, but knew it would be great because Vaughan wrote it.
And I was not disappointed. Pride of Baghdad is based on the true story of a small group (or pride in lion terms) who escape from the Baghdad Zoo during the 2003 U.S. led bombings. What we get is a multi-layered, textured story following 4 lions as they "escape" their Zoo surroundings and make it out into the "free" world. I don't want to talk about the story too much, so as not to give away the major points, but that is the gist of it in a nutshell.
It is at many times, endearing, playful, thoughtful and heartbreaking, sometimes all at once. The final page will leave you angry, or sad, or probably both depending on your interpretation of it. My view of the war has always been against it, and the reaction and fallout from this book, while being mainly positive, has created much heated debate over its message or messages, as has the real war that this book recreates.
I'm not quite sure what Vaughan really set out to say, most likely he wanted to leave it open to interpretation for the viewer. This, to me just added to the thoughtfulness of the story. It will make you think, and it will make you argue, and that is one thing comic books very rarely make you do.
All of this is brought to life by the incredible artwork of Niko Henrichon. You are hooked onto every page of this book, as it alternates showing us the highest of highs in life, and the lowest of lows. Writing is one thing, but in comics, the art can make or break a story, and this one makes it.
This graphic novel has been put out by DC Comics Vertigo imprint, and contains violence and profanity and is definitely NOT recommended for kids. The Lion King it is not, but well worth your time and money it certainly is.
Suggested For Mature Readers.
Brian K. Vaughan is no doubt one of the most prolific and best comic book writers out there. With the apoalyptic Y: The Last Man, politically-savvy Ex Machina, an extended run on Ultimate X-Men, and my personal favorite about a ragtag group of teenage superheroes, Runaways, he is no doubt one of my favorite writers in the biz, one who can almost write any kind of comic book and in any style. So when it was announced that he had an original graphic novel to be published recently, I jumped in not knowing anything about what the book was about, but knew it would be great because Vaughan wrote it.
And I was not disappointed. Pride of Baghdad is based on the true story of a small group (or pride in lion terms) who escape from the Baghdad Zoo during the 2003 U.S. led bombings. What we get is a multi-layered, textured story following 4 lions as they "escape" their Zoo surroundings and make it out into the "free" world. I don't want to talk about the story too much, so as not to give away the major points, but that is the gist of it in a nutshell.
It is at many times, endearing, playful, thoughtful and heartbreaking, sometimes all at once. The final page will leave you angry, or sad, or probably both depending on your interpretation of it. My view of the war has always been against it, and the reaction and fallout from this book, while being mainly positive, has created much heated debate over its message or messages, as has the real war that this book recreates.
I'm not quite sure what Vaughan really set out to say, most likely he wanted to leave it open to interpretation for the viewer. This, to me just added to the thoughtfulness of the story. It will make you think, and it will make you argue, and that is one thing comic books very rarely make you do.
All of this is brought to life by the incredible artwork of Niko Henrichon. You are hooked onto every page of this book, as it alternates showing us the highest of highs in life, and the lowest of lows. Writing is one thing, but in comics, the art can make or break a story, and this one makes it.
This graphic novel has been put out by DC Comics Vertigo imprint, and contains violence and profanity and is definitely NOT recommended for kids. The Lion King it is not, but well worth your time and money it certainly is.
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