Clash of the Titans (1981 Version)

Reviewed by Drav3n

Format: Blu-ray

Release: March 2, 2010

Rated: PG

Runtime: 118 Minutes

The Movie:

Harry Hamlin stars as Perseus, the mortal son of Zeus. As Perseus sets out to fulfill his destiny by rescuing Andromeda from the wrath of goddess Thetis, perils awaits Perseus as he must conquer the likes of Medusa, Pegasus, Dioskilos, giant scoprions and the Kraken.

I remember watching this movie in school several times when we were studying Greek mythology. And at that time, I remember really enjoying this movie. As I grew older, I finally decided to re-visit this movie on dvd, and while I still enjoyed it, it didn't have that effect on me as it did when I was a kid. Now re-visiting this on blu-ray, sadly, I can say I'm no longer a fan of this movie. The only part that I still enjoyed was the scene between Perseus and Medusa.

One thing that really bothered me with this movie was how everytime a new character appeared, they would "introduce" themselves of who they were and where they were from. I get it that not everyone is into greek mythology, but there are otherways to introduce characters to the audience then what was done in this movie.

I felt that the actor that played Perseus, Harry Hamlin, simply put no effort into his performance. And for a big-budget movie (atleast it was considered to be in its time), it felt more like the movie was more focuses on the special effects than it was on its cast. Granted I wasn't alive when this was released, but I have seen a good amount of movies that date back to the 1940's, 50's, 60's and so on, so it's kind of easy to notice who was a known actor at that time, and who wasn't.

Clash of the Titans was the final movie to use stop-motion animation from the legendary Ray Harryhausen. Harryhausen is more well known for movies like Jason and the Argonauts, and The 7th Voyage of Sinbad. Let's face it, the only reason this movie finally saw a release on blu-ray was to just promote the remake that came out earlier this year.

Presentation:

The first thing you are going to notice on the back of the blu-ray case is "This film has been remastered utilizing state-of-the-art digital technology while maintaining the visual appearance of the original theatrical release." Reading that got my hopes up that this film was going to look great. While I can say that this movie definitely looks better than I remembered when seeing it years ago, unfortuntately this transfer didn't leave me satisfied.

During the scenes between the actual actors, the film can look good with some decent object detail and colors looking semi-strong. But then all of a sudden the film becomes grainy, which can be considered as a warning to prepare you for the special effects. And, you know, I'm sure when this movie came out in 1981, that people went crazy over how it looks. And of course some films fare better with age, while others don't. I am a fan of stop-motion technology, but sadly, the way it was used in this film, it doesn't allow the film to age very well.

Audio:

I was surprised to see this release only get a 2.0 DTS-HD Master audio track. While the dialogue is clear in most scenes, there are a few scenes that do suffer. The sound effects seemed to be lacking in sound as well (probably due to age). However the track that is given is used well and will probably please viewers.

Someone mentioned on their review that there was audio missing around the 12-minute mark of the film that involved Zeus. I didn't even notice it the first time through, but I did go back and check and yes, there was obviously a line of dialgoue missing.

Bonus Material:

• Conversation with Ray Harryhausen (480p, Runtime 12:00 minutes) - An interview with Ray Harryhausen
• Myth and Monsters Gallery (480p, Runtime 10:00 minutes) - A short seven-part featurette that focuses on the creations of the Kraken, Medusa, Calibos, Pegasus, Bubo, Dioskilos, and the Scorpions.

Bottom Line:

If you are a die-hard fan of this movie, then I guess you will get this no matter what. I, personally, don't think this movie maintains what it had back when it was released almost 30 years ago. The transfer is acceptable, and the sound is ok. No new special features (or barely any special features at all), is a huge let down. There's no reason to upgrade to the blu-ray if you are already an owner of the movie on dvd. Rent it if you want to re-visit this film before seeing the remake that was released into theaters earlier this year, otherwise, just skip it!

True Blood: The Complete Second Season

Reviewed by Drav3n

Format: Blu-ray

Release: May 25, 2010

Rated: Not Rated

Runtime: 720 Minutes

The Movie:

Don't be fooled by the Twilight craze or even that other vampire show on network television "The Vampire Diaries." True Blood isn't a show that's just aimed at the female audience.

True Blood: The Complete Second Season returns viewers exactly where the first season left off. You immediately find out whose body it was that was in the backseat of Andy Bellefleur's car. Sookie's life has become more dangerous than ever now that she is needed by Eric to go to Dallas and investigate the disappearance of the Sheriff, who happens to be a 2,000 year old vampire. Tara is in love, but also under a spell caused by Maryann, who possesses a power that enables her to control almost everyone in town. Jason has joined the Fellowship of the Sun, the anti-vampire church. And Newly created vampire, Jessica finds herself a boyfriend in Hoyt, only there is something that keeps getting in the way of their relationship.

The second season has two main storylines: The first involves finding Godric, the missing 2,000 year old vampire and the second storyline involves Maryann and her using her powers to control the town.

While the first season had great character development and an excellent storyline (including the excellent finale), season two is much stronger and wastes no time in getting everything started. Even the new characters that get introduced this season (Godric, Rev. Newlin and his wife, Luke, Hugo, Stan, Daphne, Eggs, and more) all are able to carry themselves quickly. Normally, you don't see a character get introduced and a few minutes later you seem to know everything about their past. For a show that only has 12 episodes a season, they find more than enough time to make sure the viewers know who the characters are and where they come from and still are able to continue the storyline without any interruption. Everything that happens, does so for a reason in this show. There are no "filler" episodes (as of yet) with this series.

The character relationships have grown even stronger in this season as well. Eric and Sookie, Jessica and Hoyt, Tara and Eggs, Andy and Jason, Bill and Sam, Maryann and Sam, Arlene and Terry, and the list goes on. Everyone has great chemistry with each other, never leaving viewers with a dull moment. Plus the tension between some of the characters is always a great reason to keep watching.

This isn't a show about sparking vampires. If anything, this is the "mature" version of Twilight that most of these little girls aren't allowed to watch yet. Yes, there's plenty (heavy emphasis on plenty) of sexuality throughout the show leaving, both male and female, viewers of this show satisfied. The storylines are great, and are excellent at setting up what's going to happen next.

As someone that has currently read and enjoyed all ten of The Southern Vampire Mysteries, I hope HBO keeps this show going for a while and allows Alan Ball to end this once he feels its right. I like the fact that Ball follows the books to an extent, but also adds a few different things as he goes along. For those unaware, Alan Ball is responsible for the movie American Beauty (which won the Academy Award for Best Picture) and the highly-successful HBO series Six Feet Under. I look forward to the introduction of werewolves in the upcoming third season, and am intrigued to see what Alan Ball does with this season and future seasons.

If you haven't checked this show out yet, and you are a part of this vampire craze, all I can ask is "What are you waiting for?" This is easily one of the best shows on television right now. Go out and buy the first two seasons now and get yourself caught up for the June 13 season premiere. There is not one person I know that has seen an episode of this show that hasn't been hooked.

Presentation:

Just like with the release of the first season of True Blood, the second season of True Blood looks just as great, if not better. For the most part the image is very clear with a lot of fine image detail that really brings the fictitious Bon Temps to life. But then there are a few soft scenes in every episode that don't stand out as well. One complaint with the HD presentation is that the image looks so real and clear at times that the wounds on the characters look completely unrealistic. Grain is present but more noticeable during the softer scenes. Colors are strong and stand out, and black levels are deep. Up close facial shots show an incredible amount of detail. If you were pleased with the presentation of the first season, than the second season will not disappoint at all.

Audio:

HBO releases on blu-ray have yet to disappoint when it comes to the audio. And this release of True Blood: The Complete Second Season follows suit with delivering an incredible sounding 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track for each episode. Audiophiles will praise this release. During the scenes at Merlotte's and the parties thrown by Maryann, everything is able to be heard crystal clear with no issues. The sound effects sound amazing as they add so much more depth to what's going on. There is alot going on in each episode, and having the lossless audio really is able to provide this show with the best presentation as possible.

Bonus Material:

• Enhanced Viewing Experience - Just like on the blu-ray for Season 1, this feature offers a PiP for each episode. These PiP's pack more trivia, story details, flashbacks and more. Easy worth turning this feature on for a good recap or to learn more about the characters.
• Audio Commentaries - There are seven commentaries for seven episodes.
• Character Perspectives (1080p, 2:02:00) - The characters discuss their time in Bon Temps
• Fellowship of the Sun: Reflections of Light (1080p, 12:00) - Rev. Newlin and his wife host four short seminars.
• The Vampire Report: Special Edition (1080p, 24:00) - Another in-character feature that shows fake news reports.

Bottom Line:

As the show continues on, it just keeps getting better, and the word of mouth for this show is increasing rapidly. This is probably the best show on cable (right next to Dexter and Mad Men), and if you give it a chance, you will clearly understand why. The show is fantastic, and the blu-ray release is given the proper treatment it respectively deserves. The special features really give excellent replay value between the audio commentaries and the Picture-in-picture tracks. Highly recommended!

Here's the official trailer for the third season of True Blood, which premieres on June 13.