New DVDs: Stanley Kubrick in high def

Pick of the week: Stanley Kubrick: Directors Series DVDs
Dog of the week: Mr. Brooks

The long-awaited widescreen Stanley Kubrick rereleases are on the shelves. So far, I've seen the uncensored HD DVD version of the Tom Cruise-Nicole Kidman sex movie "Eyes Wide Shut," which is handsome but not a stunner.

The "Eyes" upgrade to high def pays off with a more elegant and less visually fatiguing presentation than found on previous DVDs.

An A-B comparison of the "Eyes" HD DVD and the older version (played upconverted and standard) revealed deeper blacks and more pronounced shifts in the film's thematic color scheme. For example, on the HD DVD the first act plays out in an amber-reddish haze that was clearly present but not nearly as persistent on the last DVD release (of six years ago). The movie also has been released on Blu-ray.

Both versions exhibit significant grain and softness to be expected with the naturalistic lighting Kubrick used in most of the extended indoor settings. In the second act, as Tom Cruise begins his midnight creep on the Manhattan streets, the HD DVD quality becomes obvious -- the film gets better looking as it goes along. (Look at the two photos on this DVD review post to see the color shift from amber to blue.)

The Dolby True audio (stereo) sounds fuller in musical passages and is notably less shrill with the dialogue.

The Kubrick titles are available in a box set, as separate two-disc titles and in HD DVD and Blu-ray. (Read the DVD blog's breakdown of the new Stanley Kubrick releases. And the "2001: A Space Odyssey" DVD review.)

The set, "Stanley Kubrick: Warner Home Video Directors Series," contains "2001: A Space Odyssey," "A Clockwork Orange," "Eyes Wide Shut," "The Shining" and "Full Metal Jacket." The splendid 2 1/2-hour Kubrick documentary "A Life in Pictures" (from 2001) rounds out the 10-disc set.

This is the third time around on DVD for most of these Kubrick movies (previously 1999 and 2001). The other two series inspired endless debate over use of full frame and mono sound on some titles. The 2001 collection saw the final three movies in full frame, according to the director's wishes. This box set comes with the participation of the Kubrick estate, which apparently has overruled the late director to some extent. It's a victory for Kubrick fans, most would agree.

"Eyes" apparently comes uncensored (no blurring in the orgy rooms). The disc says viewers can pick between versions, but the disc just played the pure European version. Either way, it's no big deal -- in the end, this is a movie about sex that isn't all that sexy.

Also this week (abrupt MPAA rating shift!):

Disney's "Meet the Robinsons" isn't nearly as bad as its reviews indicated. (The New York Times called it "one of the worst theatrically released animated features issued under the Disney label.") Parents will find the 3-D animated movie pleasant enough -- but far from a cross-generational pleaser like "The Incredibles." I liked the hero, a kid inventor operating somewhere on the Asperger's spectrum. The Blu-ray of "Robinsons" is what you'd expect from cutting-edge computer ani rolled out in high definition: reference quality. Beware the usual barage of Disney promo materials before the film, sigh.

This DVD blog's players are cued up for "Days of Heaven," the gorgeous 1978 Terrence Malick film with Richard Gere; the unrated high-def versions of the terrific horror series "Hostel"; and the 1973 Malcolm McDowell-Lindsay Anderson lark "O Lucky Man!"

New and notable:
The Adventures of Aquaman (Warner)
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones (Paramount)
Alive Day Memories: Home From Iraq (HBO Video)
American Gangster: First Season (Paramount)
Breathless (The Criterion Collection)
Burt Lancaster: The Signature Collection (Warner)
The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey (Genius Products)
The Company (Sony)
Days of Heaven (The Criterion Collection)
Dog Bite Dog (Dragon Dynasty)
Home of the Brave (MGM)
Hostel unrated (Sony)
Hostel II unrated (Sony)
The L-Word: The Fourth Season (Paramount)
MacGyver: The Complete Series (Paramount)
The Mario Bava Collection, Vol. 2
Meet the Robinsons (Disney)
Mind of Mencia: Season 3 (Paramount)
O Lucky Man! (Warner)
Route 66: Season One (Infinity Entertainment)
The Sopranos: Season 6, Part II (HBO Video)
Stanley Kubrick Collection (Warner)
The Tripper (Fox)
Under the Volcano (The Criterion Collection)

Complete list of today's releases on my pal Harley's site, onvideo.org

Comments

[sir jorge]

It's nice to see he's getting the high def treatment, as it should have been all along.

[Glenn Abel]

Stanley Kubrick's odd demands for home video aspect ratios apparently sprung from his concern that VHS would butcher his work if letterboxed.

The estate went against his wishes, but you gotta figure the master would have approved of today's high-def presentations -- Blu-rays, flat screens, etc.

Yeah, it's a great thing.

Looking forward to your next comment, Sir Jorge!