Mel Gibson's controversial box-office smash The Passion of The Christ debuts on DVD with a widescreen anamorphic transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.40:1 and does a fabulous job of capturing Caleb Deschanel's fabulous cinematography. The soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS Surround. As in the theatrical release, the dialogue has been recorded in Aramaic and Latin. English and Spanish subtitles are accessible. The only extra of note is an audio track designed to assist the visually impaired. A male voice narrates the action on the screen while a female voice delivers the dialogue. Considering the remarkable amount of press the film generated, it would not be unreasonable to think that a more deluxe DVD will be made one day, but for the time being, this disc does an excellent job of presenting Gibson's vision.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
Zelda Barron's quirky coming-of-age comedy Shag comes to DVD with a widescreen transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The closed-captioned English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital Surround. Spanish and French subtitles are accessible. Supplemental materials are limited to the original theatrical trailer. This is a fine bare-bones DVD release that will please fans of the film and should interest any fan of the film's talented cast (Phoebe Cates, Bridget Fonda, and Annabeth Gish).
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
Made a few years before Anthony Hopkins found true international superstardom with The Silence of the Lambs, the lovely 84 Charing Cross Road receives a bungled DVD release from Columbia TriStar. Very much in the tradition of future Hopkins hits as Shadowlands and Remains of the Day, the movie actually received an art house theatrical run in the United States, yet it only gets presented in a pan-and-scan version on this DVD. Kudos to Columbia TriStar for giving viewers Korean, Portuguese, Thai, and Chinese language tracks in addition to the usual French and Spanish ones, but that does little for viewers with a working knowledge of English. A melancholy movie brimming over with beautiful scenes that has earned a following of quiet romantics (similar to other British films such as I Know Where I'm Going and Turtle Diary), 84 Charing Cross Road deserves another DVD edition.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
This release contains six different BBC productions of classic works by Jane Austen -- an author who experienced a burst of popularity in the 1990s during which many of her novels were adapted for both the large and small screen. Included in this collection are the full versions of Northanger Abbey, Mansfield Park, Persuasion, Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Emma.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.