Evans Above

Michael Apted’s Thunderheart is a neo-Western mystery released in 1992. It stars Val Kilmer as Ray Levoi, an FBI agent of Sioux heritage who is sent to investigate a homicide on a Native American reservation. He’s there to assist lead agent Frank Coutelle (Sam Shepard), and in turn the two are aided in their investigation by tribal police officer Walter Crow Horse, portrayed by Graham Greene. Fred Ward and Sheila Tousey round out the lead cast. Drawing inspiration from the Wounded Knee incident in 1973, the film is also a political thriller as the investigation uncovers events surrounding abuses of power and Native American activism. Levoi realizes his assignment is more than what he initially thought. Sony has now released the film on 4K and thanks to Allied Vaughn, I had a chance to look at it.

The 2160p HEVC / H.265 encoded native 4K digital transfer with Dolby Vision and HDR10 is presented in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The video presentation has great clarity, from details on faces and clothing, to worn down buildings and the rugged terrain of South Dakota. The colour palette can range from primaries to the sun-bleached landscape. Black levels are deep with no loss of detail in darker scenes and there’s a pleasing grain structure. Shot by cinematographer Roger Deakins, Thunderheart looks great.

On the audio side of things, there’s an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack as well as an English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track. Subtitles are available for English and English SDH. The soundtrack is front-focused though the surrounds do get some work for occasional action and atmospheric cues. James Horner’s score supports the story well and dialogue is clear and prioritized well in the mix.

The Thunderheart 4K is a bit slim on extras and given the relatively recent passings of Kilmer and Greene, it would have been nice to see something updated. On video, we do get a few minutes of standard definition press kit soundbites from cast and crew and a trailer. There is an informative commentary by screenwriter John Fusco. A digital code is included.

The Thunderheart 4K has a great cast, looks and sounds great, and though light on other extras, the commentary by John Fusco is interesting. Recommended.

Wicked for Good continues the events of Wicked and is based upon (there are some changes) the second half of the Broadway musical. Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) is in hiding as she continues her efforts to take down the Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum) and Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh). Meanwhile, Glinda (Ariana Grande) is the public face of good, surrounded by fawning sycophants but few real friends. Then there’s the matter of that young girl from Kansas and her little dog Toto too. Universal has just released Wicked for Good on 4K and I had a chance to take a look.

The 2160p HEVC / H.265 encoded native 4K digital transfer with Dolby Vision and HDR10 is presented in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio. The video presentation will magically fill you with superlatives to describe it. Brighter primaries lushly pop of the screen, while Elphaba’s darker world drowns in deep shades that don’t lose details in the shadows. The clarity and detail is evident in everything from hair and makeup, to sets and textiles. Whites are brilliant and the HDR makes spectral highlights dazzle.

On the audio side of things, you have the choice of an English Dolby Atmos track that folds back to Dolby TrueHD 7.1 as well as French and Spanish Dolby Digital 7.1 tracks. Subtitles are available for English SDH, French and Spanish. The soundtrack has a wide range, able to soar with the big musical numbers but also feel intimate for quiet moments between characters. The heights and surround firmly place you in Oz, while dialogue is always clear.

The Wicked for Good 4K also comes with a Blu-ray copy and Digital code, though once again, there’s no Digital option on the Canadian release. Extras include a sing-along mode, a 50 minute “making of” piece, closer looks at the thematic roles of the Wizard, Oz and Glinda, deleted scenes, and a feature commentary by director John M. Chu.

The Wicked for Good 4K looks and sounds gorgeous and has a nice selection of extras. Fans of Wicked won’t go wrong if they choose to add this to their collection.

Law & Order is an iconic police procedural that had its original twenty season run on NBC in the US from September 1990 to May 2010. The shows followed a pretty defined formula: the first half followed the detectives of NYC’s 27th precinct as they solved a violent crime, while the second half followed the work of the district attorney’s office and the prosecutors as they take the case to court. Though many of the cast would change over the two decades, the formula was almost always the same. The cast over the years included George Dzundza, Chris Noth, Dann Florek, Michael Moriarty, Richard Brooks, Steven Hill, Paul Sorvino, Jerry Orbach, S. Epatha Merkerson, Jill Hennessy, Sam Waterston, Benjamin Bratt, Carey Lowell, Angie Harmon, Jesse L. Martin, Dianne Wiest, Elisabeth Röhm, Fred Dalton Thompson, Dennis Farina, Annie Parisse, Michael Imperioli, Milena Govich, Alana de la Garza, Jeremy Sisto, Linus Roache, and Anthony Anderson. The show rebooted in 2022 and as of 2025, is in its 25 season. The show has spawned six offshoots: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order: Trial by Jury, Law & Order: LA, Law & Order: True Crime, and Law & Order: Organized Crime. There are also two international versions: Law & Order: UK and Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent.

In November of 2016, a complete series DVD set was released containing the then complete twenty seasons. That version came with a hefty price tag, a box with a hinged lid and a large book containing an episode guide. That release was both out of reach for most fans and eventually out of print. In December 2025, Universal released a slimmed down version of the box set, minus the fancy lidded box and episode guide and with a more palatable price point. Entitled Law & Order: The Complete Original Series, the 104 disc set is still large enough to double as a weight to increase your arm strength. Thanks to Allied Vaughn and Universal, I was given a chance to take a look at this release.

I tend to say this in a lot of TV on DVD reviews, but for the person in the back asking, “Why no Blu-ray or 4K?” it’s a question of economics. The market for a twenty season, 456 episode series is a niche one. DVD is still the cheapest physical media to manufacture. The show looks quite good and with about 4 episodes a disc, there’s enough room to breathe without looking terribly compressed. Universal did a good job here. The show has always had a muted colour palette and, half tongue in cheek, I’d say the DVD format lends itself to the stories of violent crimes in the Big Apple. The show is present in a 4:3 aspect ratio for seasons 1-4, switching to 16:9 in season 5.

On the audio side of things, there’s an English Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack. Subtitles are available English SDH. As is the case with box sets that are compiled from individually released seasons, a few of the seasons might contain Spanish and French subtitles but most don’t. In fact, the second season even contains a French soundtrack. The audio is crisp and clear, the snap of the guitar in the iconic theme hits your ears beautifully. The ambient noise and effects in this stereo mix are effective and dialogue is clear and prioritized.

Law & Order: The Complete Original Series spreads the 20 seasons over 104 discs. The set does not come with a digital code. Extras are spread throughout the seasons, though some seasons don’t have any extras. There’s “The Creation of Law & Order with Dick Wolf”, a 14 minute featurette where Wolf discusses the origins of the series and a trailer for the interactive game “Law & Order: Dead on Money” which makes you realize how far game graphics have come. “Law & Order: The First Three Years” is another lengthy (30 minutes) featurette with George Dzundza, Chris Noth, Jerry Orbach, Dann Florek, Paul Sorvino, Michael Moriarty, and Richard Brooks where they discuss casting, research and filming. There’s the usual assortment of deleted and extended scenes, a tribute to the late Jerry Orbach, a set tour, and four crossover episodes: three with the cast of Homicide: Life on the Street and one with Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Law & Order: The Complete Original Series is a massive DVD set of an iconic and beloved show. It’s pretty hard to find somebody who has never heard it’s distinctive “chung chung” audio sting. This Universal re-release contains the previous nicely done audio and video presentation and by packaging it in a cheaper box without the episode guide it makes it once again accessible to fans who missed out on or couldn’t afford the initial release. If you love Law & Order, then this release is highly recommended.

The 1959 horror House on Haunted Hill is a cult classic that brought carnival scares to the cinema. One promotional gimmick called “Emergo” had specially-equipped theatres spook the audience with a skeleton flying over them in one scene. Directed by William Castle, the film starred Vincent Price as an eccentric millionaire who will pay his invited guests $10,000 if they can spend one night in his haunted house. The cast also included Carol Ohmart, Richard Long, Alan Marshal, Carolyn Craig, Julie Mitchum, and Elisha Cook Jr. Thanks to Allied Vaughn and Film Masters, I was sent a review copy for an early look.

Released as part of Film Masters’ limited-edition Archive Collection, the 1080p AVC encoded digital transfer is presented in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The film is in the public domain, due to a lapsed copyright, so several other versions have been released over the years. Film Masters has put together and scanned available prints and the results here are quite good. Grain levels and clarity can shift from time to time with detail being razor sharp one moment and a little rougher a few minutes later. Black levels are generally quite deep. House on Haunted Hill is not like contemporary horror films. It’s like a haunted house at a summer fair, full of plenty of “I can’t believe that made you jump” scare. It’s fun, it’s goofy, and there’s a certain innocence to it. I’m glad that Film Masters decided to give it their treatment and a release.

On the audio side of things, there’s an English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono soundtrack. Subtitles are available for English SDH and the commentary track. The soundtrack really shines, with no persistent hisses or pops that you might expect when sources are old and varied. The dialogue is clear and prioritized in the mix.

The House on Haunted Hill Blu-ray does not come with a digital code. It does include a booklet with an essay by film professor Jason A. Ney. Entitled “Hail to the King: In Praise of William Castle”, it looks at the director’s career and includes reproductions of several posters from his film. The disc includes a commentary by film historian Heath Holland, who hosts the Cereal at Midnight site and podcast. Holland delves into the history of the production and his appreciation of the production comes through in his work here.

Film Masters’ House on Haunted Hill Blu-ray pays homage to a more innocent time in the horror genre and of course you can’t go wrong with Vincent Price. Recommended.

Kansas City Confidential, released as a limited-edition part of Film Masters’ Archive Collection, is a 1952 film noir directed by Phil Karlson. Starring John Payne and Coleen Gray, the cast also includes Preston Foster, Neville Brand, Lee Van Cleef, Jack Elam, Dona Drake, Mario Siletti, Howard Negley, Carleton Young, Don Orlando, and Ted Ryan. Foster plays a crooked ex-police captain who masterminds an armoured car robbery with the help of three criminals (Brand, Elam, Van Cleef). The team only ever meet wearing masks, a plot point that inspired Quentin Tarantino for Reservoir Dogs. Using a delivery truck, they manage to frame an ex-con flower truck driver (Payne) in the process. Beaten by the cops and having lost his job, Payne’s character seeks revenge against the men who ruined his life. Thanks to Allied Vaughn and Film Masters, I had a chance to take a look at this Blu-ray release.

The 1080p AVC encoded digital transfer is presented in a 1.33:1 aspect ratio. This film has been in the public domain since the 1980s and some previous releases and versions available have not looked pretty. Film Masters has done restoration work on the source materials and though some nicks and scratches still exist here and there, it’s a really good looking presentation, with sharp detail on faces, sets and textiles and nice deep black levels.

On the audio side of things, there’s an English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono soundtrack. Subtitles are available for English SDH and for the included commentary track. The soundtrack occasionally shows it’s age with a few pops and crackles, but otherwise this is a great track with no hiss and effects that sound clean and crisp. Dialogue is clear and prioritized in the mix.

The Kansas City Confidential Blu-ray does not come with a digital code or any filmed extras. We do get an audio commentary from film historian Jason A. Ney and a booklet with an essay written by author Don Stradley that focuses on Jack Elam entitled “He Could Steal Scenes He Wasn’t Even In…”

I always enjoy Film Masters’ releases and the Kansas City Confidential Blu-ray is no exception. With restored audio and video, a commentary track, and a booklet, noir enthusiasts or thise just getting into noir will enjoy adding this to their library.

Directed by Scott Derrickson, who co-wrote the script with C. Robert Cargill, Black Phone 2 takes place four years after Finney (Mason Thames) killed the serial killer known as the Grabber (Ethan Hawke). Finney’s sister, Gwen (Madeleine McGraw), has been having dreams about the 1950s murders of the Grabber and convinces her brother and friend Ernesto (Miguel Mora) to head to Alpine Lake Camp to see what her dreams might mean and deal with the Grabber’s ghostly presence. The film has now received a 4K release from Universal and I had a chance to take an early look.

The 2160p HEVC / H.265 encoded native 4K digital transfer with Dolby Vision and HDR10 is presented in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio. Set in the 1980s, the movie has a palette aesthetic that matches the era. The film has excellent detail in facial features, textiles and locations. There’s a lot of dark scenes but the black levels are excellent and don’t lose detail. Dream sequences were apparently shot on Super 8 film and those sequences understandably have a pronounced grain structure. It’s a really nice looking horror.

On the audio side of things, there’s an English Dolby Atmos soundtrack that folds back to DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1. Subtitles are available for English SDH. The Atmos height channels are used sparingly, while the surrounds are put to good use with ambient sounds and effects. Dialogue is clear and centred.

The Black Phone 2 4K also comes with a Blu-ray and Digital code, though those of us in Canada once again do not get a digital copy. There is a commentary by director/co-writer Scott Derrickson, a series of deleted scenes, a look at the cast, a featurette on the production, and a look at the dreamlike set.

The Black Phone 2 4K combines a very nice audio and video presentation with a good selection of extras. Fans of the first story and the horror genre will be interested in this release and will want to add this to their collection.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents was a half-hour anthology series that premiered on CBS in 1955 before moving to NBC in 1960. It predated the other legendary anthology series, The Twilight Zone, by five years. Many of the scripts came from previously published sources, including Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, which started publishing in 1956. Though the master of suspense and his desert dry wit would do the intro and the outro for each episode, he only directed seventeen. The series gave work to many actors from those starting out to household names. Guest performers included Barbara Bel Geddes, Charles Bronson, John Cassavetes, Joseph Cotten, Bette Davis, Bruce Dern, Robert Duvall, Clint Eastwood, Peter Falk, Joan Fontaine, John Forsythe, Cedric Hardwicke, Peter Lawford, Cloris Leachman, Robert Loggia, Peter Lorre, Walter Matthau, Steve McQueen, Audrey Meadows, Vera Miles, Ricardo Montalbán, Roger Moore, Leslie Nielsen, Vincent Price, Claude Rains, Robert Redford, Burt Reynolds, Thelma Ritter, George Segal, Harry Dean Stanton, Dean Stockwell, Jessica Tandy, and Robert Vaughn. Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has just released Alfred Hitchcock Presents: The Legacy Collection on DVD. The 34-disc set contains 263 episodes of the series. The run actually had 268 episodes, so I’m guessing the missing five are due to some arcane licensing issue. Thanks to Allied Vaughn and MovieZyng, I had a chance to take a look at this hefty set.

The episodes are presented in the original 1.33:1 aspect ratio. The series was shot on film, so we get a nice clean black & white DVD presentation. I can already hear one person in the back mumbling, “If it was shot on film, why’s it not on Blu-ray?” Without delving into physical media economics, the short answer is DVD is the cheapest format to produce and, though it’s sad that a legendary show with great scripts and casts isn’t in high demand, this is the format that makes the most sense. I think it’s a really nice video presentation and the fact that fans of the series can get their hands on 263 episodes of it is fantastic.

On the audio side of things, there’s an English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono track. Subtitles are available for English SDH. Dialogue is clear and prioritized in the mix as are effects. Like many shows of the era, the score can sound a little tinny.

The Alfred Hitchcock Presents: The Legacy Collection DVD set is comprised of 34 discs. There is no digital code. There are two special features. “Alfred Hitchcock Presents: A Look Back” features Patricia Hitchcock, Norman Lloyd and Hilton Green discussing the creation and success of the series, while “Fasten Your Seatbelt: The Thrilling Art of Alfred Hitchcock” sees directors John Carpenter, William Friedkin, Martin Scorsese, Eli Roth, and Guillermo del Toro discuss the genius of Hitchcock and his ability to keep an audience in suspense and terror.

The Alfred Hitchcock Presents: The Legacy Collection DVD gives the home entertainment audience 263 episodes of a groundbreaking TV series without facing the whims of a streamer. Is there really much more to say? Recommended.

1953’s The Master of Ballantrae, directed by William Keighley, is loosely based on the 1889 novel by Robert Louis Stevenson. Taking place during the time of the Jacobite Uprising, it sees two Scottish brothers (Errol Flynn and Anthony Steel) fighting over the family land and a woman (Beatrice Campbell). The cast also includes Roger Livesey, Yvonne Furneaux, Felix Aylmer, Mervyn Johns, Charles Goldner, and Ralph Truman. There are a couple of “lasts” attached to the film, as it was the last film Keighley directed before retiring and the last film Flynn made as a contract player for Warner Bros. Warner Archive has now released the film on Blu-ray and thanks to Allied Vaughn and MovieZyng, I had a chance to take a look.

The 1080p AVC encoded digital transfer is presented in a 1.37:1 aspect ratio. Director of Photography Jack Cardiff received wide acclaim for his work with Technicolor and his work here gives us a rich palette that looks gorgeous. This transfer was based off a 4K scan of the original elements and the image is sharp and detailed. Black levels are nice and deep and the transfer is devoid of digital noise or compression artifacts. The transfer maintains a nice filmic grain.

On the audio side of things, the soundtrack is an English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono track. Subtitles are available for English SDH. Dialogue and effects are clear in the mix. The score, as with many sources of that age, does come across as a bit tinny.

The Master of Ballantrae does not come with a digital code. Extras include two contemporary animated shorts. Bully for Bugs, contains the famous line about making a left turn at Albuquerque and sees him end up in the middle of a bull fight, while Plop Goes the Weasel sees Foghorn Leghorn battling his nemesis, Barnyard Dawg, and a dim-witted weasel. The original theatrical trailer is also included.

While Errol Flynn may not have been at the height of his swashbuckling powers in 1953, The Master of Ballantrae does combine family drama, pirates, and swordplay, with an excellent transfer and Jack Cardiff’s gorgeous cinematography. I think you’ll enjoy it.

CODA, from writer-director Sian Heder, is a remake of the 2014 French-Belgian film La Famille Bélier. It’s an acronym for Child of Deaf Adults and is led by Emilia Jones, who plays Ruby Rossi, an aspiring singer working in her parents’ struggling fishing business while faced with some tough choices about her life. Academy Award winners Marlee Matlin and Troy Kotsur play Ruby’s parents and are joined in the cast by Eugenio Derbez, Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, and Daniel Durant. At the 94th Academy Awards, the film went home with three Oscars: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Kotsur) and Best Adapted Screenplay. Universal has recently released it on 4K and thanks to Allied Vaughn and MovieZyng, I had a chance to take a look.

The 2160p HEVC / H.265 encoded native 4K digital transfer with Dolby Vision and HDR10 is presented in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The video presentation is sharp with great detail on the boats and locations, facial features and textiles. Set in a Massachusetts fishing village, CODA is not giving us a palette of popping primaries, but rather the muted tones that suit its setting. The HDR grading adds nice spectral highlights to the sun on the water. I like the look of it.

On the audio side of things, you have the choice of an English Atmos soundtrack that folds back to TrueHD 7.1 There’s also an English Stereo and Descriptive Video track as well as tracks in Spanish. Subtitles are available for English and Spanish as well as English and Spanish SDH. The track is geared towards the front with the heights and surround used sparingly for atmosphere. Subtitles pop up in scenes with deaf actors when American Sign Language is used. Dialogue is clear in the mix.

The CODA 4K does not come with a digital code, nor are there any supplemental materials included on the disc.

The CODA 4K teams a very good ensemble with a great audio and video presentation. Though it’d be nice to see this Oscar winner come with some extras, that doesn’t stop it from being recommended.

After six seasons and two previous movies, the British drama Downton Abbey finally comes to a close with Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale. Universal has just released a 4K of the movie and I had a chance to take a look. I haven’t sat down and watched the previous six seasons and two films (Gasp! Shock!) so until I do this is a technical review from checking out the presentation in various spots throughout the disc. As a transplanted Brit, I will get to watching it fully when I can. This last instalment’s large ensemble is led by Hugh Bonneville, Jim Carter, Michelle Dockery, Paul Giamatti, Elizabeth McGovern, and Penelope Wilton.

The 2160p HEVC / H.265 encoded native 4K digital transfer with Dolby Vision and HDR10 is presented in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio. The to image is beautiful, with detail and clarity in everything from the manor to the costumes to facial features. Black levels are deep, with no loss of detail in shadows and darker scenes. The colour palette is rich displaying reds and golds and everything in between. There is no sign of digital noise or compression artifacts.

On the audio side of things, you have the choice of an English Dolby Atmos track that folds down to Dolby TrueHD 7.1 as well as a French Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 track and a Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 track. Subtitles are available for English SDH, French and Spanish. The surrounds and the heights immerse you in the estates and its activities. The score is lush and dialogue is clear and centred.

The Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale 4K also comes with a digital code and a Blu-ray, though there is no digital option for the Canadian version. Bonus features include looks at the story’s timeline and the film’s society events with the cast and filmmakers, a look at the authenticity by the crew and historical advisor, a farewell to the fans, a 42 minute grand finale TV special that aired on Peacock, and a commentary by director Simon Curtis and his wife, actress Elizabeth McGovern.

The Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale 4K looks and sounds great and has a nice collection of extras. Fans of the series will want to pick this one up.

[Older Posts]