Evans Above

Today I want to look at three of the films I screened during the 2023 Hot Docs Film Festival.

Joe Piscatella’s Who’s Afraid of Nathan Law? is a follow-up to his 2017 documentary Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower. This time we meet Nathan Law, a college student in Hong Kong, who teamed up with fellow pro-democracy activists Joshua Wong and Agnes Chow as they lead 2014’s Umbrella Revolution. The students shut down the busiest parts of Hong Kong to try and get China to keep it’s “one country, two systems” promise.

Law then became the youngest person elected to the Hong Kong Legislative Council, only to be kicked out on trumped up allegations. When the students once again take to the streets to protest the proposed extradition law that will allow prisoners to be sent to the mainland, the Chinese retaliation is swift and though their belief in democracy gives them the strength to survive police battles and brutal beatings by criminals hired as agitators, the huge weight of the authoritarian regime rips through the group with onerous prison sentences.

Besides the on-the-street footage of the confrontations with police, Piscatella’s camera gives us access to the group’s planning meetings and takes us inside Law’s election campaign and time as a council member. He also gives us access to Law, who was able to flee Hong Kong but now lives with one eye over his shoulder as he knows the Chinese intelligence apparatus is far-reaching.

Who’s Afraid of Nathan Law? is at times depressing, as it feels like a well-oiled, well-funded authoritarian regime knows no bounds, but at the same, the continued belief in democracy by the students in inspiring and a lesson to those citizens in the West who see the seeds of authoritarianism trying to take root in their own countries. If you can find this doc at your own local documentary cinema or keep an eye out for it on your local public television station or streaming service, I’d highly recommend it.

Razing Liberty Square, from director Katja Esson, looks at the history and current predicament of Liberty Square, a public housing development in the predominantly Black neighbourhood of Liberty City in Miami that is facing a private redevelopment by a company saying that it’s mixed-income buildings will improve the lives of the residents.

In the Jim Crow days, Miami essentially used zoning to force Blacks away from the sought after waterfront areas and forced the families inland. Despite the terrible reasons behind the community, the area had a great spirit, with the residents believing they could count on each other.

The current development promises new and improved public housing, but there’s an issue when vouchers are offered so that residents can choose to wait in their dilapidated units for new ones or take assistance to find a new apartment but with no guarantee the rent won’t skyrocket. Razing Liberty Square shows us the struggles and the decisions to be made by many who grew up in the area, from a school principal fighting for her students to an executive with the company doing the redevelopment who fights both with the perception of his role in the company and the realization of what’s actually happening within the company.

Against the backdrop of politicians doing photo ops with the developers that fund their campaigns, Razing Liberty Square, like Who’s Afraid of Nathan Law?, shows that the fight for one’s rights and just treatment has to start at the personal level. Razing Liberty Square is definitely a film to seek out.

Director Set Hernandez brought Unseen to Hot Docs. Hernandez, a co-founder of the Undocumented Filmmakers Collective, tells the story of their friend, Pedro, a blind undocumented immigrant who is studying to be a social worker. Pedro’s goals of supporting his family and providing mental health help to his community faces both practical and political challenges. It’s inspiring to see that Pedro’s spirit may occasionally bend but never breaks and this is in no small part due to his own personal strength and the love and support of his family, community and educators.

Hernandez takes us into Pedro’s world by filming some scenes in a way that shows the blurred shapes and flashes of light and colour that Pedro faces as he navigates through his world. With Unseen, Hernandez shows us the power of determination and love. Well worth seeking out.

Film Chest is releasing Mike Hammer, Private Eye 1997-1998 on DVD and I had a chance to take a look. I love it when boutique labels release almost forgotten series on physical media. This show, which stars Stacy Keach, only ran for 26 episodes and though it’s currently on Prime, streamers are notorious for dropping shows on a whim.

You may remember that Keach played Hammer on the Eighties’ CBS series Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer, which was later renamed The New Mike Hammer. In the late Nineties, the producers tried their luck relaunching the series as a direct-to-syndication show and so Mike Hammer, Private Eye was born. Sadly, the show never found it’s audience and production ended after just 26 episodes. Keach’s tough and gritty Hammer was joined by Shannon Whirry as his sexy secretary, Velda, and Shane Conrad as his sidekick.

Film Chest has presented the series in a five DVD set. The video is presented in the original 4:3 aspect ratio. With the 26 episodes spread over five discs, compression isn’t bad at all and this is a good looking DVD presentation. Audio is English Dolby Digital 2.0 with English closed captions.

Mike Hammer, Private Eye 1997-1998 comes in a nice embossed slipcover. There’s a booklet with episode synopses and the discs contain the original series trailer.

Film Chest has done a great job with the Mike Hammer, Private Eye 1997-1998 DVD set and if you’re a fan of Stacy Keach, Mike Hammer or collecting short-lived series, then this is an easy recommendation.

When you see that Paramount’s new 4K release of Flashdance is the “40th Anniversary Edition”, you have to stop and do the math. Has it really been forty years? That would mean…

It really has been forty years since Jennifer Beals played Alex. Welder by day. Exotic dancer by night. Ballerina in her dreams. Forty years since “Maniac” and “What a Feeling” owned the airwaves.

The 2160p HEVC / H.265 encoded native 4K digital transfer with Dolby Vision and HDR10 is presented in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. The remastered 4K scan looks great with added clarity and contrast. Black levels are deep and the many darker scenes have no loss of detail. The colour palette pops and the HDR adds some extra shine to the specular highlights of stage lighting and neon signs. There’s no evidence of digital noise and compression artifacts. The grain is satisfying and hasn’t been scrubbed digitally.

On the audio side of things, you have the choice of an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack as well as French, German and Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0 tracks. Subtitles are available for English, English SDH, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish. The music is the real star in this mix and is sure to make you break out your torn sweatshirts and leg warmers. Though front-heavy at times, the surrounds do put you into the action of some scenes and the low frequencies add to the score’s bass and the working environments. Dialogue is clear and centred.

The Flashdance 4K comes with a Blu-ray disc as well as a digital code. The special features are on the Blu-ray disc. There’s a short filmmaker focus on director Adrian Lyne, a piece on the look of Flashdance and another on how the film became a phenomenon. There’s also a theatrical trailer.

Flashdance was a pop culture explosion in the Eighties and a perfect example of a movie that drove soundtrack sales… or was it the other way around? With great video and audio, the Flashdance 4K is a worthy addition to your collection.

It’s not quite double dipping, but Paramount Home Entertainment has just released Yellowstone Season 5 Part 1 on Blu-ray. Yes, you read that right, it’s part one as in the first eight episodes of a fourteen episode season. This season sees John Dutton (Kevin Costner) taking the fight to protect his land and legacy all the way to the seat of power in Montana.

The 1080p AVC encoded digital transfer is presented in a 2.00:1 aspect ratio. Just like the seasons before it, Yellowstone Season 5 Part 1 is a great looking Blu-ray with sharp details ranging from weathered faces to weather-worn landscapes. The colour palette is rich and natural and ranges from greens to popping primaries.

On the audio side of things, there’s an English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack. Subtitles are available for English. The surrounds put you into the scenery without being too aggressive. The dialogue is clear and centred.

The four-disc Blu-ray set does not come with a digital code. Episode recaps are on each disc, while the fourth disc also includes featurettes exploring the show’s characters, music and production.

While I may have a bit of a quibble releasing a half season disc, die-hard fans of Yellowstone will want to pick up the Yellowstone Season 5 Part 1 Blu-ray.

In 1998, two movies were released that dealt with impending doom for the planet we call home. The first, released in May of that year, was Deep Impact, while Armageddon hit cinemas in July. Deep Impact’s villain was a comet, while the astronomical baddie in Armageddon was an asteroid. I’d say that Deep Impact was the more thoughtful of the two films. In the movie, Elijah Wood plays an amateur astronomer who thinks he has found a new star. It turns out to be a comet on a collision course with the Earth. Pressed by a reporter (Téa Leoni) who has access to classified info, the American President (Morgan Freeman) reveals that the Earth is facing possible extinction and the survival of the planet rests on a dangerous US/Russian mission led by a veteran astronaut (Robert Duvall). While Armageddon had Aerosmith, Deep Impact focused more on what it’s like for an entire civilization to face its own fragile mortality.

The 2160p HEVC / H.265 encoded native 4K digital transfer with Dolby Vision and HDR10 is presented in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The image is crisp, with excellent detail in clothing, environments and facial features. The colour palette is muted and natural and black levels are good with some loss of detail in the shadows. There’s a light grain structure and thankfully no signs of egregious digital smoothing. Like many 4K transfers with older CG effects shots, some of the special effects do look a little soft due to their lower resolution. It’s a pleasing video presentation.

On the audio side of things, you have the choice of an English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack as well as French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks. Subtitles are available for English, English SDH, French, and Spanish. In the smaller, more human moments of the film, the soundscape leans heavily on the front speakers, but when action scenes call for it, the mix expands to the surrounds to place you into the action, with the subwoofer adding some boom to the impending doom. The score (by James Horner) sounds great and dialogue is clear and centred.

The Deep Impact 4K also comes with a Blu-ray copy and a digital code. All the bonus materials are on the Blu-ray and include audio commentary by director Mimi Leder and visual effects supervisor Scott Farrar, some production featurettes, trailers and a photo gallery.

Deep Impact packs more of an emotional wallop then Armageddon and deals more with the human condition. Combining that with an excellent video presentation and a very solid soundtrack, the Deep Impact 4K is highly recommended.

Paramount has just released SEAL Team Season 6 on DVD. The ten episode season premiered on Paramount+ on September 18, 2022. If you’re new to the series, the show follows Bravo Team, a unit within the United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group, as they conduct dangerous missions around the globe. The series is led by David Boreanaz and also stars Max Thieriot, Jessica Paré, Neil Brown Jr., A. J. Buckley, and Toni Trucks. The season opens with the team dealing with a devastating ambush that alters and affects them.

Like many TV series, this is a DVD only release. Though it’s not HD, the 16:9 presentation of this series is still very good, with colours and detail at the top end of the DVD format’s capabilities. Maybe when the show is finally over, we might see a Blu-ray release if there is enough demand.

On the audio side, the set comes with an English Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack and English SDH subtitles. Like many shows, the mix is front-heavy, but the surrounds do get a bit of a workout when the military action is happening. Dialogue is clear, centred and well-prioritized.

The 3-disc set does have some special features. They include some deleted scenes, a gag reel and four featurettes that look at different aspects of the production. The set does not include a digital code.

If you’re a fan of the series and want to have a physical copy, then you’ll want to pick up SEAL Team Season 6 on DVD.

Kyle Marvin’s 80 for Brady is inspired by a true story of four friends who began watching football because of their shared love for quarterback Tom Brady. The friends, played by legends Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno, and Sally Field, find a way to see Brady and the New England Patriots play in Super Bowl LI and end up on a journey that doesn’t go quite as planned. I’d watch these four legends play cards so spending 98 minutes with them in a light comedy about friendship and fandom is time I’m willing to invest. Paramount is releasing a Blu-ray of the movie and I had a chance to take a look.

The 1080p AVC encoded digital transfer is presented in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. It’s a good looking video presentation with plenty of detail from facial features to Patriots jerseys. The colours look great with good black levels and details in the shadows. The video may not be a superstar, but it is a veteran role player that knows how to get the job done.

On the audio side of things, the movie comes with an English Dolby Atmos that folds back to a Dolby TrueHD 7.1 soundtrack. Subtitles are available for English, English SDH, French, and Spanish. It’s somewhat surprising to see a midrange release like this with an Atmos track. Given that it’s an Atmos track, the mix is somewhat front heavy, so expect a light workout for your surrounds and subwoofer. Dialogue is clear and centred.

The 80 for Brady Blu-ray comes a digital code. There are four small featurettes that focus on the production, cast and New England Patriots as well as some deleted scenes.

80 for Brady is a lightweight comedy that serves as an excuse to hang out with four legends and a goat. The video and audio presentation does its job, but won’t blow you away. Unless your a person who needs to have every Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno, Sally Field or Patriots film, this is probably a film you’ll save for streaming.

Warner Brothers Home Entertainment has released Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal: The Complete Second Season on Blu-ray. Tartakovsky’s caveman and dinosaur pairing is an animated show for adults. I don’t mean that in a “Family Guy is raunchy but the kids will still watch” kind of way. Primal is dark, violent, brutal and moving. The WB likes disclaimers, so here goes: Though Warner Brothers provided me with a copy of this release to review, the thoughts and opinions below are mine.

The 1080p AVC encoded digital transfer is presented in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio. The animation looks crisp and clean with strong lines and edges and the colour palette reflects the darkness of the material. There is some colour banding here and I wonder if perhaps presenting the ten episodes over two discs instead of one would lead to less compression artifacts. It’s not a huge problem at all and doesn’t take away that this is just a stunning series to look at.

On the audio side of things, the disk comes with an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack. Subtitles are available for English SDH, French, and Dutch. There really isn’t much use of language in the series. The soundscape is alive with action and ambient sounds that move throughout the surrounds. The subwoofer adds some dinosaur worthy weight to the proceedings.

The ten episodes of the second season are, as mentioned, provided on one Blu-ray disc. There is no digital code included. The lone extra is a thirteen minute featurette with Tartakovsky and the production team discuss the series and the creation of an episode.

Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal: The Complete Second Season on Blu-ray is a worth addition to your library, with my one quibble being the season should probably have been spread over two discs.

Paramount Home Entertainment has just released Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 3 on both Blu-ray and DVD. I was sent a DVD copy of the season to review. The animated Star Trek comedy series follows the adventures of the lower deck crew of the USS Cerritos. The lower deck crew are voiced by Tawny Newsome, Jack Quaid, Noël Wells, and Eugene Cordero while the senior officers of the starship are voiced by Dawnn Lewis, Jerry O’Connell, Fred Tatasciore, and Gillian Vigman. In the ten episodes of the second season, we see the trial of Captain Freeman, new relationships begin to develop and lower deck members pondering promotions.

The ten episodes of the season are spread over two discs in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. With room to breathe, the DVD video presentation looks great, with crisp lines to the animation and bold popping primary colours and no sign of compression artifacts. Obviously, the HD Blu-ray presentation will look better, but this is a really good looking DVD.

On the audio side of things, the DVD comes with an English Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. Subtitles are available for English SDH. It’s a fun soundtrack with the ambient whirs, hums and engine throbs placed throughout the soundscape. Dialogue is clear and centred.

The two-disc DVD set does not come with a digital code. There is a nice number of extras with audio commentary and two featurettes.

Fans of Star Trek: Lower Decks will want to pick up season three on Blu-ray, but if your budget is tighter, the Star Trek: Lower Decks Season Three DVD still has really good audio and video for the medium. I’ll link to the better Blu-ray option, but remember to choose DVD if that’s the equipment you have.

I received a review copy of the South Park: The Complete Twenty-Fifth Season Blu-ray the other day and it took a minute to sink in. Matt Stone and Trey Parker’s satirical juggernaut is twenty-five years old. Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny have been going at it for twenty-five years. And they’re still only in the fourth grade. The six episodes of this short season deal with crypto ads, Russian invasions, Airsoft and other issues.

The 1080p AVC encoded digital transfer is presented in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. The bold colours of South Park’s signature animation style look great and the image is crisp and clean. No sign of compression artifacts or digital noise.

On the audio side of things, you have the choice of an English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack and an English Dolby Digital 2.0 track. Subtitles are available for English SDH. Though not the most immersive track, with only occasional surround usage, the all-important dialogue is clear, centred and well-prioritized in the mix.

South Park arrives on one Blu-ray disc with no digital code included. Sadly, this 25th anniversary of the show does not merit any special features.

If you’re a South Park completist, you’ll want to add this release to your collection.

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