Evans Above

NCIS: Los Angeles premiered on CBS on September 22nd, 2009. Fourteen years and 323 epiosdes later, its successful run on CBS ended on May 21, 2023. The series follows two special agents, Sam Hanna (LL Cool J) and Grisha Callen (Chris O’Donnell), who work undercover for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. The supporting cast has included Peter Cambor, Daniela Ruah, Adam Jamal Craig, Linda Hunt, Barrett Foa, Eric Christian Olsen, Renée Felice Smith, Miguel Ferrer, Nia Long, Medalion Rahimi, Caleb Castille and Gerald McRaney. Paramount has just released NCIS: Los Angeles: The Complete Series on DVD and I had a chance to take a look.

The fourteen season set is spread over 81 discs which means this hefty package is not only entertainment but also probably qualifies as home workout equipment. And now we answer the inevitable question: “The show is streaming in HD, so why is this a DVD and not a Blu-ray?” The answer is market analysis. Yes, some previous individual season releases were on Blu-ray but Paramount figures that the market for this complete series set is not big enough to warrant Blu-rays and/or really care if it’s in HD. So we get a DVD release, as DVDs still lead physical media sales and are cheaper to manufacture. The video presentation is presented in a 16:9 aspect ratio and is pretty good for DVD. The colours look good and though we don’t get the same deepness of black levels or shadow detail as a Bu-ray, the video presentation is good. There is some artifacting and compression issues here and there but with an 81 disc set the video does have a bit of room to breathe.

On the audio side of things, you have the typical mish-mash of language choices that TV releases have, with no consistency across the whole series. So, seasons 1-2 have English 5.1 Dolby Digital, English 2.0 Dolby Digital, and French 2.0 Dolby Digital. Seasons 3-11 have English 5.1 Dolby Digital and English 2.0 Dolby Digital. Seasons 12-14 have English 5.1 Dolby Digital. As for subtitles, seasons 1-2 have English SDH, French, Portuguese and Spanish. Seasons 3-5 have English SDH, Portuguese and Spanish. Seasons 6-7 have English SDH and Portuguese, while seasons 8-14 just have English SDH. Confusing, huh? As with many TV releases, the 5.1 soundtrack can sometimes be front-heavy, while in other scenes the surrounds do get some use with ambient sounds and action effects. LFE usage is quite good. Dialogue is clear and centred.

The 81 disc set doesn’t come with a digital code for the series, but it is packed with over 17 hours of bonus content including crossover episodes with NCIS and NCIS: Hawai’i ,behind-the-scenes pieces and deleted scenes.

If you’re an NCIS: Los Angeles fan, this set has good audio and video and a nice selection of extras. It would be great if it was on Blu-ray, but since they may not happen, fans will love NCIS: Los Angeles: The Complete Series DVD set.

The third and final season of the Paramount+ series Star Trek: Picard is in the books and most fans agree that it was a fitting and satisfying ending for the adventures of the beloved captain and his Star Trek: TNG crew. The cast of this season includes Patrick Stewart, Jeri Ryan, Michelle Hurd, Ed Speleers, Jonathan Frakes, Gates McFadden, Todd Stashwick, Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut, Michael Dorn, Amanda Plummer, Marina Sirtis, LeVar Burton, Brent Spiner, and Mica Burton. Paramount has released a Star Trek: Picard – The Final Season Blu-ray SteelBook and I had a chance to take a look.

The 1080p AVC encoded digital transfer is presented in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio. Sharpness and detail is present in all the usual places: facial features, clothing, sets and locations. The black levels are nice and deep and details remain in the shadows and darker scenes. Sharp-eyed viewers who have already watched the season on Paramount+ will notice that, for some reason, an Enterprise flyby in one scene uses a different VFX shot from the streaming version.

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, Italian, Japanese and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks. Subtitles are available for English SDH, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish. (So you can read Picard saying “Gör det så.”) The surrounds are put to good use whether it’s for the ambient sounds on the vessels or to enhance the action. The dialogue is clear and centred.

The three-disc Blu-ray set does not come with a digital code for the season. Extras include multiple commentaries with cast and crew, deleted scenes, some featurettes, a Q&A, and a gag reel. The SteelBook case features Picard and the crew on the front, a rendering of the Enterprise on the back, and the interior features an image of the crew playing poker.

Star Trek: Picard – The Final Season Blu-ray SteelBook has very good audio and video and a nice collection of extras. If you’re a SteelBook collector, you’ll probably want this version. If you haven’t bought the previous two seasons, you may be interested in the Complete Series Blu-ray being released at the same time or you may want to wait a little while to see if Paramount gives fans a 4K version.

After a four season run and a one-hour special, Adult Swim’s Metalocalypse returns with a new direct-to-video animated movie, Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar. In it, the beloved heavy metal band Dethklok must write a song that will save the planet from doom. The voice cast includes series’ creators Brendon Small and Tommy Blacha as well as Malcolm McDowell, Raya Yarbrough, Mark Hamill, Victor Brandt, Thundercat, King Diamond, Jon Hamm, Scott Ian, Amy Lee, Juliet Mills, Laraine Newman and Livia Zita. Warner Brothers has just released the movie on Blu-ray and I had a chance to have a look. 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 2.35:1 aspect ratio. It’s a good looking presentation with sharp detail on the line animation. The colour palette ranges from dark blacks, browns and greens to more vibrant reds. Black levels are deep and though there might be some occasional banding here and there, it’s not a big issue at all.

On the audio side of things, the disc comes with an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack as well as a Spanish Dolby Digital track. Subtitles are available for English SDH, French and Spanish. The track sounds great with action and ambient noise moving throughout the soundscape, while the bass pounds during the musical numbers. While the music is king of the hill here. The dialogue is clear and well placed in the mix.

The Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar Blu-ray comes with a digital code (not redeemable in Canada) and a folded poster. There’s also a solid featurette of cast and crew talking about the music and story in this latest release.

Fans of the series will enjoy the Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar Blu-ray. With great audio and video, it’s recommended.

The Fast & Furious franchise is a popcorn-friendly movie series with fast cars and action that routinely defies the laws of physics. I’m also pretty sure that star Vin Diesel gets a bonus payment any time he utters the word “family.” Fast X is, for the Roman numeral challenged, the tenth main movie in the Fast universe. (I’m assuming everything has a universe these days.) Vin is joined in the cast by Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, John Cena, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jordana Brewster, Sung Kang, Scott Eastwood, Daniela Melchior, Alan Ritchson, Helen Mirren, Brie Larson, Rita Moreno, Jason Statham, Jason Momoa, and Charlize Theron.

In this flick, Dominic Toretto (Diesel) goes up against Dante Reyes (Momoa), who seeks revenge for a laundry list of perceived wrongs. Cars go fast. Family. Cars fly through the air. Family. Cars explode. Family. Universal has released a 4K of the movie and I had a chance to take a look.

The 2160p HEVC / H.265 encoded upscaled 4K digital transfer with Dolby Vision and HDR10 is presented in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio. The video presentation is crisp and clear, with tons of detail in facial textures, textiles and environments. The colour palette is enhanced by the HDR and we have bright whites and deep blacks with no loss of detail in the shadows. The specular highlights, whether from fiery explosions or sun bouncing off chrome, look amazing as well.

On the audio side of things, you have the choice of an English Dolby Atmos soundtrack as well as French and Spanish Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 tracks. Subtitles are available for English SDH, French and Spanish. The Atmos soundtrack puts you in the driver’s seat with the surrounds and height channels delivering both ambient and action sounds and the subwoofers adding a chest-thumping low end to the proceedings. Despite the roar of the engines, dialogue is still clear.

The 4K set comes with a 4K disc as well as a Blu-ray and digital code. Once again, the digital code is omitted from the Canadian version. Extras include a gag reel, a 35-minute behind-the-scenes-doc, scene breakdowns with director Louis Leterrier, a couple of music videos and a few other character/performer featurettes.

Fans of the Fast & Furious franchise will want to take the Fast X 4K for a spin. With great audio and video and some nice extras, it’s a fun ride.

Warner Brothers has released the animated film Babylon 5: The Road Home on 4K and I had a chance to take a look. For the uninitiated, Babylon 5 was a live-action TV series from writer/producer J. Michael Straczynski that ran for five seasons starting in 1994. Its episodes followed the diplomats and military staff aboard the space station Babylon 5, which was commanded by John Sheridan (Bruce Boxleitner). This animated movie sees Sheridan (who became President of the Interstellar Alliance at the end of the series) tossed into a time bubble and traveling through time and alternate universes. The voice cast of this animated installment includes Bruce Boxleitner, Claudia Christian, Peter Jurasik, Bill Mumy, Tracy Scoggins, Patricia Tallman, Paul Guyet, Anthony Hansen, Mara Junot, Phil LaMarr, Piotr Michael, Andrew Morgado and Rebecca Riedy.

The 2160p HEVC / H.265 encoded 4K digital transfer with HDR10 is presented in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. The animation has amazing line detail and there does not appear to be any banding in the colour gradients. The blacks are deep and the palette ranges from popping to more subdued tones.

On the audio side of things, you have the choice of an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track or a Dolby Digital Spanish track. Subtitles are available for English SDH, French and Spanish. The action moves nicely around the soundscape and the subwoofer adds some weight to the action. Dialogue is clear and prioritized nicely in the mix.

The 4K set also comes with a Blu-ray disc and digital code. The Canadian release does not have a code. There’s an audio commentary by J. Michael Straczynski, Bruce Boxleitner and producer Rick Morales, as well as a featurette with cast and crew discussing returning to the project in animated form.

Fans of the series will enjoy this release. The Babylon 5: The Road Home 4K has great audio and video. Recommended.

I’ve been spending a few days exploring and enjoying Soundies: The Ultimate Collection, a new Blu-ray release from Kino Lorber in conjunction with the Library of Congress. Soundies were WWII-era jukebox short films and these precursors to music videos could be seen on movie jukeboxes in bars. They spanned the breadth of popular music from big band and swing to folk and country. This new collection brings together artists like Count Basie, Cab Calloway, Hoagy Carmichael, Nat King Cole, Dorothy Dandridge, Doris Day, Duke Ellington, Spike Jones, Liberace, Gale Storm, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Merle Travis, and Fats Waller. The segments are introduced by Susan Delson, author of Soundies and the Changing Image of Black Americans on Screen: One Dime at a Time. The four-disc set features 200 of these gems. The collection also does not shy away from the era’s racial, ethnic and gender stereotypes and some of the soundies reflect those views. The set also includes an illustrated 44-page booklet with essays by Susan Delson, Ellen C. Scott and Mark Cantor.

The 1080p AVC encoded digital transfer is presented in a 1.33:1 aspect ratio. The quality of the various soundies depends on the still-existing source materials, with some scanned from damaged 16mm prints several generations from the original negative and others sourced from well-preserved 35mm original elements, but even the damaged soundies don’t detract from how amazing it is to be able to see them. Apart from any source issues, there’s no evidence of compression artifacts or digital noise from the transfer.

On the audio side of things, the set comes with an English DTS-HD MA 2.0 soundtrack and English SDH subtitles. Sound quality again depends on the source material and many performances feature some noise and background hiss. Did that distract me? No, not really, because again I was just so happy that these performances have been preserved.

The four-disc set comes with the aforementioned booklet and features several featurettes that look at the history of the soundies as well as the preservation work done to present them to us.

Physical media collectors can always expect to see new releases of the latest tentpole movie or timeless classics. Soundies: The Ultimate Collection is a testament to film preservation and it’s a ray of sunshine to see these get an HD presentation as opposed to being lost to the sands of time. Kudos to Kino Lorber and the Library of Congress for releasing this wonderful set. Definitely recommended to music and film history lovers.

At this point, Yellowstone is an industry unto itself. First, there was Yellowstone. Then the prequel, 1883: A Yellowstone Origin Story. Now there’s 1923: A Yellowstone Origin Story. Pretty soon we’ll have 1:07 pm: A Yellowstone Story Slightly After Lunch. Paramount has just released 1923: A Yellowstone Origin Story – Season One on Blu-ray and I had a chance to take a look. This time around, Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren star as Jacob and Cara Dutton. Jacob is the older brother of James Dutton, the character played by Tim McGraw in 1883. Besides dealing with their ranch, the Dutton’s world includes drought, Prohibition and the early signs of the Great Depression.

The 1080p AVC encoded digital transfer is presented in a 2.00:1 aspect ratio. If you’ve only seen the Yellowstone franchise on Paramount+, then watching it on physical media should be an eye-opening experience. Streaming services send a compressed signal and though, yes, it’s HD, it can’t match the detail of a great Blu-ray. The image is sharp and there’s amazing detail in everything from the facial features and period costumes to the rugged landscape and sets. The colour palette is wide from dark woods to popping primaries. Dark levels are nice and deep with no loss of detail in darker areas.

On the audio side of things, we have an English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack. Subtitles are available for English SDH. The soundtrack immerses you into the landscape with both action and ambient sounds populating the surrounds, while the low end adds some authority to the action. The score is dynamic, while dialogue is clear and centred.

The three-disc set does not come with a Blu-ray code. Each episode gets a featurette that delves into the storyline. There’s a 44 minute look at the story, locations and production, a look at the Indigenous storyline of Teonna Rainwater, a piece on the editing process, and a preview piece on the series and its place in the Yellowstone franchise.

Fans of Yellowstone will be absorbed by 1923: A Yellowstone Origin Story – Season One’s characters and story arcs. With excellent audio and video, this earns a recommendation.

2023 is the 70th anniversary of one of the most charming romantic comedies ever made, Roman Holiday. It was the first time Audrey Hepburn had a starring role and she was so captivating in her performance that even though he had solo billing, co-star Gregory Peck told director William Wyler to give her equal billing with him, predicting she would win a Best Actress Oscar. He was right. Hepburn plays Princess Ann, an overworked young princess from an unnamed country, who escapes from her handlers one night in Rome. She’s found and helped by Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck), an American reporter. He soon realizes who his charming companion is and, along with his photographer pal, Irving Radovich (Eddie Albert), concocts a plan for the biggest story ever. Hijinks ensue, but this is a romantic comedy, so at some point the heart changes the plan’s course. The film is also notable for the fact that it was co-written by the blacklisted Dalton Trumbo. Writer Ian McLellan Hunter fronted for Trumbo. When the Academy sought to rectify it’s mistakes of the Cold War/Red Scare era in 1993, Trumbo’s widow was given his Oscar for Best Story. To celebrate the 70th anniversary, Paramount has released a 4K of Roman Holiday and I had a chance to look.

The 2160p HEVC / H.265 encoded native 4K digital transfer with Dolby Vision and HDR10 is presented in a 1.37:1 aspect ratio. The video transfer is derived from the same restoration that gave us the new Bu-ray three years ago, but this time we get the benefits of more resolution and HDR. The grain level does fluctuate here and there but it’s not a situation where Paramount smoothed out all the grain and the presentation does retain its filmic quality. The HDR is obviously not enhancing colour here, but there’s a fine gradation in the grayscale and the blacks are nice and deep. Detail on facial features, textiles and scenic elements looks great here.

On the audio side of things, you have the choice of an English Dolby TrueHD 2.0 Mono soundtrack as well as German, French and Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono tracks. Subtitles are available for English, English SDH, French, German, Japanese, Czech, and Korean. The soundtrack is faithful to the original mono track and so obviously the sound team hasn’t been revisionist and forced sound elements into the surround soundscape. Dialogue is clear and prominent in the mix and the score has clarity and fidelity.

The 4K disc set also comes with a Blu-ray copy and a digital code, though once again, there is no digital code in Canadian versions of the release. There are no extra features on the 4K disc, all bonus material resides on the Blu-ray disc and includes a look at director William Wyler by the legendary Leonard Maltin, a look at the costumes, a look at the film’s location in Rome, a lengthy featurette on Hepburn’s Paramount years, a piece on Dalton Trumbo and the blacklist, a look at Paramount in the 1950s, a reminiscence on Hepburn by loved ones, and the theatrical trailers.

When you combine fine actors, a great romantic and funny story, beautiful locations, great video and solid audio, it’s a no-brainer to recommend the Roman Holiday 4K.

Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) has raised feigning illness and skipping school to an art form, fooling his parents and his fellow students. In fact, the only person who’s sure he’s faking it is his principal, Mr. Rooney (Jeffrey Jones). So when Ferris launches his most elaborate ruse yet, Rooney will do whatever it takes to catch him. Joined by his girlfriend, Sloane (Mia Sara), and his best friend, Cameron (Alan Ruck), Ferris sets out to have the best day in Chicago a teen can have. Why? Because “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

Paramount has just released Ferris Bueller’s Day Off in 4K and I had a chance to take a look. Written and directed by John Hughes, the film is a teen movie staple and it’s great to see it get the 4K treatment.

The 2160p HEVC / H.265 encoded native 4K digital transfer with Dolby Vision and HDR10 is presented in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio. Though Paramount has occasionally gone crazy with digital smoothing, the grain structure here is pleasing and the video presentation retains its filmic quality. The colour palette ranges from muted tones to popping primaries and the HDR colour grading makes the red Ferrari look spectacular. The image is full of detail in the usual suspects: facial features, textiles and environments. Whites are bright and the black levels are deep.

On the audio side of things, you have the choice of an English Dolby Atmos soundtrack which folds back to Dolby TrueHD 7.1 as well as French, German, Italian and Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0 tracks. Subtitles are available for English, English SDH, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish. As an older comedy, the mix is quite front heavy, though some effects and ambient sounds have found their way into the surrounds and height channels. The subwoofer gets some use from the score and adds some floor to the occasional sound effects. Dialogue is clear and centred and all in all, the film sounds great.

The 4K disc also comes with a digital code, though not in Canada. Extras include a commentary by director John Hughes, and some featurettes looking at the casting, characters and other behind-the-scenes bits.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off in 4K is the next best thing to skipping school yourself. It’s a classic teen film with lots of laughs and it’s never looked or sounded better. Recommended.

The 2018 film Book Club, which starred Jane Fonda, Mary Steenburgen, Candice Bergen and Diane Keaton, was a box office hit, earning over $104 million against a budget of $14 million. With cash like that a sequel was ordered and now five years later the four readers reunite in Book Club: The Next Chapter. This installment sees Vivian (Fonda) inviting her pals to her wedding in Italy, where hi-jinks ensue. Who really needs an excuse to hang out with these four great actresses? Universal has released the movie on Blu-ray and I had a chance to take a look.

The 1080p AVC encoded digital transfer is presented in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The video presentation has great detail in facial features, textiles and locations. The colour palette captures all the gorgeous hues of the Italian landscapes from sparkling blue waters, lush vegetation and beautiful architecture. Compression artifacts and digital noise are absent. Warning: watching this film night have you looking up flights to Italy.

On the audio side of things, you have the choice of an English DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack as well as Spanish and French DTS 5.1 tracks. Subtitles are available for English SDH, French, and Spanish. Though the dialogue-driven comedy has the mix a bit front heavy, the surrounds do some work with ambient sounds and the odd effect. The score is bright and dialogue is clear and well prioritized in the mix.

In the US, the Blu-ray set also comes with a digital code and a DVD. The Canadian release I was sent for review did not include a digital code, which seems to be a hit and miss option here. There are three short featurettes that look at revisiting the story, the fashion and the foursome in Italy.

Fans of these four actresses or those looking for a light comedy that doesn’t involve vulgarity and explosions will be served well by Book Club: The Next Chapter. Great audio and video and the visuals of Italy earn this Blu-ray release a recommendation.

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