Evans Above

I attended the Media Preview today for the 2016 Canadian International AutoShow, which takes place February 12th to the 21st at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. It was my first time ever attending the event and if there’s one word for it, it’s massive. I’d recommend checking it out and you can find more details at autoshow.ca.

Some of the highlights of this year’s CIAS include:

• Art and the Automobile: presented by Cobble Beach Concours D’Elegance, it will display the advertising used to entice people to buy some iconic classic cars over the first 60 years of the automobile.
• Auto Exotica: A collection of the top luxury brands including Ferrari, Maserati, Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Bentley, Rolls Royce, Tesla, McLaren, Pagani and Lotus.
• The powerful yellow 1969 Corvette driven by celebrity TV chef Guy Fieri headlines Cars & Stars, a showcase of vehicles — and their owners — that have gained fame in pop culture.
• Power, engineering and creativity is on display with Hot Rods and Choppers featuring Kreater Custom Motorcycles. Hot rods will include the 1954 Ford F-100, 1925 Ford Model T Roadster Pickup, 1949 Chevy Coupe, 1929 Ford Tudor Hot Rod Project car, 1930 Ford A Roadster Hot Rod and the 1955 Chevy Gasser.
• The Ontario government and the Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association gives us look at the Connected Car and our automotive future.
• The Ford Performance Zone, a collection of Ford performance vehicles with a basketball themed celebration, a nod to the NBA All-Star Game at the Air Canada Centre on the opening weekend of the AutoShow.
• Marking the 100th Indy 500, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Museum is bringing a unique collection that showcases some of the iconic vehicles that have raced at the speedway over the past century while highlighting the many Canadians who have pursued glory at this fabled race.
• Street Tuners, led by Eurocharged Canada, a spectacular display of luxury performance cars like the Audi R8, Mercedes AMG and Ferrari 458.
• A look at the top concept cars like the Audi H-Tron, Subaru Impreza, Hyundai Enduro, Hyundai Santa Cruz Crossover Truck, Kia Niro, Toyota U2, Buick Avenir and Nissan’s Rogue Warrior.
• Forty new vehicles will be launched at the AutoShow, including Audi’s 2017 RS7 Performance, 2017 R8 5.2 and R18 E-Tron Quattro, Buick’s 2017 LaCrosse, Cadillac’s 2016 CT6, Chevrolet’s 2017 Bolt EV and 2017 Cruze Hatch, Chrysler’s 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, 2017 Chrysler Pacifica, 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid, 2016 Dodge Viper ACR, and 2016 Jeep Cherokee Overland, Ford’s 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor SuperCrew, Fusion, and Lincoln Continental, GMC’s 2017 Acadia, Hyundai’s Genesis G90, Jaguar’s F-PACE, Maserati’s Quattroporte Ermenegildo Zegna, Mazda’s 2016 Mazda CX-9, Mercedes’ 2017 Mercedes-AMG S 63 Cabriolet, Mercedes-AMG SL 63, Mercedes-AMG SLC 43, Mercedes-Benz S 550e Sedan, 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS, 2017 and smart fortwo cabriolet, Porsche’s 2017 Porsche 911 Carrera, and Volkswagen’s 2016 Volkswagen Beetle Dune.

Here’s a quick look at some of the sights from the Media Preview Day:

Again the 2016 Canadian International AutoShow takes place February 12th to the 21st at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. For more details visit autoshow.ca.

Disney once again releases its classic 1937 film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the first full length animated colour feature. The audio and video presentations of this 2016 Signature Collection Blu-ray release are identical to the 2009 Diamond Edition. There’s some slight alteration to the extras with a few new ones but several that are missing. If you already have the Diamond Edition, you’ll have to decide whether this latest release is a must have. If you don’t have it, then you’ll have to decide which disc to add to your home entertainment library.

The original material was shot with the 1.37:1 Academy ratio also known as 4:3. Since we’ve all mostly moved to widescreen TV’s the presentation of this 1.34:1 1080p transfer would leave us with black bars down the sides of the screen. To get around that, you’re offered the option of watching the film in DisneyView, which places artwork from Toby Bluth in the areas where the black bars would be. The transfer was restored and remastered and looks great. The colour palette is bold, the black levels and contrast nice and deep, and the level of detail captures the artistry of this hand-drawn, hand-painted masterpiece. The digital transfer does not exhibit any noticeable banding or aliasing. Disney has given this historical film the love and attention it deserves.

On the audio side, we get an English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 soundtrack, the original mono English soundtrack in Dolby Digital and French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks. Subtitles are available in English SDH, French and Spanish. Since they’re working from a mono original, Disney has used the low-frequency and surround tracks subtly, moving some aspects of the soundscape to create a slightly immersive experience. Dialogue is clear and the music and songs sound great. They treated the original sound work with respect and don’t do anything too gimmicky.

As noted the Signature Collection disc has some new extras, some old extras and is missing some material that was available on the Diamond edition.

Here are the new extras on this edition:

• In Walt’s Words: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: An audio interview with Walt, with accompanying images, the inspirations, and process involved in making the film.
• Iconography: Various individuals reflect on the iconic film and imagery and the film’s legacy and influence.
• @DisneyAnimation: Designing Disney’s First Princess: Various animators discuss the character design and history of Disney’s first princess.
• The Fairest Facts of Them All: 7 Things You May Not Know About Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Descendants star Sofia Carson shares interesting facts you may not know about the feature.
• Snow White In Seventy Seconds: A hip-hop version of the story.
• Alternate Sequence: The Prince Meets Snow White: A never-seen sequence of Snow White meeting the Prince for the forest time.
• Disney’s First Feature: The Making of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: A longer version of the extra found on the Diamond Edition release.

Holdovers from the Diamond Edition:

• Bringing Snow White to Life
• Hyperion Studios Tour: The version on the Diamond edition is longer.
• Decoding the Exposure Sheet
• Snow White Returns
• Story Meetings: The Dwarfs
• Story Meetings: The Huntsman
• Deleted Scene: Soup Eating Sequence
• Deleted Scene: Bed Building Sequence
• Animation Voice Talent
• Audio Commentary: Commentary from Roy E. Disney and John Canemaker, and as well as some audio of Walt Disney.

As mentioned, some of the extras from the Diamond Edition are missing. If you’re interested in explorations of the departments that handle story, art direction, music and background painting you may want to explore the Diamond Edition. Don’t feel bad which version you choose, the money’s still going to Disney!

In my review of Bridge of Spies’ theatrical release, I said that “Bridge of Spies is a film that find its strength in its convictions.” This isn’t a loud summer blockbuster but a mature, taut Cold War thriller. I was eager to see its Blu-ray release.

The Blu-ray transfer is very good. It’s a 1080p video transfer in a 2.40:1 aspect ratio. Details abound, whether it’s in the heavy winter overcoats or the stone and brick of New York and Berlin. Skin colours are realistic and in a movie that has a lot of action in the shadows of a cold and grey Berlin, black levels are nice and deep. There’s some occasional softness in the backgrounds but apart from that the image is very sharp. The video presentation does not disappoint.

On the audio end of things, we get an English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 soundtrack as well as French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks. Subtitles are available for English SDH, French and Spanish. The surround tracks immerse you in the world of the film adding lifelike details like passing cars, footsteps, clacking typewriters and putting you in the centre of the proceedings. Dialogue is clear and well-placed in the centre channel.

The disc also comes with four featurettes: a look at the real-life events the film explores, an examination of the Berlin Wall and how the film recreated it, a look at the U-2 spy plane and the historical details of the spy swap, including a visit with Chancellor Angela Merkel.

I quite enjoyed Goosebumps in the cinema, so I was looking forward to its Blu-ray release from Sony Home Entertainment.

The 1080p transfer is in the film’s original aspect ratio of 2.39:1. Being a film with a lot of “things that go bump in the night” it has quite a few dark scenes. The black levels are good in those scenes but the daytime and lit interior scenes really pop with colour and detail on surfaces and materials. Except for some occasional banding, the video presentation is pleasing.

On the audio side, your ears get an English Dolby Atmos, soundtrack, Dolby TrueHD 7.1, a French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 track. Subtitles are available for English, English SDH, French and Spanish. The musical soundtrack is clear and makes use of the low frequency output nicely. Viewers will find themselves immersed in the comic chaos with good use of the surround speakers. Dialogue is crystal-clear and focused in the centre track.

Onto the extras. You get a three minute blooper real, am alternate opening, seven deleted scenes, and a look t the Slappy character’s history in Stine’s books. There’s also a monster survival guide from two of the characters, a look at some on set incidents, a tutorial from makeup artists Steve Prouty and Fionagh Cush, some screen test videos and previews of other Sony films.

Fans of the Goosebumps books will love having this disc around and even newcomers to the books will enjoy having this family friendly comedy in their home entertainment library.

We covered Infinitely Polar Bear when it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2014 and now it’s nice to see the movie, starring the always solid Mark Ruffalo, available from Sony Home Entertainment as a Blu-ray release. Written and directed by Maya Fores, Infinitely Polar Bear follows a family as they cope and struggle with their father’s mental illness. The film also stars Zoe Saldana, director Forbe’s daughter, Imogene Wolodarsky, and Ashley Aufderheide.

The 1080p transfer is in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1. Shot digitally, the resulting transfer looks great, with fine details, clothing textures and a pleasing palette of colours. Black levels can sometimes be a tiny bit bright and there is some mild noise but it doesn’t detract from the overall presentation. All in all, this is a very pleasing video presentation.

On the video end, the disc has an English and French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track as well as Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks in Czech, Hungarian, Polish and Russian. On the subtitle side, viewers get English, English SDH, French, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Estonian, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, and Slovenian. This isn’t an action film that immerses you in a soundscape, but the surround speakers are used to give us some nice atmosphere. The dialogue’s the thing in this script and it’s crisp and clear here.

On the extras side, there’s a UV digital copy, audio commentary from Ruffalo, Forbes and her producer husband Wally Wolodarsky, a Q&A from the LA Film Festival hosted by Executive Producer J.J. Abrams, deleted scenes and some trailers.

With top notch acting, this directorial debut is highly recommended.

In Inside Out, Midwestern girl Riley has her life uprooted when her father takes a new job in San Francisco. Turmoil ensues when the control centre of her emotions get out of whack and Joy (Amy Poehler) has to try and get everything in balance again.

Our emotional life is complex, yet the master storytellers at Disney’s Pixar have once again been able to make its exploration accessible, heartwarming and entertaining.

Inside Out was a 3D release, but no matter how many times I click my heels, my TV remains strictly 2D, so my review will be of that version of the new Blu-ray disc. The 1080p transfer is in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. If the video transfer was an emotion, it’d be joy. The might be some odd banding, but otherwise the image is pristine. The colours representing the various emotions pop with vibrancy, but that doesn’t mean they overwhelm the movie’s more restrained visual treats as low light scenes have detail and shadows have depth. Textures on objects and clothing are sharp and even the littlest detail like hair is stunning.

On the video end, the disc comes with English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, DTS-HD HR 5.1, and Dolby Digital 2.0 tracks as well as French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks. We also get English, English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles. The soundtrack is immersive, whether we’re in the outside world or the world of Riley’s emotions. Surround tracks and low frequency moments are used perfectly throughout, and dialogue is never lost in the mix.

The package is also bursting with extras. We get the shorts Lava and Riley’s First Date?, the female cast and crew featurette Paths to Pixar: The Women of Inside Out, a look at the character design and audio commentary from director Pete Docter and co-director Ronnie Del Carmen. We get a few more behind-the-scenes looks, a look at the sound effects, an exploration of film editing, deleted scenes and several trailers.

Simply put, Inside Out is a perfect addition to your Blu-ray library.

It’s hard to believe that the classic Disney animated film Aladdin hit the big screen twenty-three years ago. The joyous, high-energy fun, anchored by Robin Williams’ performance as Genie, is now available on Blu-ray with the release of the Diamond Edition. A new generation can now enjoy the adventures of Aladdin, Abu, Princess Jasmine and Genie as they try to escape the clutches of the evil Jafar.

Aladdin is a hand-drawn animated film, but used computer animation in a few scenes and to aid in colouring of the drawings. This disc has a 1080p transfer with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The result is, in a word, gorgeous. Yes, there’s some colour banding. Yes, there’s some occasional macro-blocking, but none of it takes away from the whole presentation. The colours are as rich as the fabrics being sold in the bazaars. The black levels are inky (traditional animation pun not intended) and the contrast is excellent. Textures on the line drawings and flying carpet are crisp. If you asked a genie for one wish regarding the video presentation, he’d deliver this.

What does Genie give us on the audio side? An English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 soundtrack as well as French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks. We also get English, English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles. The songs and action are well-served by the surround speakers and the low frequency output gives a firm floor to every joke and musical number. The dialogue is very clean and intelligible, which is so necessary to keep up with Robin Williams’ lightning-fast ad libs.

On the extras side, we have a combination of materials new to this disc and older material that appeared on DVD releases. The new materials include 9 minutes of audio outtakes from Williams, directors John Musker and Ron Clements and animator Eric Goldberg that are interspersed with storyboards, “Genie 101”, where the voice of Aladdin, Scott Weinger goes over some of the many impersonations Williams’ character performs, a look at the collaboration of the co-directors Ron and John, a look at the discs Easter eggs, and look at the Broadway production of Aladdin hosted by Darren Criss. Older extras include audio commentaries by the directors and supervising animators, a full-length documentary on the making of the film, deleted scenes and songs, a shorter musical documentary, music videos and trailers.

Simply put, you need to add Aladdin to your collection.

When I reviewed the theatrical release of Avengers: Age of Ultron, I likened it to a roller-coaster ride with a few issues and the Blu-ray release of the film seems to follow that pattern technically as well. Though the issues shouldn’t have stopped you from seeing the film, the same goes for adding the Blu-ray to your collection. One note, Disney has released a 3D Blu-ray combo pack. We’ve reviewed the 2D version of the disc that Marvel sent to reviewers.

On the video end of things, we get a 1080p transfer with a 2.40:1 aspect ratio. It’s a moody film, with some dream sequences, so there are quite a few dark scenes and in a few, some of the characters disappear just a little bit. However, I really don’t have complaints with the colour palette, which has rich, realistic tones and good black levels. Textures are amazing whether we’re talking live action or CGI effects and the blending of characters both live action and computer animated is done very well.

The place where we get some issues – and a lot of noise in forums and on Twitter – is when we head to the audio side of things. Let’s get the details out of the way first. The disc comes with an English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 soundtrack as well as French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks. As for subtitles, there’s English SDH, French and Spanish. The surround tracks are immersive, dumping you in the world of Tony Stark and his pals, while never losing the clarity of the dialogue. What many people are quibbling about is that this particular disc seems to be a little less powerful on the bass and low-frequency end of things compared to other action discs played at the same volume. Though the solution is to pick up the remote or head to your receiver and manually adjust the low end volume to your liking, we’re just giving you a heads up that you might have to put the popcorn bowl down for a second and make the adjustments. Why the disc is quieter than others in these frequencies is a mystery…or maybe just a mistake.

On the extras side, we get the usual “making of” featurettes, deleted scenes and gag reels as well as detailed commentary from writer/director Joss Whedon.

If you want to keep your Marvel Universe complete, you’ll want to add this one to your collection.

It’s hard to believe it has been 20 years since Robin Williams jumped out of a board game in Jumanji, but the Anniversary Edition released by Sony Home Entertainment confirms that it has been two decades.

If you already have Jumanji on Blu-ray, you might not need to buy this version – since the video and audio transfer are the same. Sony has added a few anniversary extras, which we’ll get to shortly.

On the video side, the Jumanji disc does have a few issues that deduct some marks, but it still gets a passing grade. The images are a little excessively processed, so we get edge halos and some occasional detail and texture issues, but otherwise, it’s pretty good. Colours are bright, the flesh tones are natural, and the black levels are stable. If you ever saw DVD versions of Jumanji, you’ll appreciate this transfer more.

What do you get on the audio side? There’s an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track as well as Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks in French, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese and Thai. Subtitles are available in English, English SDH, Arabic, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish and Thai. As this is an adventure with a lot of animals and other things assaulting our heroes, the surround tracks get quite the workout and you are immersed in the action, while the never losing the clarity of the dialogue.

On to the extras. Owners of the previous edition will recognize the older extras that include a look at the production design and storyboards, a “making of” featurette, commentary from the effects crew, a look at the digital animals created for the film, and a virtual version of the board game. New extras added to this version include a reading by the book’s author Chris Van Allsburg, two episodes of the animated series that ran for three seasons, a look at the original teasers and trailers, and a trailer for Sony’s upcoming Goosebumps film and a way to try an tie this promo in to Jumanji by having the cast of Goosebumps reflect on the older film.

As previously stated, if you already own Jumanji on Blu-ray and don’t care for the new extras, you don’t need to pick this one up. However, if you missed the previous version and want a complete Robin Williams library, you’ll want to order it.It’s hard to believe it has been 20 years since Robin Williams jumped out of a board game in Jumanji, but the Anniversary Edition released by Sony Home Entertainment confirms that it has been two decades.

If you already have Jumanji on Blu-ray, you might not need to buy this version – since the video and audio transfer are the same. Sony has added a few anniversary extras, which we’ll get to shortly.

On the video side, the Jumanji disc does have a few issues that deduct some marks, but it still gets a passing grade. The images are a little excessively processed, so we get edge halos and some occasional detail and texture issues, but otherwise, it’s pretty good. Colours are bright, the flesh tones are natural, and the black levels are stable. If you ever saw DVD versions of Jumanji, you’ll appreciate this transfer more.

What do you get on the audio side? There’s an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track as well as Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks in French, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese and Thai. Subtitles are available in English, English SDH, Arabic, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish and Thai. As this is an adventure with a lot of animals and other things assaulting our heroes, the surround tracks get quite the workout and you are immersed in the action, while the never losing the clarity of the dialogue.

On to the extras. Owners of the previous edition will recognize the older extras that include a look at the production design and storyboards, a “making of” featurette, commentary from the effects crew, a look at the digital animals created for the film, and a virtual version of the board game. New extras added to this version include a reading by the book’s author Chris Van Allsburg, two episodes of the animated series that ran for three seasons, a look at the original teasers and trailers, and a trailer for Sony’s upcoming Goosebumps film and a way to try an tie this promo in to Jumanji by having the cast of Goosebumps reflect on the older film.

As previously stated, if you already own Jumanji on Blu-ray and don’t care for the new extras, you don’t need to pick this one up. However, if you missed the previous version and want a complete Robin Williams library, you’ll want to order it.

I’ve always been a sucker for Disney’s nature films and Monkey Kingdom doesn’t change that. Narrated by Tina Fey, the story follows Maya, a resourceful mother monkey who works hard to keep her son Kip safe from all the dangers and adventures the jungle holds.

The 1.85:1 1080p is beautiful and easily transports you to Maya and Kip’s world. Colours win across the board, with natural hues in the forest and excellent earth tones. Textures are also amazing from the hairs on the monkeys to the dirt, rocks and leaves. The whole Blu-ray transfer serves the excellent Disneynature cinematography.

On the audio side, we get an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track as well as French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks. The disc also offers English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles. The narration from Tina Fey is clean and easily understood. The surround tracks immerse us into the very real world of Maya and Kip, letting us hear the rushing waters, rustling leaves and distant animal calls while also making effective use of the low-frequency channels.

The Monkey Kingdom Blu-ray also comes with a handful of extras. They are:

• A Special Thank You from Disneynature
• Tales From The Kingdom
• On The Set of Monkey Kingdom with Jane Goodall and Wolfgang Dittus
• Disneynature Monkey Kingdom: The Conservation Story
• “It’s Our World” Music Video Performed by Jacquie Lee

You’ll not go wrong adding Monkey Kingdom to your collection.

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